Can a teacher have their own child in their class?

[Hattie07]

Hi All, does anyone have any advice or knowledge when it comes to schools allowing their staff to have their own child in their class?
Thank you xx

The child and their clique were always excessively praised for mediocre answers and everyone around understood the praise was undeserved so other children gradually stopped bothering to excel.

Do you mean a pre-school
age child? My neighbour took her two-year-old in every day, she taught infant age. I was surprised but it was all agreed.

Busybody alert.

Although I didn’t actually teach my son, he was in the same small school. Every year, the maths prize went to the child with the highest maths score, he scored perfect marks but wasn’t awarded the prize as the head didn’t want to appear to be favouring him. So it works both ways!

What are your concerns?

One of my friends never puts her daughter’s name down for trips run by her department (places are limited) in case there will be accusations of favouritism.

Well that's something you can raise with the school as it was something that people experienced... but in this case nothing has actually happened. As I say, the vast majority of teachers can be entirely professional and separate their private and working lives for the benefit of everyone in the class. To make a preemptive appeal is really wrong - shall we also all go around arresting people who look a bit dodgy even though they have done nothing wrong? Come on, when did common sense go out of the window.

So that they will be teaching their own child or so they won't be?

My primary teacher friend didn’t want to teach her DS in year 6, and we all nodded and agreed with her. But were desperate for her not to switch classes because she was so good - she was just worried how her DS would find it. Forever grateful that she didn’t switch and that her son was okay with it.

don’t assume it makes things easier for the teacher or their child. It’s a very personal decision for them.

The ht doesn't need your approval. Most teachers in this situation are stricter with their own kids and favour them less. I have a friend who taught their child and got a colleague to take over things like picking parts for school show and competitions etc

Happens often at a one form entry school. My friend begged the school to move her to teach a different year to avoid teaching her son but she was the best y6 teacher and so they wouldn’t let. She ended up resigning so probably they should have moved her .

In the school j work in, next year the year 4 teacher will have her own daughter in her class. We have a few TAs who have had children in their class/year group before as well.

Can you help us by explaining why you want to appeal this, and why you’re so affected by it? What is the issue?

Is this your child’s school or are you talking about your schooldays?

What is your specific concern ?

id see it as a plus - teacher is motivated to do a tip top job and make a positive bond with all the class and parents

bit awkward if you need to complain- is a complaint likely??

Might be easier for you to explain what you’re worried about. Can’t see any reason for it being a problem unless people want to make it one.

In my experience primary schools usually try and avoid teachers teaching their own children. Although I think it happens more often at secondary school.

TAs are often in the same class as their child.

Not sure an appeal will have an impact as the head has already made their decision.

My sons year one teacher moved from year 6 to year 1 the year she had him. Her daughter was also in the class.
She was due to go on maternity leave before the Christmas but even so, I thought that was an odd choice!

It's perfectly legal, though not ideal.

One teacher in my DCs school has 3 children in the school. They moved her between 2 classes to avoid her children.

I think it would depend on the skill set of the teachers in the school though as to where any given teacher is placed.

Have you some prior knowledge about how this teacher is likely to treat his/her own child differently from the other children in their class? Unless you've some evidence beyond the teacher and child are related, then I think any head or governing body would likely respond to your request/demand with a wait-and-see what happens response. If there subsequently is evidence of somehow your child (or others) being unfairly treated because of this situation, then you may have grounds to complain. Otherwise, I think you're being a bit nasty to the teacher and second-guessing reasons why the head has organised the year groups as they have.

You could appeal, but it isn't something that is frowned upon generally so your having some concern is unlikely to just get it changed. If you have seen examples of this teacher showing favouritism to her kid and can show evidence of these to the head teacher, they might swap.

Given the teacher has ended up teaching that class though, my guess is that there are some pretty compelling reasons for that pairing, such as that teacher having most experience with that year group, or most experience of accommodating the needs of children in that class. The are unlikely to ignore these obvious advantages, purely because you feel it might be unfair.

My DM found herself covering a class with my DH in. He was a mature student doing engineering. I also was an academic at the same uni. Fun times.

Several teachers send their kid to our school and they also work there - they don’t even teach in their child’s year group / I think it’s a school rule.

@Hattie07 What’s your concern?

What’s your worry about a teacher having their own child in their class ?

They probably didn't want y6 having a change of teacher at Christmas. The primary mine went to always tried to ensure YR and Y6 would be as stable as possible. Obviously unplanned/ unforeseen events could crop up but if they knew a teacher would be going on maternity leave they would not leave them in reception or Y6. It could be the case that Y1 teacher was the one that was keen to take over y6 so rather than have a massive shuffle that moved several teachers up or down to all stay in groups they were happy with they thought a straight swap that meant the teacher had their own child for 4 months was preferable.