To Think That DD School Are Covering Up Teacher’s Unprofessional Behavior

[MrsJLL]

DD is age 10. She bright and sporty. Very sociable, happy at school and doing really well.

I was recently at the school gates waiting to collect her. The mums tend to stand around chatting in little groups.

I was stood close by to many other mums but was just checking something on my phone so was alone but only about 1 to 2 meters away from everyone else.

A teacher approached me and unbelievably announced within earshot of the many of other mums that she has diagnosed my daughter with ADHD because apparently she acts like the “other ADHD” kids that this teacher knows

I was really shocked and upset as we have never had any SEND contact and this teacher is just a class teacher. Other mums definitely heard what the teacher said and also saw me being upset. The teacher then walked off after I got upset and refused to elaborate.

I subsequently made a complaint to the Headmistress about the teachers conduct and the fact she had discussed sensitive medical information in a public place, thereby breaching data protection /GDPR.

The response came back from the head that the teacher was not acting on behalf of the school when she said those things to but was speaking in her own capacity and on her own behalf.

Therefore, whilst it was regrettable, she hasn’t done anything wrong and neither has she breached any data protection laws because the information she gave me about her opinion of my daughter’s mental health was not the “official view of the school” so it doesn’t matter that it was overheard by various people.

The Head then reiterated how confident they are in this teacher’s professionalism.

That is apparently the end of the matter as far as the Head is concerned.

it has really upset me and I feel like the school are covering up for this teacher.

AIBU?

what should I do next?

The governors role is to ensure that policy is followed. They are a critical friend to the head. And school.

I would point out that it was on school site, during working hours. Concerning your child.

Would it be OK if she had done this anywhere else? Could she for example "I think your child is fat / sexy / I think your a bitch / I have read your child's entire data record" and that's OK because it's just her opinion? So policy isn't relevant?

I'd also say that I would like to see what has been discussed with the senco around her diagnosis. Because if she is so convinced surely she has brought this to the senco attention who was in agreement and said its OK to share this with you?

Is this how suspected SEN is shared with parents?

Then what are they as a school going to do next to pursue this diagnosis ( this would be a massive pita for school btw but let them gather evidence and seek out a route to diagnosis etc as it will eat up time). Then they might be forced to back track and in doing so admit the teacher was wrong.

I'm a governor. I really like my HT on a personal level. But I value the pupils above everything. Closing ranks is very common in schools. But the right governor will not be impressed. We don't do it at ours but you need to get direct access.

I have had some terrible experiences as a parent. In two schools , I honestly suspect they would have closed ranks on anything. Even if I had said I suspected child abuse by staff. One senco copied and pasted a report from a previous year to get full funding for my child. Even when I pointed that the dates on the report and date created hadn't changed, the deputy head, teacher and home link worker made out they didn't understand my concerns. I went directly to the LA and told them that none of the money for therapy or staff had been implemented and got the funding cut at source. To stop my child being the sacrificial goat to bleed dry for funding ( school said my child needed full time 1:1 for two years but dc didn't have any 1:1 abd the report to back the funding request was false).

As an ex teacher I can confirm this is really poor form.

These conversations should be face to face but PRIVATE.

If you're not happy with that response for the Head (I wouldn't be!) take it to Governors.

The way that teacher handled it was poor but what else do you expect them to do? The school hasn't covered up anything and she has no doubt addressed it with the teacher directly. Would you be happy if she was fired and unable to pay her mortgage and support her kids? Put your pitchforks down. C'mon

Totally inadequate response from the head to entirely unprofessional conduct from the teacher.

Sadly, this does not surprise me at all. From my own experience, this lack of standards, or even basic responsibility and accountability, is rife in UK schools.

I'd play hell. I used to be a teacher and that is ridiculously unprofessional. She's obviously well liked of the head is using some bullshit excuse to try and protect her...
I would honestly take it to the governors. Outrageous.

Hat should have happened is a letter of apology from the Headteacher, an acknowledgement of unprofessional conduct and promise to provide better training to staff, not a load of crappy excuses.

At the very least she should be formally disciplined...
Honestly shockingly poor behaviour. If an equivalent error was made by somebody in another profession it would be at the very least a formal warning.

We don't know what was or was not said to the teacher.

As a teacher we are told to never have this kind of conversation with a parent, because it could push the parent to want assessments etc for an SEN need that the child might not have.

So if I was you I would go the other way. I would repeatedly contact the school SENCo raising these ‘legitimate’ concerns that the teacher (name the teacher, quote what they said) has stated. Say how concerned you are, as your 10 year old will surely be going to secondary soon. What are the school going to do? What are their next steps? Will there be an assessment? Can they get you feedback from all the other teachers? Etc

Basically be a PITA. The teacher will be told off for speaking to you like that (they might not tell you it’s happened but it will happen). They probably already have, but the head is fudging it.

I’d do that route because no one can come back at you for being a concerned parent and it will really piss the teacher off.

Formal discipline over a foolish but well-intentioned comment is a bit much. I can't believe anyone here is advocating for this woman to have permanent career and reputational damage over this.

Not a teacher (but am mum to two AuDHD kids) - but unless you have a relationship with this teacher outside of school then this was absolutely in a professional capacity.

Furthermore a teacher cannot diagnose a child with ADHD - only a team of professionally trained cliicians, including a Clinical psychologist, are permitted to do so. A teacher can gently [discretely] suggest that your child is having issues or may need support and that their observed behaviour seems to align with those of other children she has taught who were diagnosed as having ADHD. And on that basis, and in conjunction with the SEN lead at the school, she could recommend a referral for assessment. That conversation, however, should only happen in private and confidentially.

This teacher, IMHO, has acted very very unprofessionally by sharing in a public space their opinion that your child has a condition that may need assessment, diagnosis and subsequent SEN support. I’d be writing a very very strong letter to the board of governors requesting an internal review and discipline process - and I’d be labouring the fact that the HT was dismissive. If your child is subsequently referred for assessment and found to have ADHD, it is entirely up to your child and yourself as her parents to decide with whom and where that information is disclosed. This teacher has taken that choice away. I am actually rather shocked that HT does not appreciate this.

We do know it was denied her conduct was unprofessional, the Headteacher invented a defence of “personal capacity,” and no apology was made. That something was “regrettable” does not an apology make. The Headteacher poured oil on the flames…

What do you do for a living, OP?

'Personal capacity' isn't a thing when it comes to sensitive information - she said something she shouldn't have, end of. Whether she was on the clock doesn't matter - especially as she was still on school premises and talking about a professional issue.

Although it isn't yet medical information as it's not an official diagnosis, any board of governors with any sense would take a dim view of loudly speculating about a child in front of other parents. You're right that this is serious. I'd take it to the governors - even if they don't do anything (which they might!) you need to do this so that you've exhausted the internal school policy before taking it further.

Write to the governors, if it was on scool property a during school hours, she is in fact representative of the school.!

School!

We therefore get the strong impression the school is badly run. This is less a teacher problem and more a whole-school problem, if that is the standard quality of the school’s response.

God, it's quite clearly more than foolish and I really don't read it as being well-intentioned either. It contravenes the teaching professional standards and she should be hauled over the coals quite frankly.

There should be a specific governor for SEND, I'd complain to that one and to the Chair.

I think a lot of you people saying stuff like this don't have jobs honestly. Have you guys never said something stupid or regrettable?

Haha. I'm not going to dox myself but I'm a former teacher and now I work in a senior professional job. What a stupid comment 😂.

I have made stupid comments, but something like this is much more serious than I think you realise.

I'm sorry but this is absolutely appalling conduct from the teacher and the head of the school.
If the teacher approached you on the school premises, during school time then she is representing the SCHOOL. Her behaviour and conduct should absolutely be in disrepute and futher action taken by the school. You should also be notified how the school plans to ensure than this never happens again.
You need to escalate this further and not accept the 'fob off' that you have been given.

A very similar thing happened to me regarding one of my children- the teacher came out at pick up and announced that
my child probably was autistic.
The teacher then avoided us as parents, I repeatedly tried to set up meetings with her. She would either not agree to meet with us or would cancel the organised meetings at the last minute.
It was totally unprofessional and I should have complained.

To err is human, but, as a professional, when you do that, you are meant to reflect, take responsibility and apologise.

Have you every heard of probity? Duty of care? Professional standards?

A teacher can’t diagnose.

the Heads response is a cop out. This is a teacher speaking to a parent about a child on school premises. Not two adults chatting in the pub. So she’s acting in a professional capacity. So unprofessional behaviour. Possibly a safeguarding concern and certainly a privacy concern.

it’s time to escalate to governors.