To ask if a teacher can teach their child at school?

[Tylila]

Do some schools/councils have policies against it?

How are situations handled when the child is involved and the teacher has to look at both sides without favouring?

Are there other considerations to be aware of?

At primary school both of my kids had a teacher whose child was in their class. They never reported any issues with it.

I was taught by my Mum in primary for one year. It isn't the norm but due to the mix of teaching staff and experience was unavoidable.
From memory it was fine, no issues but I think it is best avoided if possible.

Of course they can. Primary and Secondary. Any issues school will have policies and procedures.

My father taught me for a year when I was 7. Other teachers in the school also taught their kids at different times. It happens.

Also private schools use reduced fees for teachers children to attract strong candidates.

I've taught my own children as a peripatetic teacher at primary. Dh (secondary) has managed to avoid doing so. I think it's probably pretty common in smaller schools in villages and rural areas.

Dh's school has a very strict policy atm about teachers not being allowed to have any access to the teacher assessed grades of their children if they're at the school. I don't know if there's an actual rule against any staff teaching their dc at all, but I imagine it's not really on for exam classes.

I have never been aware of any problems arising from instances of teachers teaching their own dc.

Yes, for examination years they get another staff member to mark/ moderate coursework.

Not a worry as far as I am concerned. I asked not to teach my Dd when she came to the school I teach at and it was honoured. I had a friend who was taught A'level maths by his Df. Obviously a bit of a niche subject so no room for manoeuvre. He scored 99% in his mock and his Df wrote on his report 'still room for improvement'.

I taught my younger daughter when I did supply at her Middle School. It was fine. I ignored her most of the time. It helped that she was the most sensible and the best behaved of my children.

My gran was my nursery teacher and my best friend's mum was our reception teacher, my other friend's mum was a TA, my mum ran the local private nursery, other teachers' children had gone through the school before me. Everyone knew everyone, it was good for behaviour, and very much the it takes a village approach although it was east London. Small primary, one class intake, mixed year group classes (2x yr 1&2, 3&4, 5&6) this was in the eighties/early nineties though.

Thank you everyone.

So the only potential issues might be in the examination years.

Do the same thoughts apply to INA’s?

I teach my son a couple of times a week, it's fine. A few teachers have had their children in the class all year, as a single form entry primary it is quite unavoidable.

In my boys primary they don’t do it - the Year 4 teacher moved years when her child was in Year 4 and moved back once he went to Year 5.

But I know other schools have teachers teaching their own child.

In my DC's school (primary) the teachers move to teach a different year group when their own children are in the year they usually teach

I did, the only problem was when it came to shows, significant roles on the school etc, my DC were always avoided so as not to show favouritism. They were all good, sensible children so would have naturally been picked for some of these had they been on a more neutral environment. I felt bad for them in that regard.

OP, why are you asking?

My child is taught by someone whose daughter is in her class (primary school) it’s fine and doesn’t cause any issues.

Of course they can. How could you have a policy against it as a council? That would be discriminatory. You couldn't fail to offer a child a school place just on the grounds that they had a parent teaching there, if they meet the criteria. Nor could you sack a member of staff.

My mother taught at the grammar school in our catchment area. Was I supposed to fail my 11+?

Our school is quite large,so where possible we place staff children in classes that won't be taught by their parents. At A Level, it's unavoidable though, as many subjects have only one class, and children often show a strength in their parents' subject, so choose it at KS5. We're extremely hot on getting other staff to moderate/mark work if a teacher has to teach their own child. Thankfully no staff had their own child in their exam class for Y11 and Y13 this time round!

Many LA schools in my area are now giving priority to children of staff in their admissions criteria

There are two teachers at the school who are parents of children in my kid's class. One teaches them now, the other is likely to as they move up the school. It's fairly common.

It happens, yes. Noone is really keen on it but sometimes it's the only way. Generally the teacher's child is borderline disadvantaged, as noone wants to be accused of favouritism. So their behaviour and attitude is expected to be 100% perfect, else it is a reflection on the teacher, and they are rarely given either the benefit of the doubt if problems arise, or plum parts in the Christmas play etc.

If a real problem arose involving that child, the most likely thing is that the head would deal with it rather than the teacher.

I assumed a policy may be in place with a council that says that children can attend the same school but not be placed in their parents class. Not a blanket banning of attending at all.

I’m asking because I’m in a situation where I would like to apply for the job of being my child’s INA.

I work in school but I don't know what INA means?

Individual needs assistant