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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to expect confidentiality after raising concerns with a charity?

160 replies

HarvestSky · 01/04/2026 06:57

I was dissatisfied with the teaching methods in a specialist subject at school. I contacted a local charity that specialises in that subject and provides teaching for teachers. I wanted to find out whether what the school was doing was best practice, and how they could improve through training courses. However I must have mentioned the school's name rather than keeping it generic as I wish I had done. Now the charity has fed back to the school through personal contacts that I told them xyz about the school's teaching, and the teachers are annoyed.
Should I have expected a reasonable degree of confidentiality from the charity or am AIBU for dobbing the school in?

OP posts:
GlasgowGal2014 · 01/04/2026 23:47

Does the charity offer a confidential advice service to the public? If not I don't think they've got any obligation to keep your query confidential. If they have an existing relationship with the school you are asking about I'm not surprised they passed it on. You could submit a DSAR to find out if they mentioned you by name in the message that they passed on to the school, but honestly I think you'll look a bit mad. In your shoes I'd ask for a meeting with the school to explain your concerns.

zeebra · 02/04/2026 19:39

I would love to be in a staff meeting discussing this series of events. Wow-just wow. Don't be that parent OP. Your poor children. I find it hard to believe the charity are all expert teachers and the font of all knowledge.

onlymovesawyfromcertainvictor · 02/04/2026 21:23

Surprised by some of the responses here. I too would be pissed off if my child was sat around watching videos for half of every lesson rather than learning or doing anything . It's such a passive way to take in information. Just lazy surely??

TheCheekyCyanHelper · 03/04/2026 00:30

HarvestSky · 01/04/2026 12:47

Thanks so much for taking the time to write really useful comments. The AIBU is about whether I should have expected the charity to keep the issue as sensitive, but I understand that context would help.

Nothing to do with trans! No safeguarding issues.

I am a parent at the school.

The charity is internationally recognised as providing excellent training.

I have undertaken some of their training in the past and have been involved with it in other ways, 10-15 years ago. I own their teaching materials.

How do I know what is happening?
My children have told me.
I saw it myself on a school app that posts what children have done.
I saw it also at a school function.

Since I have accidentally called out the school already to the charity, and regret doing so, I want to be careful not to repeat my mistake online.

So I'll try to give an analogy.

Imagine I am a mid ranking tennis player.
My kids PE lessons at school are taken by a qualified PE teacher who shows them videos of other people playing sports in every lesson. They have a racquet but don't demonstrate using it. They will show videos of shot putt and javelin to small kids. Nice introduction but maybe not quite right for their age. Some of the videos are quite good eg BBC, others are just of kids running about in a field, sport indecipherable, from youtube. Sometimes the videos aren't even about sports but something related to the season. The video is approximately half of the lesson, and the other half they get to have a go themselves and each get one chance to hit a ball.

I have been to lots of tennis schools due to my job, and in every case we get on and play tennis rather than watching videos. Sure, you can study advanced technique by watching the pros but in the under ten age group I would argue that it's a bit of a waste of time to spend part of every lesson watching other people on a screen rather than participating.
This goes on for several months.

When the kids watch an advert where a top tennis player has teamed up with Coke, I ask the school not to show junk food adverts. They try to cover it up but also say the lesson was a gateway to learning about tennis.

I make a second complaint that under fives are also being taught PE using videos as the basis of their lesson, while on the other hand the school emails us about reducing screen time for that age group. (they have an attached nursery)

Then at a school sports day they show a video where a pupil is holding a tennis racquet like a gun, imitating a character from popular culture. I talk afterwards to the head of department and say it's me who has been complaining that I think the videos are out of hand and I would love to discuss the curriculum. I'm waved off in irritation and told there doesn't need to be any restriction on videos.

At this point I contact the charity. The charity arranges top class tennis matches which I used to take part in, with a teaching arm on how to teach tennis.

I call them and say, I have this issue with the school using videos and I know your style of teaching uses none at all. I'd love your help in trying to work out how to talk to the school about this matter.

They don't reply but senior staff from the school invite me in to tell me what a naughty parent I have been for not trusting them to teach and for contacting another organisation. They also listened carefully and are going to report back. My issue is not with the school's eventual response but as a previous poster really got right - the manner in which the story came back round to the school via the grapevine from an organisation I respect.

Wait, 10yrs ago??? That method would absolutely be outdated, and not used anymore!!!

BitterTits · 03/04/2026 00:42

You need a thicker skin, you've done nothing wrong.

I'm a teacher, but when I've raised concerns about how my own children are taught I'm fobbed off and it's seen as sour grapes. I know I'm not wrong but have also had to accept I can't change things.

parkezvous · 03/04/2026 08:15

PoppinjayPolly · 01/04/2026 07:37

Ah you wanted to be weaponised to go in and tell them how shit they are at your specialist subject? And everyone would cheer and clap and do it right now you’d told them?
it’s really giving me Beverly Goldberg vibes! 😆

to all the MN teachers… I salute you! Could not deal with what you deal with ever!

Just about to say the same thing!

Groundhogday21 · 03/04/2026 10:54

Wait this is primary school? I assumed GCSE/A Level age from the OP. I can’t imagine telling teachers of 5 year olds that they are wrong and you are right! Bet they had good gossip in the staff room about you…
In answer to your question, no I don’t think the charity should have spoken to the school if they said they would only get back to you. However if there is a personal connection between someone at the charity and the school you can’t be surprised they mentioned it? If you’ve been the only parent to repeatedly raise an issue that no one else has noticed then it going to be obvious it’s you! I’m with the PP that thinks this is a music thing. No you can’t learn efficiently by watching a video but given that these are young children getting a broad knowledge of lots of areas without specialising in anything, I’m not sure I could get worked up about it.

TheCheekyCyanHelper · 04/04/2026 23:06

MyLuckyHelper · 01/04/2026 13:11

That's an odd take.

OP said she DOES have lots of knowledge in this area.

No entitlement whatsoever in contacting the school to enquire about the way something is taught - parents are service users of schools. There's nothing at all to suggest OP was rude in her communication with the school.

Why would anyone be happy with being fobbed off? If you had a legitimate concern that you didn't feel was resolved, you'd just say 'ah well', would you?

She contacted the charity to ask if she was right in thinking that the school wasn't using best practice. Absolutely nowhere does it say she asked them to wade in and give the school advice.

And yes, confidentiality is absolutely her issue here, that's her question.

Her knowledge comes from a class she took a decade ago. Outdated.

Candy24 · 06/04/2026 03:59

I honestly struggle not to read this post and instantly have second hand embarrassment. You think your more qualified then you are. Also I struggle to see how your complaint helped anyone. It just would have caused more upset and annoyance

MyLuckyHelper · 07/04/2026 11:44

TheCheekyCyanHelper · 04/04/2026 23:06

Her knowledge comes from a class she took a decade ago. Outdated.

So, she having had decade old knowledge - approached a charity to ask if her opinion on their teaching was correct or not.

Nowhere did she ask them to approach the school.

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