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?

Wanted to add, that I would be more cross with the Head’s response , than with the teacher. An individual teacher can bea dick(and dealt with appropriately), have a bad day, a lapse in judgment etc. However , the Head’s response and attitude suggest that there’s an ethos/culture problem and that things are rotten from the top.

Disgraceful response from the headteacher

I'm confused. This is your child's teacher and your child is doing really well and is very happy? But you think the teacher is spiteful - couldn't possibly have been smiling professionally, just pure spite.

She's breached GDPR even though she didn't share any data with you.

You were standing on your own, the teacher marched up to you and, deliberately and vindictively, spoke so loudly that everyone in a busy, noisy playground heard.

She said she knew your child has ADHD because she knows other people with ADHD and by implication that makes her an expert.

What confuses me is that for all this to be the case, the teacher would have to be a total nob and total nob teachers don't generally get the unequivocal backing of senior leadership (because they will have received a trail of previous complaints).

Somehow, the actual issue seems to have got lost here. As a parent, do you think your child has ADHD? Have you ever suspected? Could be that this is the experienced Y6 transition teacher who ensures kiddo gets a good start at secondary ... Or you could waste your time hammering on about a non-existent GDPR breach.

That's a good point. It's one thing to lose faith in a teacher who your child sees for one lesson a week. Quite another to lose faith in the leadership of the school. The latter has trickle down effects on everyone who works and learns there.

Confidentiality is massive. A headteacher who can't see that or act on it professionally, is not an effective or competent leader.
My HT wasn't perfect, but she'd have been on that teacher like a ton of bricks, for a variety of reasons.

Try reading OP’s posts again. This is a teacher the child has for one hour, in a music lesson.

Safeguarding:
I understand the school may have dismissed this aspect, but I would not let that go. There is a potential risk of harm arising from what happened. Other parents may now believe your daughter has ADHD and could share that with their children. In the worst case, this could lead to negative assumptions, social exclusion, or your daughter being unfairly blamed for behaviour issues.

Whilst these things may be legitimate concerns, they are still not safeguarding related. Not everything that has the potential to cause upset is a safeguarding issue. OP needs to focus on the Teachers lack of professionalism and disregard for her daughters privacy and confidentiality if she intends to take this matter further. Invoking the term "safeguarding" with no clear understanding of it's meaning undermines her perfectly valid reasons for being upset by the Teachers handling of the situation.

Sorry op I replied but it didn t save. YANBU.

teacher was trying to provoke a reaction. You need to book a face to face meeting with the head to discuss this. But also what do you want to happen. Do you want to move school? Because that is often the outcome of bitter disputes.

from a SEND view it should have a policy on how suspected SEND issues are addressed using the APDR and the Graduated Appproach. No one should be spuriously diagnosing ND issues. I think how she handled it was sly and vindictive but hasn’t broken policy. Unfortunate she and plausible deniability on her side. She I’ll say she walked off to deescalate and you have no evidence to the contrary.

so pursue the not following send policy.

Write a letter to the Chair of Governors, the Headteacher is answerable to them, her response is unbelievable.

YANBU

I haven't read the whole thread but at the time she said this she was still 'on the clock' and on school grounds and so was 100% representing the school. Therefore her conduct at the time was school's responsibility. I am not allowed to quote my opinion on things online in 'my capacity as working for X' - I'd understandly be hauled up over it and so their response is wrong and I'd definitely take it further. As others ssid, this is a safeguarding issue you as personal medical information should not be shared with her class or their parents

I totally understand your feelings and you are not being unreasonable.

I had similar at my son's nursery, where a senior worker would frequently publicly discuss her opinions on my son and her belief he had ASD. She would also discuss other children with me so I know she was in turn discussing my son with others.

I strongly suspected the worker was ASD herself and I think she was coming from a good place so I never called her out on it, I just tried never to engage with it and I ended up dreading seeing her, but with hindsight I was wrong to do this and if I had raised my disappointment I would have expected for management to deal with it much better that your school did.

I would tell the Head that you're going to escalate this with a formal complaint to the governors if the Head doesn't give you a more satisfactory reply as teachers should never, ever discuss anything of this nature so randomly and in front of other people.

"Popular mums"
Grow up! 🙄

Firstly let me say that I believe this teacher should not have discussed your child’s behaviour within earshot of other parents - that’s not professional, but I know it happens on an almost daily basis. That being said, there has been no GDPR breach here because the fact that the teacher thinks your DD may have ADHD is not rooted in any actual medical diagnosis. If your DD actually had been diagnosed and the teacher then mentioned this within other parents earshot that would indeed be a breach of confidentiality. This is also not a safeguarding concern - why did you think it was? It’s highly likely this teacher will have been spoken to by the Head, but it also sounds like you could have over-reacted. When you say you got upset and other parents could see you were upset, what do you mean? Did you not just say something like - ‘thanks for your observation, but she’s not got any diagnosis’? It all sounds very odd.

Write to the school governers and ofsted. If it's an academy school write to them too
You can escalate a complaint to tier 2

That's utter bullshit OP. The teacher came up to you on school premises and spoke to you about your DD. Her inappropriate assessment and diagnosis of your DD was obviously her 'professional' (or maybe 'unprofessional') opinion based on her observations of your DD in the classroom in her professional capacity.

How on earth can that be her speaking in a personal capacity? She didn't preface the conversation with any caveat that she was speaking to you in her personal capacity and not as a representative of the school, giving you the opportunity to say no to having the conversation.

You need to take this much further.

I would also complain about the Headteacher !
The teacher is employed by the school. She was not acting in a personal capacity. But as a teacher.

Complain to your MP and to the Education Secretary.

Don’t let this one go. You now have two separate issues that need to be resolved.

1. The teacher
2. The Head

Don’t let either get away with it.

I would escalate to governors, teachers are held to a standard even in their personal conduct, although how they could claim they were not acting in a professional capacity when discussing your child on school grounds is beyond me. I would also complain regarding the response from the head teacher.

Was the teacher there in a professional capacity or there in their own time watching their own child? If it happneded whilst they were on teacher time then it's a school issue for sure.

Of course people say stupid and regrettable things at work. And, depending on how stupid or unprofessional they have been and the impact on the business/employer or other members of staff, disciplinary procedures may be invoked.

Imagine if a teacher shared their own personal homophobic or racist views on school grounds to a parent, would that be acceptable to this head teacher, because it is their own personal opinion and not that of the school. What a total brush off from the head.

A teacher cannot be ‘off duty’ while speaking to a parent on school grounds about a child’s behaviour. Even if GDPR doesn’t apply, the staff code of conduct, safeguarding policy, and SEND procedures absolutely do. The head’s ‘personal capacity’ defence is not credible, it’s a way to avoid addressing a clear breach of professional standards.

I'm not quite sure from what you have said if the teacher spoke to you inside or outside the school grounds but I'm feeling whether she was one metre inside or outside the gate is irrelevant. She was speaking to a parent, about a child she teaches, using information gained in her professional role. That places her firmly in her professional capacity, and the school cannot dismiss it as a ‘personal’ comment.

GDPR covers data the school holds. The teacher didn’t disclose official school records, she blurted out her own amateur “diagnosis”. So technically, It’s not a GDPR breach but It is a safeguarding and conduct issue

You might need to check the process with the Headteacher about escalating the complaint but I assume its off to the Governors now, so what you want out of it is up to you but I would suggest, something like this:

Subject: Formal Complaint Under Stage 2 of the School’s Complaints Procedure

Dear Chair of Governors,

I am writing to raise a formal complaint under Stage 2 of the school’s Complaints Policy regarding the conduct of a class teacher and the subsequent handling of my complaint by the Headteacher.
This complaint concerns:

1. A serious breach of professional conduct by a member of staff, and
2. The Headteacher’s failure to address the matter appropriately, including reliance on an explanation that is not credible within safeguarding, SEND, or conduct frameworks.

1. Summary of the Incident On [insert date], while I was waiting at the school gates at afternoon pick‑up, a class teacher approached me and, within earshot of multiple parents, stated that she had “diagnosed” my 10‑year‑old daughter with ADHD because she “acts like the other ADHD children” the teacher knows. Key points:

• This was said publicly, in a crowded area.
• We have never had any SEND discussions, concerns, or referrals raised by the school.
• The teacher is not qualified to diagnose any medical or neurodevelopmental condition.
• When I became visibly upset, the teacher refused to elaborate and walked away.
• Several parents witnessed the exchange.

This was deeply distressing, inappropriate, and professionally unacceptable.

2. My Complaint to the Headteacher
I raised a complaint with the Headteacher, outlining:

• The public disclosure of sensitive information
• The inappropriate “diagnosis”
• The lack of any SEND process
• The impact on my daughter and myself

The Headteacher responded that the teacher was “speaking in a personal capacity” and therefore had not breached any school policy or data protection principles.

This explanation is not credible. A teacher speaking to a parent on or as they leave the school grounds, about a child’s behaviour observed in class, during school hours, cannot be considered “off duty” or acting privately. If a teacher made racist remarks, disclosed another child’s information, or behaved aggressively in the same context, the school would not be able to claim “personal capacity”.
The Headteacher’s response:

• Fails to acknowledge the safeguarding, conduct, and SEND implications
• Fails to recognise the reputational impact on my child
• Fails to address the unprofessional behaviour
• Appears to prioritise protecting staff over applying policy
• Leaves me with no confidence that the issue has been taken seriously

3. Policies Potentially Breached
While GDPR may not strictly apply (as the teacher was not disclosing official school records), the following school and statutory frameworks do apply:

• Staff Code of Conduct
• Safeguarding Policy (duty to protect children’s dignity and privacy)
• SEND Policy (clear procedures for raising concerns)
• DfE Teachers’ Standards, including:
• acting with integrity
• maintaining public trust
• safeguarding pupils’ wellbeing
• communicating sensitively with parents

The Headteacher’s response did not address any of these.

4. What I Am Requesting From the Governing Body
I am asking the Governing Body to:

1. Review the handling of my complaint and determine whether the Headteacher’s response was appropriate and in line with policy.
2. Confirm whether the teacher’s conduct breached the Staff Code of Conduct, safeguarding expectations, or SEND procedures.
3. Provide assurance that staff will be reminded of appropriate professional boundaries, particularly regarding sensitive matters and public conversations.
4. Confirm in writing that no SEND concerns have been raised internally about my daughter, and that no record has been created as a result of this incident.
5. Provide a written apology acknowledging the distress caused and the inappropriate nature of the teacher’s comments.

I am not seeking disciplinary action against an individual teacher; I am seeking accountability, adherence to policy, and assurance that this will not happen again to any child or parent.

5. Supporting Information
I can provide:

• A copy of the Headteacher’s response
• A written account of the incident
• Names of parents who witnessed the exchange (if required) although the teacher concerned does not appear to deny this conversation happened

6. Conclusion
This incident has caused significant distress and has undermined my confidence in the school’s ability to manage sensitive matters appropriately. The Headteacher’s explanation that the teacher was acting “in a personal capacity” is not consistent with safeguarding or professional standards, and I therefore request that the Governing Body review this matter formally.

I look forward to your acknowledgement of this complaint and confirmation of the next steps in accordance with the school’s Complaints Policy.

Yours sincerely,
[Name] Parent of [Child’s Name], Year [X]

Could you play the head at their own game and ask if there is any clear way to determine whether a teacher is speaking in a professional capacity or voicing their own opinions? Because you would assume that a teacher on school grounds, approaching a parent after teaching their child would be acting in their professional capacity. If that's not the case, you presume the school has clear guidelines so that parents know what teacher comments they can ignore and which they need to listen to.

Furthermore, is there a mechanism to request that none of the teachers voice personal opinions to you on school grounds? Can it be noted that you are only interested in having professional relationships with them and are not open to hearing unpleasant personal comments about your child made in a personal capacity.

To my mind a teacher should never be discussing children with their parents within the earshot of other parents - whether it’s their observations or as assessment of the child or their personal views. Not to mention that it was wrong of her to ‘diagnose’ your child with ADHD without SENCO input. She may have been expressing a personal opinion off her own back, but she was working at the time and is a representative of the school, so needs to be following their policies and procedures while she is at work (even if she wasn’t at work it would still be wrong to discuss children in front of other parents). By the schools logic she could pretty much say anything about any child no matter who is listening so long as it is her ‘personal opinion’. What a load of rubbish. And yes they are covering up unprofessional conduct. I would advise the head that you are not happy with their response and are considering taking it further.

Sorry but I disagree, the teacher was either in or leaving the school grounds and gave an opinion as the childs teacher, based on information that came into her possession as a result of her professional role. She is not qualified to diagnose ADHD and had no right to make a public statement in front of witnesses about an opinion acquired in her professional rolel

Absolutely this. I cannot believe the people who think this is reasonable behaviour. A teacher's opinion is not rooted in medical fact and should not be discussed publicly where it might be interpreted as such.