Children in classroom early

[DogsAndGin]

Teacher here! My class come in at 8:40am. However, two staff members have children at the school, and send them to my classroom at 8:15 (one is an office lady whose daughter is in my class, and the other is a TA in my classroom, and her child is not in my class or year group).

I really don’t want responsibility for other people’s children before my working hours begin, what if something happened? I feel like they’re taking me for some kind of free before school club.

The TA sometimes stays with her child, but other times says, ‘you stay here and Mrs Dogsandgin will give you a job’. Then I have to find a way to entertain her kid for 25 minutes before I actually start getting paid! She’s done this with previous teachers presumably, without a hitch.

But, even with her remaining in the room with him, having kids in the room changes how I can chat to my teacher pals before we start work. We need to have confidential, blunt, frank and funny conversations and get things off our chest, away from children! I’ve had teachers come in for a chat, see the kids, and turn and walk out. I’m desperate for my pals and my privacy back.

How can I politely request that no children come in before 8:40? Or should I ask the head to communicate it as a policy?

YABU - kids should be able to come into your classroom before you start work

YANBU - you shouldn’t be a free babysitter for your colleagues

Have you been doing this since September?!

I dont think you should talk to the head just yet. TA comes under your classroom management.

soeak to the child who is sent in aline first by saying the school day has not started yet so please go back to mum.

when the TA comes in say youre not available to look after child so could they take them with them.

all nicely.

if it happens again, repeat you cannot look after their children before school as you have work to do.

THEN tell the head.

Is there no lock on your door?

Remind the other members of staff that their children ( Kids is an unprofessional term) are their responsibility.

Lock the door and inform the head

Then tell us the outcome

In our school the child stays with the parent (who is the teacher) in the parents class,until school day starts for the children .
If the TA is in that early with her child, the child needs to go to breakfast club ( possibly at reduced cost or free ) or be placed outside the classroom with her book and or colouring etc NOT be in the room with you and or mum.
Talk to SLT

Thank you everyone. To answer some questions:

Although I appreciate the TA comes under my classroom management, I am conscious that the precedent is set across the school, as other teachers have colleague’s kids in their rooms, too.

I can’t lock my TA out of her classroom.

No, we’ve only just started to work together.

It’s not really a case of her dropping her kid off in my room, or that she stays and looks after him! It’s both! The TA pops in and out from about 8:15 chatting to her pals in the corridor etc. Her kid is often in my room before I have even come in in the morning - sometimes with her, sometimes not. I have no idea why she gets in so early, she doesn’t do any work in that time.

Breakfast club is external, and fee paying.

@LowlandLucky I’m aware ‘kids’ is unprofessional thanks. This is mumsnet.

‘you stay here and Mrs Dogsandgin will give you a job’ when they say this (very manipulative IMO) I would say something like "oh no sorry I've got loads to do they'll have to stay with you" tinkly laugh if you must.

Breakfast club is external, and fee paying. then she should pay for it like any other working parent. She's a right CF.

I would be very busy at the photocopier at 8.15 every morning.

I would address it with the pare rs first and just say sorry, you have jobs to do in the morning and aren't able to supervise. They can take their DC to class or the office with them.

If you don't feel able to say it directly then I agree talk to the head.

Just tell your colleagues firmly, Please don't leave your children with me before 8.40am. I am unable to supervise them as I have a lot of jobs to do before school. They will need to remain with you until the other children are allowed into my classroom.

It's not difficult. You just need to be firm and clear. No arguments. If they ignore you and send the children down simply tell the children, No - you can't come in here. I'm busy, I'm afraid. Go back to your mother.

Yanbu! Def try the closing door technique and saying you have a lot to do then speak to the head if that doesn't work. Keep us posted how it goes!

This would Drive. Me. Up. The. Wall.

You need to speak to them and get it stopped. Pronto.

At our school, staff children are required to stay with the parent at all times (there is no breakfast club). I'm a TA, and I'm in different classes on different mornings. My children know that we ask if it's ok for them to come in before we go into the classroom, and will quite happily sit outside with a book if not. It's the same up and down the school and seems to work well. We would be in serious trouble (teachers and TAs) if we left our children with anyone else!

I'd ask about spaces in breakfast club and then approach them both and say that you've checked and if they can't have their children with them in their office or the TA can't have him with her outside of class until her actual working hours - then it's available for them.

I totally agree with you re that time.

I'm pastoral support. I like to wander and have a chat with colleagues when I arrive and make my coffee etc. I'd hate to walk into a classroom and find a colleagues kid in there!

that hour before the kids come in at 9am is the busiest of my day! I'm getting things set up, battling with the photocopier, doing some marking etc, sorting my diary. You are limited in what you can do because your colleague is using you as free childcare.

It'll be hard breaking the routine since you've been doing it so long and your colleague might become defensive - but please know you're doing nothing wrong putting a stop to this.

If i were you though I'd have a word with my colleague first. I'd just explain I'm really busy before school starts and they'll need to sort childcare asap. I wouldn't want them thinking i've gone and complained behind their back as they may be assuming you are completely okay with this set up. But there's nothing wrong with your choice to go straight to the head either.

Annoying..I’d just talk to the colleague..

Where I live breakfast club opens at 6.30, school starts at 8 and the children can’t go in until 7:50 earliest. Breakfast club (and after school until 6 pm) is free and includes breakfast/food in the afternoon, but it’s only for working parents. All teachers there are well educated, it’s just more free time and fun than school. My kids loved it!

Give over. OP is posting on a forum, not writing a report for the governing body. "Kids" is fine.

TA here. I always send children to the library and tell them the adults have something to discuss in the classroom (year 4).

We don’t have a library unfortunately.

Also, I don’t want to hang out at the photocopier all morning - anyway, that would just be giving her free access to my classroom to make herself and her kid nice and comfortable!

Thank you so much everyone. You’ve really boosted my confidence to nip this in the bud as we’ve only just started to work together. She’s been at the school far longer than me, so thinks it’s her way or the highway. I think the seriousness of this has been highlighted to me, and it would seem that bringing your kids to work for 30 mins a day is completely not allowed at other schools/workplaces across the country. We also have children in the staffroom sometimes, which was cause for disciplinary in the last school I was at due to safeguarding/confidentiality issues.

The problem is, the TAs at my school are disgruntled to say the least. They immediately hate everything and anything the HT asks them to do/change. In fact, this particular TA that I’ve been given seems to hate everything in the whole world and moans 24/7!

Also, thanks @LittleScottieDog x

Breakfast club is external, and fee paying

Well, that certainly explains why they hope to use you as (free) childcare

Since other colleagues are also affected I wonder if the Head will be as proactive as you'd wish, but even if so you'll probably still get the "Oooo it's only for today" contingent, so it's lucky there've been lots of good suggestions upthread

I'd also suggest that the head would be better off financially funding a few breakfast club spaces than the inevitable rehire they have to do when ta's cants afford it on their meagre salary.
If the school wants tas in early(and let's face it, they wouldn't run without that) they need to make it possible for the tas.
Of course they could pay them more, you know, a salary to reflect the level of responsibility looking after children is. Lol. Flying pigs.

Update! Spoke to the head, but also I discussed how the TA is very negative about the school in general and it’s really bringing me down - as well as her kid coming in early. She advised that I talk to her directly about the negativity, and as part of that convo mention how I appreciate to be alone in the morning to get on with my prep. Haven’t had the chance yet, but will talk to the TA directly 🤞🏻 Thanks for all your help everyone

@DogsAndGin hope your chat goes well. What time is your TA employed from? It seems early for her to be in or are you lucky and she does things before school?

Hmm sounds like the head has sideswerved any responsibility there. You'll just have to make sure you go back to the head if/when it doesn't work.