do I complain about class teacher?

[Updownandaround1]

Class teacher Is new, training in her first year, she was a TA from another school and started in September.

This term 3 children have left, 2 huge parent complaints against said teacher and myself and other class TA want to move to another class because we can't stand her.

The teacher, dresses in head to toe in very expensive designer gear...the clothes are against our staff handbook as lots of our children and families are PP. I would love to wear nice things but it's a primary school, and some of our kids do not even have a coat!

She flirts heavily with the very young PE teacher, leading him on. It's becoming more and more embarrassing and very obvious to us other staff members she's leading him on for her own self gratification.

One pupil she knows from another school, she has let him do nothing for weeks, takes him off for daily for chats, and talks to him like he's a mate. Yesterday he stuck a post it note on her forehead, and is now kicking off daily because he needs to do some work, and he cant handle female relationships, the child is under SS and I think she's crossing boundaries with a child who already has attachment issues and has now made a rod for her own back.

Other class TA has had an awful health shock, incredibly serious and we are all very very worried and upset. Class teacher has made serveal jokes at her expense in class, in front of children and carries when she's not in, then has the audacity in the next breath to talk to the children about their behaviour.

Class teacher goes off and cries often, and her long standing partner has left her. She snaps at us and then messages other TA to apologise.

I have big concerns about this teacher and she's only been here for 2 terms.

I want to raise it with headteacher of whom I have a brilliant relationship with, but I realise it's big big accusations I'm making.

Or that she is flirting with the PE teacher she's leading him on for her own self gratification which, unless she's doing it in front of the children sounds very judgemental.

There's a whole mixture of things in the OP some of which are relevant and some are not. Your school has a dress code forbidding designer clothes? It sounds like you don't like her much - maybe because she used to be a TA. What is your role in the school?

If you do think you have grounds to complain to the Head, and maybe you have, you need to sort out what's important here.

It's nearly the end of term. You're all tired.

Recognisably expensive clothes are obviously a problem in your context, as are clothes that are cheaper but reasonably accurate copies. On a teacher's salary she's unlikely to be able to replace much of her work clothing quickly, so this is something to watch over the rest of the year.

I am surprised at the comments saying flirting isn't a problem as from your description I was thinking she was doing it in front of the children when it would be a problem. Do take the point re it looking like a personal vendetta though, so worth raising other issues in preference. But keep an ear on the older children's gossip - have they noticed the flirting?

Trade union rep for advice on protecting your own position.

Being 1:1 with a child is nearly always a bad idea - can you do small group work in the same space as she's working 1:1 with that child?

I would be querying your safeguarding training and professionalism.

Yep, you will have signed a whistleblowing policy as part of your safeguarding. I wouldn’t mention the designer clothes but certainly the unprofessional relationship with the boy, and the PE teacher.

You work in the school, apparently in the classroom, yet don't know what to do about what seem to be some safeguarding issues. How does that work?
I could sort of get it had you posted in the Staffroom to get the views of those working in schools, but AIBU? Are you going to report the teacher depending on the voting?
Maybe it's the irrelevant stuff about her clothes that's messing with your head.

YABU about the clothes, unless it's hot pants and bikinis, but her behaviour with the vulnerable child doesn't sound good, nor does her relationship with the PE teacher. As an ECT, she should have a staff mentor. You need to approach this person first with your concerns and go from there.

You sound extremely jealous of someone who was a TA like you but is now training to be a teacher, is this colouring your opinion . Why can’t she wear designer clothing?Just because the children presumably live in a deprived area why should that adversely affect them . Maybe you should speak to your head teacher in you are sure of your other accusations? It’s her first year of teaching and a massive learning curve for her, she must be being monitored by a senior teacher so speak to them if you are genuinely concerned .

As a CoG I’d be shocked if the HT did not already know these issues and is working on them. Any NQT should be under supervision in terms of regular phase leader and DH /AH classroom visits and lesson reviews. If this is not happening then there are question marks over the SLT capabilities and the Govs should be informed.
it’s rare that things are that bad, so am therefore assuming the HT has a case to build and will welcome genuine evidence of your concerns.
as far as SG if you have concerns you know the drill. You need to ensure you are following protocols.

She sounds totally unsuitable for the job. But some of what you have written sounds like sounds grapes. Eg she wears designer gear.

Yabu because you start with talking about irrelevant things like her wearing designer clothes. If you have actual concerns about her ability to do her job address that not what she wears, you just sound sour and jealous.

Quite a bit of your post sounds like opinion and pure dislike. This makes any potential concern difficult to assess and seems less credible.

No point complaining about stuff head can see/knows e.g. clothes or kids leaving. There is a reasonable chance Ashton is already being taken.

THIS

When you have genuine concerns around professional conduct and safeguarding, you should raise these stating facts and leave it to the Head Teacher to investigate and follow up.

Commenting on her clothes and personality style will come across as just bitching, understandably you may dislike her but that needs be separated from breaches of code of conduct and safeguarding concerns.

You should take time to prepare for your conversation with the HT so you are clear on your main concerns on her conduct and the supporting examples. Will make it easier to land the key points.

You do need to have a chat with the Head.

1. Safeguarding issues regarding her relationship with a student.
2. Inappropriate work attitude (Which is also part of the Teaching Standards which people often forget). Talking about a staff member inappropriately, inappropriate behaviour with the PE teacher and breaking school policy regarding appropriate dress are a starting point. This would mean she's not meeting Part B.

It could be that she's already on some form of probation or warnings for this. The Safeguarding thing is enough that serious concerns should be made about her passing ECT years and the Relevant Body needs to be brought in (I can't remember their proper title but it ends in Body!)

Yeah, the OP predictably posted and ran two days ago.

Yet people are still replying and taking it seriously.

This is good advice.

Would you have same reservations if a male teacher was doing all this i sincerely doubt you would think twice

You have mentioned that the teacher is crossing boundaries with a child. You are highlighting a potential safeguarding concern. You have a responsibility to report it to the head teacher. You should have done this already! (That’s before you’ve added the rest of this teacher’s issues into the mix!)

Please go and speak to the head immediately.

Odd that the first things you mention are her designer clothes and flirting with another teacher. Are you jealous? Is she going off crying because she is being bullied by the other staff, including yourself?

You need to seperate the facts and your judgement /personal opinion. It might help to write down everything in a bullet point style and then ask yourself which is a fact and which is a judgement. Rewrite the list of facts, if possible include where and when (if you can’t answer this it’s not a fact you can back up). Go to the headteacher with this list ONLY and say you have concerns. you are definitely right for reporting it, but make sure you stick to the facts.
There are A LOT of things in your post which should fall in the personal opinion category.

I think the fact that you don’t know how to address this professionally without resorting to bitching about her on mumsnet is massively concerning.

You need to have a good look at yourself and your motivation for talking to the head about her. A newly qualified teacher needs a supportive team around her, not one that’s slags her off on the internet, no matter what the challenges.

This entire post is totally unprofessional. Speak with headteacher in first place not with everybody else. Disgusting.

If this teacher is an EC1 or on Teach Direct (assume you mean one of these when you say teacher on training), there will already be plenty of monitoring and observations taking place. If she is breaking teaching standards, it will be noted. If she is breaking the staff dress code, she will be spoken to by SLT. If the other TA feels she is being victimised or bullied by this teacher, it is her job to raise it. If parents have concerns about the wellbeing and education of their children in this class, it is up to them to flag it with SLT.

Children leaving the school probably has nothing to do with this teacher. Sticking a post-it note on a teacher's forehead is not a safeguarding issue. Flirting with the PE teacher is just banter, probably. Claiming that you can't stand a colleague on social media, even with an anonymous name, is probably closer to breaking guidelines than anything you have written about.

You said it clearly in your second paragraph; you really don't like her. This is what this is about. And perhaps the only criticism that could be made is that she has not worked at building a relationship with other adults she works with. That said, if you were hostile from the start, that is not easy. If she is younger than you, and has been at the same level as you before (TA), she may find that a difficult relationship to manage. Plus, your first years of teaching are incredibly stressful and it sounds lie she has been through a personal break-up. Give the girl a break.

My thoughts exactly. The behaviour sounds unprofessional and irresponsible.

You may have some valid complaints but a lot of this comes across as pure bitching. Being envious of her clothes is not a valid issue.