Yr 1 teacher

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Sorry this is so long but don't want to drip feed...

So DS found out his new class on Tuesday he’s happy he is with a few friends and he knows his new teacher a little bit from around the school, so all good in this respect.
He will have a teacher share (totally fine with this) but his teacher on Fridays I have a few issues with, she has only got this job a few weeks ago to start in September and this is where my potential issues start.

1. She has no primary experience (she has been going in twice a week for an hour at a time this year to her child's class FS to help with reading).

Her original job before she had children was a dance teacher at a-level age - hence a teaching qualification, but no experience at all with younger children except her own child.

1. She has been open and loud in her words “I’ll have to get (her child’s name) to teach me phonics, I have no f*ing clue what I’m doing”

3.Today I have been shown screen shots from another parent group she is on bitching about another parent in her DS's current class. laughing that her child has been put in Mrs * class "I hope she's disappointed she's got the worst teacher"

1. She’s a very loud rude person in general, her child used to attend the same tennis class as DS, she would bring her dog into the playground while we waited, myself and 2 other mums have toddlers, who she used to shout at to keep out the way her dog is prone to be vicious around children, when we said they are in a playground she was very defensive saying she has to wait somewhere?!?

5.The job wasn't even advertised, I know at least 3 people who are primary trained with plenty of experience with great references who would of applied for this job so they can hardly say there is a shortage of people for the job.

I asked for a meeting with the headteacher today, I started to voice my concerns about her lack of qualifications and experience teaching my child she shut me down extremely quickly, stating that she has of course got a teaching qualification and that she would only be teaching topic work!?!? Then she proceeded to escort me out her office without even letting me bring up other concerns I had.

She will be the teacher on Fridays for the next 2 years as the teachers remain the same in yr2.
Am I just over reacting or should I expect the teacher teaching my child for 20% of the next two years have at least some primary experience?

I don't want to separate DS from his friends and I know the other classes are full so insisting he moves classes maybe impossible, other schools in our area are good but he is so settled moving him makes me worry.

What do you think my next steps should be? emailing the school governors? Please help, I feel I need to stick up for my child but I do feel a bit trapped, I know at least 2 other parents have also voiced concerns about this appointment but nothing seems to be helping?

I just can’t believe this.

I'd leave him in his current class but perhaps have a chat with the head and suggest someone needs to have a chat with her around professional boundaries

Some of it is probably inflated playground gossip

It's not up to parents to choose their child's class based on the number of years of experience of the teachers.

For 20% in Year 1 I would not worry.

If the teacher is behaving unprofessionally, report it to the Head.

With all due respect, there isn't really anything you can do. She has been appointed by the school in accordance with their selection procedure, so you would imagine her qualifications and experience must have satisfied them, despite your suspicions about her WhatsApp activity and dog etc.

Sorry if that sound harsh but this is the reality of primary school - sometimes you will have teachers you love and other times, not so much. It's just the way it is. At least your son has friends with him and a competent teacher for the remaining 80% of the time. Look on the bright side!

It sounds like she’s possibly the PPA cover especially if she’s only teaching certain subjects. A TA or higher level TA are legally able to cover this.

You are being entirely unreasonable to question a headteacher about their staffing choices. It beggars belief to be honest!

The group chat stuff and unprofessionalism are valid - why on earth did you not lead with those points?

If she is as bad as you describe I doubt she'll last a month. Let's just say, by Friday afternoon lots of children have had enough of teachers and school.

It’s y1 and only one day a week. I really wouldn’t stress over it. In the great scheme of things it won’t matter.

I thYou be you should I have started with the other concerns (bitching on social about another child in the schools parent mainly!) her experience etc is none of your business really

God you sound like the worst sort of parent to deal with. I can only imagine how much the head teacher was rolling her eyes before you came in.

You know three other great primary teachers just sat around at this time of year looking for a September start (so they can't currently be in a teaching job) with great references who would be happily lining up to take a 1 day a week job, sure OP, seems really likely!

What do you think they're going to do? Why do you think you have any impact? I bet she is classed as a cover supervisor. If it is an academy or private school no qualifications are required anyway.

It’s not ideal, but sounds as if she’s the PPA cover one day a week as is happening in most Primaries. She’ll likely teach RE, PSHE, Art and/or PE.

As a headteacher I despair at these sorts of conversations where parents are ultimately questioning the head's appointment processes. She has a teaching qualification therefore she is legally qualified to teach any age range, so it really isn't in your jurisdiction to question her 'experience of teaching year 1'.

The state that schools are in at the moment you are lucky to be getting a consistent teacher to cover what sounds like PPA time.

I would be more concerned over the overheard conversations and if this is the case this is what should be taken to the headteacher, if you have proof and not just playground 'so and so told me that...'

Yeah, all of this 🤣
Bullshit!

I don’t think you understand the reality OP. There’s classes at schools I know, including my children’s that have a qualified teacher 3.5 days a week and the rest taught by a TA. Classes taught by a rotating mix of supply teachers, SLT and TAs because they can’t recruit a permanent class teacher.

Classes where they have one day a week taught by an actual teacher with less than optimal experience, probably delivering content planned by the main class teacher, wouldn’t be on my radar. It’s pretty normal for at least PPA cover (half a day minimum) to be covered by unqualified staff. Schools can’t afford more, which is probably why the post wasn’t advertised as a teaching post. They will probably be paying TA money.

No headteacher with any sense at all is going to discuss any of this with you. Your opinion on a teacher’s personality is irrelevant. Unless you have an actual safeguarding concern (not nonsense about dogs at tennis class) then your choices are, bluntly, put up with it or move.

If a teacher is genuinely making awful comments online about others and saying that openly that they haven't got a fucking clue about phonics then you can gather all of the evidence and present it as a formal complaint because this would be highly unprofessional...IF it happened.

She’s clearly a cover supervisor

If you presented your concerns to the HT the way you've presented here I'm not surprised that you were swiftly escorted out of the office.

IF this actually happened, forward the evidence to the HT and Governors.

Can't believe she has QTS probably teaching qualification in dance or something. Teacher shortage= TA 's abd unqualified being teachers. Do nothing he's year1 but be ready that in a few more years you will continue to gmhave unqualified tracgers

You are listening to gossip. The school have decided to appoint her. They will not change their mind because you dislike this woman.

The swearing and mocking other parents on social media is unprofessional at best and gross misconduct at worst.

However, I work as a senior leader in a primary school and our best teacher is a lady that started this year and no previous primary experience. This teacher taught A’level business previously. She was appointed because of her sincerity and commitment to her own professional development during interview. We trained her in the first few weeks of term; sending her on accredited phonics training, providing her with opportunities to observe other teachers and time with the school literacy lead. She also spent the summer researching the theory behind the teaching of synthetic phonics.

To conclude, this teacher’s lack of experience would not concern me. This may have been a red herring in your conversation with the head and they may have seen it as either a criticism of their management, your lack of trust in the school, or unfounded (they will have information that you will not). The other bits would certainly bother me though.