AIBU to think that a child having a zoom one-to-one with parent present isn't a safeguarding issue?

[dramalamma]

I had a parent teacher meeting over the phone yesterday for DD (7). She's been really struggling to engage the last week after being really good at keeping up and is refusing to watch the teachers videos so her teacher suggested a one on one zoom call just to help her with one maths concept and touch base. They do have class zoom calls twice a week but she's the oldest in a composite class (youngest is 4) so it gets a bit crazy and she doesn't really get to say what she wants to.
I've just had a message (very apologetic) to say headteacher has said she can't do this as it's a child protection/safeguarding issue even if I'm there the whole time.
Do other children/schools have one on ones? I can see how it's not necessary or advised when they're at school but surely during lockdown it's a bit different and with the parent present? Any ideas how I can challenge this/find a way around it?

Thank you all - it's so helpful to know other schools are doing it - just had a call from the head and she's adamant it's not safe and that it's not done by any school ever in the history of the world! 🤔
To be honest I wouldn't have asked myself but when it was offered it seemed to be a very good idea. It's also not made me want to engage with any of their stupid worksheets today so I've shoved the kids on the computers and let them play educational games instead!
I suggested recording but she was aghast at the idea because that's against safeguarding too of course. She offered her to go into school (very much not happening for lots of reasons but mostly because DH has to be in contact with his dad who is CEV) and now she's gone away to see if she can make an exception (just in this case, just once, don't tell anyone) .... not sure it's worth the fuss. ..... maybe I shouldnt have described her policy as excuses tho

redsquirrelfan I am not out of date, it's to do with what Zoom do with your data, your face, what you say, where it's stored and who the information is shared with.

My daughter 7 has 4 1-1 zooms a week

@dramalamma

Thank you all - it's so helpful to know other schools are doing it - just had a call from the head and she's adamant it's not safe and that it's not done by any school ever in the history of the world! 🤔 To be honest I wouldn't have asked myself but when it was offered it seemed to be a very good idea. It's also not made me want to engage with any of their stupid worksheets today so I've shoved the kids on the computers and let them play educational games instead! I suggested recording but she was aghast at the idea because that's against safeguarding too of course. She offered her to go into school (very much not happening for lots of reasons but mostly because DH has to be in contact with his dad who is CEV) and now she's gone away to see if she can make an exception (just in this case, just once, don't tell anyone) .... not sure it's worth the fuss. ..... maybe I shouldnt have described her policy as excuses tho

Interesting, our lessons (Teams) have to be recorded for safeguarding reasons!

Lots of teachers work 1-1 with students in school.

As a safeguarding lead I find it odd the head won’t allow this. Maybe another staff member could sit in the room whilst it happens.

It's mad how the rules are interpreted so differently! The teacher is working from home so another teacher wouldn't be an option and apparently recording is not even to be considered 😂
I think they may have seen sense so thank you all - I think I'd have rolled over and given up if I hadn't known what other schools were doing so much appreciated! 😁

If at home, then the teacher may well be recording onto their personal device.

Teachers shouldn't have recordings of your child on a personal device. What if, God forbid, a child came into shot with no clothes on? The teacher would then have a recording of this on their computer.

These things are incredibly rare but the consequences can be incredibly high.

Just because schools are doing things a different way doesn't make them right.

It pretty shitty of you to claim it is excuses. You have no idea what the head may have dealt with that gives them the view that they have.

Any live video call in my school requires two members of staff to be present.

The two members of staff aren't necessarily in the same room, but we have two members of staff on the call at the same time.

We also have 2 members of staff on at each session. Its school policy. I teach classes and a classroom assistant is online with me. I wouldn't have this in school. All parents are present off screen but l somehow find it reassuring to have that extra person there in case a parent ever said l said something to their child and l needed the back up as a witness. I don't overthink this but it makes sense. Practically l find having someone there with a bigger group handy as she notices things for me eg a childs connection freezing that l might miss as so engaged in the actual teaching.

One-to-ones completely banned here, for safeguarding reasons

@Wishitsnows

It's not a safeguarding issue for most schools who do multiple zoom lessons all day.

We need two members of staff present in mine

My son spends most of tne school day logged into teams with his 1-1. She is sat in a communal area of the school while she does it.

No issues at all other than the slow internet when there are too many others online!

I can guarantee you that the reason the Head has vetoed the idea is not safeguarding but the precedent it will set. If other parents find out that your DC is getting one to ones, loads of parents will start to demand them and the teachers' workloads will become unsustainable. It was kind of your DC's teacher to offer but he/she had probably not thought about the wider implications in the way that the Head has to.

We are doing dozens on one to one calls every day. They are all recorded, for safeguard purposes, on Microsoft Teams. Not on our own computers.

Our school uses Google meet and everything is recorded from start to finish. Ds had a 1 to 1 with his teacher when he was struggling. His teacher is actually shielding at home so she is a bit more free for these things.

As much as I fully appreciate that teachers are under pressure is it really bad that a precedent is set to support children as need at the moment? Surely that should be priority above all else?

Ds has an ehcp with full time 1-1 so she works with him all day, children who did individual or small group work with a TA when schools where open are getting that via teams. Pupils who need help with a specific topic, or just a bit of emotional support are getting that from the teachers/ teaching assistants when needed.

Yes of course if will take a degree of management but supporting children should be everyone’s priority at the moment

As others have said, my kids school they have 2 staff present. So in practise this means of the two form year groups they combine online for one class and the other teacher is there as an extra pair of eyes. Kids can go back into the meetings when they want support with their work. The other teacher is there too.

All our live lessons ....6 a day are recorded on Teams
We do one to one ..again recorded

5yo DC has individual meetings twice a week, usually with the class teacher and specialist TA, on Teams. The school offered this due to SEN and we pop in and out during the calls depending on need. They've never mentioned safeguarding, although your thread has made me realise that's probably why they're both present!

Would a teacher talk to a child alone in a class. Would a head teacher talk to a child alone in their office. Do children have individual tutoring or music lessons.
They did before the pandemic, so why were those ok and a zoom meeting not ? It makes no sense to me.

Ask why this is a safeguarding issue as it seems a weird rule to want to be alone with a child.

Teachers are directed not to be alone with children where possible and so this seems very odd statement. Having a parent present acts as protection for the teacher.

My DD zooms with her 1-1 and does every single day before going in to school. Has done since November. As long as I'm there I fail to see safeguarding issues

@fuzzymoon

Would a teacher talk to a child alone in a class. Would a head teacher talk to a child alone in their office. Do children have individual tutoring or music lessons. They did before the pandemic, so why were those ok and a zoom meeting not ? It makes no sense to me.

No. No teacher would talk to a child alone in their class, no head would talk to a child alone in their office. Either would be a disciplinary offence

DS (SEN) is having individual sessions on Teams with his 1:1 which are recorded to cover the safeguarding issue. DH or I are always with him anyhow but they need to be recorded as well apparently.