How does this work for adoption/school?

[kmo0416]

I was adopted when I was 15 months old and I have lived with my adoptive parents since. I am sure that my school knew about this since it was probably something my parents had to legally inform them about. Also, I can remember my deputy-headteacher once having a meeting with me about this saying, 'you're entitled to this support because you're adopted'. The support he was referring to was in relation to a bursary.

I asked my adoptive father about what my school used to do for me because I was adopted and he said something along the lines of 'they kept a close eye on you', meaning that they monitored me. And I suppose to some extent this may be true as the Head of Sixth Form would often call me into his office to catch-up and ask how I was progressing even though I had really high grades and good behaviour and some of my classroom teachers would report to my Head of Sixth Form about how I was in class in terms of concentration, performance etc even though it wasn't like I was doing badly and they had to monitor me for that reason.

I can understand senior members of the school like the deputy-headteacher knowing but I was shocked when one day in Year 13, my history teacher, who had only been there for a year and was a Head of Year but Head of Year 8 and so had nothing to do with me beyond teaching me said 'So, you're adopted, is that right?'. She said this in a casual, inquisitive way as she was quite nosy but also we got along since there were only two people in our history class for all of A-level and we were her first A-level students at the school ever. She had previously gossiped to us about her private life and about teachers she didn't like or had tensions with and complained about the headteacher so I'm not surprised by her asking this question of me so invasively. But, I want to know how she was even able to ask it and how it was more so an assertion so she knew I was adopted and just confirming as though she had just found out rather than not knowing and just asking. Maybe all of my class teachers had to 'look out for me' because maybe adopted students are treated as special by the government due to having been in care (not that I'm sure of this) so maybe she was told about this by the senior team but that seems unlikely as she would have been the sort to ask me at the beginning of Year 12.

I think what's more likely is that on parents' evening in Year 13, my parents didn't show up because they were busy but my teacher had to essentially confirm with the headteacher that they were not going to come so she could go home (my history teacher was complaining that the head was insistent that the teachers couldn't leave until they were sure parents wouldn't be coming). Maybe when discussing my parents someone may have said 'that student is adopted' and she may have picked up on that although I am not sure otherwise how could she know? Are teachers really prone to gossip about such personal matters for a student?

I had three history teachers for A-Level - the other two taught me since Year 7 - and they never asked about this although I am not sure, again, if any normal teachers would know about this so they might have known but just not mentioned it.

So, in summary, how did my history teacher find out about this and is it true adopted children are 'looked out for' at school by the teachers?

Also, I never really talked to my headteacher as she managed the school while the deputy heads managed more specific things like pastoral which is why it was the deputy head who told me that I was adopted (even though I already knew). Yet despite this lack of contact with my headteacher she seemed to know about me much more than other students: she knew my full name, she would greet me in the corridors etc. Yes, I had been there since Year 7, but how would she know me so well unless because I was adopted she would have been briefed on me. Even when I was in Year 7 she seemed to know me on such a good basis although I didn't cross paths with her much - it wasn't like I was volunteering for her groups or something like that. So, how likely is it that my headteacher knew I was adopted although she never mentioned it?

I am the designated teacher for looked after and previously looked after children at my school.
In my school the teachers are aware of who the children are adopted are. We use this information at termly pupil progress meetings where we assess the progress of all children, but pay particular attention to certain groups, including adopted children. This allows us to target interventions quickly to more vulnerable groups. Adopted children also qualify for pupil premium funding, and as a school we have to target funds to our pupil premium children and track its effectiveness.
In my school it would be perfectly usual for staff to know which children they teach are adopted. What wouldn’t be acceptable is for a member of staff to bring it up randomly with a child, that to me does seem unprofessional.

Totally normal for all teachers to know you were adopted and to pay extra attention to how you were doing.

Not very professional for that history teacher to raise it with you so casually.

Im not sure what you’re asking about really? Is there something you’re concerned about?

To be fair to the OP it no one’s business if they were adopted and tbh I find it really quite astonishing that all teachers know who is or isn’t adopted surely it should be on a needs to know basis. Where is the privacy and dignity for the child when a teacher can just talk to you about something so private - absolutely shocking and shame on that teacher!

Not so. Looked-after and previously looked after (aka care experienced) children are officially classified as disadvantaged. Disadvantaged students are a monitored group in all schools.

@kmo0416 In my school, every teacher has a folder for every class that they teach showing which students are Disadvantaged, have SEND, medical conditions or who are classified as More Able. They use this information to differentiate their teaching where appropriate.

That said, it's very inappropriate for a teacher to directly ask a student about their adoption status unless it is somehow relevant to a situation.

Friend’s DS is adopted. She was talking to his history teacher and mentioned an adjustment in class that would work well for him because he is adopted and history teacher had no idea. In his school it apparently isn’t shared widely, just any adjustments that help get shared. Awful that your teacher just came out with it like gossip.

Looked After Children are known to staff- they're a group that we're meant to 'close the gap' with (if there are any gaps), same as kids who receive Pupil Premium. Perfectly normal for your teachers to be aware of this but really inappropriate for any to bring it up with you as a random topic of conversation!

It probably does vary by school slightly in terms of which teachers know, and also change over time. As others have said, adopted children may be monitored as part of pupil premium type support, or may access things like counselling or play therapy through school.

But what you’ve described is unprofessional and shouldn’t have happened.

All teachers in my DCs school are aware. It's normal - the school gets extra money and needs to spend it on those children. My DCs school trips are hugely reduced in price, which seems odd. And I have a termly meeting to discuss their progress. Are you worried about something in particular? The overfamiliar teacher sounds odd, but the rest seems normal.

I would consider it very normal (and good practice ) that all staff who deal with a looked after child, know that the child is a looked after child.
Bringing it up in class is not good though.

It’s on the register at my school.

i teach secondary so I teach about 210 students a week and I don’t remember which ones are PP or SEN or LAC (looked after child - adopted/fostered etc) but I was expected to be aware of it and report on the progress of those students and groups of students each year.

i mostly taught nurture groups so often the whole group was PP and SEN and half or more adopted/fostered.

I was a DSL, senior teachers at my schools would have known who was adopted or previously looked after but it wasn’t common knowledge amongst all teachers. Some schools might have that info recorded more openly but it was totally inappropriate for a teacher to discuss that with you in that way. Personal information like that should always be handled sensitively.

I’d assume they also know so that they can be extra diligent with areas such as photos being taken, so that children cannot be identified by previous family members, also to be aware of anyone making contact with that child from a safeguarding aspect. Or they may struggle with topics such as mothers/Father’s Day, how animals bond with young, books with sensitive topics

I was classified as Gifted and Talented somehow (I don't know how they found it out) although I always did well in exams and was in the highest sets but my other intelligent peers were not classified in the same way.

I can remember one time the Gifted and Talented co-ordinator pulled me out of class and gave me a book to read and to write an analysis of it for him which was so strange. Why would he do that? And how did they find me as Gifted and Talented yet fail to recognise my autism?

Exactly this.

When were you at school, though?

It’s really really common for children who are academic and basically behaving well in school to fly under the radar, and not be identified as neurodivergent. I don’t think you’ve said whether you’re female but if so then it’s even more common as girls tend to mask.

Honestly I’m still not sure what you’re concerned about or looking for though? Are you just puzzling about why the autism wasn’t identified when other things were?

"I was classified as Gifted and Talented somehow (I don't know how they found it out)"

@kmo0416 These days schools use the term "More Able" or "Most Able" rather than G&T. At my school we identify our incoming MA cohort from SATS results and add to the list using an internal process which is explained on our school website. However not all schools have a process for this. See this document for a good summary of national policy and trends: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9065/