What would you think about this email from school? Sudden change of class teacher.

[Junglemoon]

We had an email yesterday evening from our (primary age) child's headteacher saying that his class teacher Mr Smith had left and that as of tomorrow his teacher would be Mrs Jones. No further details as to what on earth was going on, the email was literally three sentences.

Mrs Jones has been teaching them the last couple of days but our son was told and believed that Mr Smith was just off ill. He and most of his class were very upset in school this morning that there would apparently be no chance to say goodbye to Mr Smith, who is much loved by the children. Neither the children nor the parents were given any notice of this or any preparation.

On top of this the headteacher and the deputy head are apparently away at a conference and unable to answer phone calls or answer any questions and none of the other staff appear to know anything about the issue. The student counsellor was in the classroom this morning trying to reassure the children but she had no answers for them or anyone else.

Some of the parents have phoned and emailed (we are in contact with each other) to express concern and unhappiness about how abrupt this has been and how little information we've been given and the head has replied to an email from one father saying that Mr Smith had left suddenly and she couldn't provide any further details.

Obviously my mind is going all over the place. I can think of a few things that could be sudden and confidential, but if it was something that had to do with the children's safety, the school would have to inform us, wouldn't they? If something awful has happened to Mr Smith I suppose we wouldn't be owed that information but it does seem very hard on the children to just be like 'Mr Smith is gone, you won't see him again, Mrs Jones will be your teacher now'. Which is all they got.

Frankly its none of your business. Unless its a safeguarding issue involving your son the school are not obliged to tell you anything. Teachers are entitled to a private life the same as you.

Not if the teacher doesn't want them told before they've left.

Imagine if they're leaving to care for a dying relative or because their mental health is suffering.

So the 'decent' school lets everyone know in advance and the poor teacher is besieged by upset kids and well meaning parents, asking why they're leaving.

Do you think that's acceptable??

@GardeningMummy therefore do you not think that this might be an emergency situation

It could also be that he did hand his notice in at the usual notice time but decided to leave early with agreement with the school.

Many schools might delay telling parents a member of staff is leaving until they have found a replacement

They don’t have to tell you why. It’s no one’s business even if your children don’t like it. It’s obviously unavoidable and the school are dealing with it the best way they can.

💯

maybe he just decided he no longer wanted to deal with nosey and judgemental parents and so ran away to join the circus.

I find it disappointing that there are several sets of parents at this school who feel entitled to private information about this teacher and who seem to be unable to help their children cope with unexpected change and be resilient.

You know that it must be something personal and unexpected for a teacher to leave in this kind of apparently short timescale @Junglemoon. If there was a safeguarding issue regarding your child then you would find out either from the school, the police or similar authorities. Yes it’s abrupt for the children but are you really saying that both you and they are unable to cope with an unexpected event??

They are not generally notified as soon as the teacher gives notice (which is almost always a minimum of two months before they leave). They will almost certainly be told before the end of the term, but only when the school, and the teacher, are ready to tell the parents.

And as a teacher for forty years, and in a fair few schools, I think my experience trumps yours.

I did exactly as that teacher has done. I left work one evening, got home to be told a hospital nurse needed to speak to me and would wait in her office until I rang.

I never went back to work.

stuff happens and not everybody needs to know about it.

Generally, teachers resign at the October, February or May half term, to leave at the end of term, so it is less usual for someone to leave abruptly and it would be reasonable to suppose that it’s an unexpected event or emergency that has prompted it.

Speculation doesn’t help though. The school will say what they are able to. That may be very little, simply that the teacher has left and a new one is in place. As long as a qualified teacher is in front of the class and the children are being taught, that’s really all the wider community needs to know, unless and until permission is given for more information.

This happened when I was in y6 albeit the teacher we were given was the teacher we had the year before so she knew us all, and we her. Find out as an adult the teacher had been sectioned and later took his own life. You don't know what's going on in someone's personal life. The school have found a replacement very quickly.

I don’t think it’s anything to do with parents why a teacher has left unless there is a safeguarding incident that you need to be aware of.

Teachers are just as entitled to confidentiality as you are. I don’t think it’s nice that parents are gossiping about him and making assumptions! I get that its difficult for children especially when he was well liked but have a new teacher in place they will soon get used to a change.

This.

YABVVVVVVVU

Shame there wasn't a poll.

As for this
Some of the parents have phoned and emailed (we are in contact with each other) to express concern and unhappiness about how abrupt this has been and how little information we've been given

You need to grow up. Seriously. Don't you all have your own work and lives to worry about? It is none of your business what has happened in somebody else's PRIVATE life.

I understand what you mean, op.
There’s no notice, it’s very sudden, and nothing in way of explanation. The email could’ve said personal reasons without specifying if that’s the case.
But no reason at all and such a short notice is just odd.

It’s none of your business why he’s no longer there. Just be glad the class have a new teacher, and stop gossiping at the school gates and looking for drama.

When it happened with one of our teachers, some time later we found out her young teenage daughter had died suddenly. She had been a pupil at the school and her mother couldn’t stand to come back. But her right to privacy trumped our right to know.

Not without the teacher's permission would the school announce they were leaving for 'personal reasons'.

I really wouldn't worry about it, the kids will get over it pretty quick.

I imagine a little of the faux concern on behalf of the children is simply nosiness.

I suspect if teacher could have had opportunity to say goodbye he wouldve done.

Seriously, OP? you cannot think of a single life event that could make someone have to leave their job?
He could have been hit by a bus!
Madness on the parents behalf.
Would you be imagining ‘safeguarding issues’ if it was Mrs Green?

We had a very abrupt email a few years ago saying there was no after school clubs that day, the football match was cancelled and all children must leave site by 3pm. The next day we all found out the headteacher had died over the weekend. Everyone loved him it was such a difficult time not just for the kids but also for the teachers a lot of who were close personal friends too. The abrupt email might just be a holding email while they work out how to let you all know what’s happened.

This happened at our school. Teacher left very suddenly and we were not given a y information. He was a great teacher and very supportive of the children. Never knew that the reason and school carried on as normal.

Head called and said he has taken extended leave but on Friday he resigned

This happened to my mums last class when they were in Yr 5. She was teaching them after Easter but poorly. Went into hospital for tests late April, never came home.
Lived in a very small town where I expect the children knew before we were home from the hospital, however it does sound like it has been badly communicated but sometimes things happen.

Crikey I can only start to imagine the class WattsApp messages this evening!
People leave their jobs suddenly for a multitude of reasons and it really isn’t anyone’s business . Just concentrate on welcoming the new teacher and feed positivity to your children.

YABU.
Anything dodgy they’ll tell you promptly.
The teacher is entitled to privacy.