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Original poster

Can a child attend the school that a NRP teaches at?

141 replies

ThisMustBeMyDream · 07/03/2019 22:57

Asking for my other half as he doesn't use forums like this.
He will be a primary school teacher. He lives 16 miles from his daughter. He intends to work in the area his daughter lives. The school he hopes to work at is directly behind the mums older childs school.
He currently has 5/14 arrangement.
He would like his daughter to attend the school he works at because it means that both mum and dad can be fully involved in her school life. If she attends a different school, he may never get to go to her events, where as her mum will always get to go (she doesn't work). There are also benefits to being a child at your parents school (I can testify to this as a kid who went to her mums school, and my DS who went to grandmas school where she was the headteacher).
He has compared the two schools start and finish times, and as they back on to each other with a direct route to the doors, drop off and pick up will be more than possible for mum when it is her days.
This will have to go to court as he knows mum won't agree to it.
Does anyone have any idea on what the court would view as better for a child? To be in a school that older sibling goes to, or to attend the school dad works at if both schools are next to each other and it isn't difficult to do the school run for the mum?

He needs to decide on what to do. As he could work somewhere a bit closer to home if the court are never going to agree to it. We don't know any other separated teacher dads to ask what happened for them!

OP posts:
Doyoumind · 07/03/2019 23:12

I'm certain nowadays some primary schools have a policy that children of staff don't attend. A child also has to be offered a place before they can attend. Would the child meet the admissions criteria? They are usually likely to be offered a place at a school a sibling attends. These points need to be taken into consideration.

Finally, the court will only rule on what's best for the child and I'm not convinced they would go along with his thinking.

IANAL.

DelphiniumBlue · 07/03/2019 23:13

He's not a teacher yet? And doesn't have a job in the school he wants his daughter to go to?
I can't imagine any court ruling in his favour on the basis of a job he doesn't have.
And why is he aiming for a school he knows his ex won't want? He could try for a job at the school her daughter already attends.
Why would his ex ever agree to permanent school runs to 2 different schools? Just because she doesn't work now doesn't mean she won't ever.
And I don't think that having a parent working at the school a child attends is considered generally to be advantageous to a child - whilst it's convenient for the parent to be able to get to the occasional assembly, that's normally only once or twice a year.
I think there's a bigger story behind the question you are asking.

lifebegins50 · 07/03/2019 23:25

Very good points about whether or not the child would get a place but I would urge you to weigh up the positives of dad being in the same school vs the distress that forcing this to court would cause. Your partner will kill off any chance of cooperative parenting if he tries to force this through court. I also think he could be judged by the child when they are older.

I really don't think that dad bring a teacher at your school improves your education, and that is what children go to school for.

A judge would look at what is best interests of the child and I suspect sibling would be compelling given the dad could get sacked/lose his job/leave that school.

If the mum doesn't agree, don't force this to court as it will just cause unnecessary hostility and affect the child's life due to the conflict. I can't say if he would win but Judges don't like one parent trying to force another to do something just because it suits them.

xyzandabc · 07/03/2019 23:32

At out primary lots of the staff, including teachers have, or have had, children go through the school, it works well for them.

However depending on the age gap, it's usually far easier for a parent to have children together at the same school. If the age gap is big enough for them only to be at the same school for one year then it doesn't matter so much. However if there is going to be many years with both at primary, them being together makes so much more sense.

Doing 2 X drop off and pick ups for a start, I know they are close in distance but it's still a major inconvenience. 2 X getting to know how the school works in terms of teachers, classes, how to book lunches, probably different systems for payments, no being able to reuse uniform for younger child.

Parents evenings will take up 2 evenings instead of both being on the same evening, 2 X summer fetes/Xmas bazaar/raffle tickets/ptfa gubbins to support. What happens if events clash for the 2 kids?

I can also see the kids seeing it as unfair that their siblings gets to do X,y, or z but they don't because their school don't do that particular thing. I'm sure there are many other disadantages, I just haven't thought of them yet! As I said if they will be in reception and year 6 at the same time. I think it would be much less of an issue than if they are only 2 or 3 years apart.

ILoveMaxiBondi · 07/03/2019 23:32

Sounds like he’s created a whole imaginary battle in his head that he’s ready to take to court without any actual basis in reality! Confused

He isn’t even a teacher yet, but he thinks he will walk into a job in his preferred school? Amazing.

Pieceofpurplesky · 07/03/2019 23:37

He completes his training and sees where he gets a job. He and his ex apply for the best school for his DD.

There is no connection between the two.

HeddaGarbled · 07/03/2019 23:51

He won’t be able to pick the school he works at. He can apply for a job if a vacancy comes up for which he is qualified, but that might not happen and he won’t be the only candidate.

Similarly, he won’t get his pick of schools closer to home. That’s not how it works.

When he is qualified, he will apply for current vacancies locally. 16 miles isn’t far. It would be reasonable to apply for all suitable jobs within 20 miles, or whatever distance he thinks he can cope with. It would be ridiculous and foolish to limit his possibility of employment to one specific school.

Original poster
ThisMustBeMyDream · 07/03/2019 23:58

He knows how job applications/vacancies work. That isn't the question.

I'd appreciate a response to how the court would view this issue with the above information.

Yes, she would meet the application criteria for the school. The school encourage you to have your child attend. It is an academy and they have a preference rule for staff children.

OP posts:
MyOtherProfile · 08/03/2019 00:03

I'm struggling to see what he would gain from teaching in the school his daughter attends. Or what he would gain.

And what would he be asking the court to do? Force mum to put the child in this school?

ILoveMaxiBondi · 08/03/2019 00:05

I'd appreciate a response to how the court would view this issue with the above information

Unless he was actually on a permanent contract in the school they wouldn’t even consider it tbh. And I’m guessing the child will be school age before he is qualified and working?

Tbh even then I think they would give more weight to the sibling element and preferences of person who would be doing school drop offs and pick ups.

ILoveMaxiBondi · 08/03/2019 00:06

And why isn’t he looking to work in the school the mother is likely to choose?

Comefromaway · 08/03/2019 00:15

The court will be looking at the best interests of the child. A good school close to home that an older sibling attends will come way higher in the list of priorities than a school where a parent works.

MyOtherProfile · 08/03/2019 06:03

He would be at the school to do a job, not to see his child, so I can't see a court favouring this.

Namechangeforthiscancershit · 08/03/2019 06:15

It’s great that you had a good experience of being at school with a family member teaching. A lot of kids don’t, so I’m surprised by the school’s stance. Obviously they think they can manage it well though.

I can’t think of any way this could be helpful in Court. Your DP needs to look at everything this school offers and show why it’s the best fit. I don’t think him teaching there will be a relevant factor

NicoAndTheNiners · 08/03/2019 06:18

How old is the child, is she already at school?

Because no court would order a settled child to be moved to be at the same school her dad works at. Her friends would take priority.

NicoAndTheNiners · 08/03/2019 06:24

Sorry, have realised the older child is at primary not secondary school. So guessing the younger child hasn't started school.

I'm pretty sure the court will side with the mum on this and agree that attending the same school as your sibling is more important. She can argue about them seeing each other at break time, etc. Also there could be different teacher training days, possibly even different half terms. You say pick up and drop off will be ok, but what if there is an issue with one child and the drop,off overruns?

Also the mum must have had a reason for picking school A over B for her first child. Better reputation, better results, do more kids from the playgroup/nursery go there, does mum think the school has a better ethos which suits her kids more?

All of which will take priority over dad been able to see his dd in a nativity play.

SwimmingJustKeepSwimming · 08/03/2019 06:28

You'd (hypothetically of course as this isnt a real situation yet) move a child from the school they know, from their friendship group and from their sibling just to be in a school where your partner potentially might have a job.

No . Dont see that ever being a good idea!! Think of it from the childs perspective. Moving schools is disruptive, and they are already settled with friends and sibling. There'd be no gain to moving schools.

For their other parent, 2 kids in 2 different schools is a nightmare.

I think id just stop daydreaming this way if I were you and focus on passing pgce and nqt year.

SosigisAndCornflourSauce · 08/03/2019 06:39

No, a court won't order a resident parent to send a child to their non preferred school so a NRP can see more of them. Add extra distance and a sibling into the mix at a different school and this furthers the chances to virtually nil.

cliffdiver · 08/03/2019 06:41

OP: Can a child attend the school that a NRP teaches at?

OP: The school encourage you to have your child attend. It is an academy and they have a preference rule for staff children.

You've answered your own question Confused

meditrina · 08/03/2019 06:51

I think it is vanishingly unlikely that a court would order the moving of a child from a school at which she is settled and which sibling attends.

Especially as there is no reason put forward why, if the parent is so keen to teach in same school, he is nit applying for a post where she is.

Jackshouse · 08/03/2019 06:54

The child should go to the schools which is in the best interests of the child and the family had permanently resides with.

Have you even looked at this from the point of view of the child? May not be able to do after schoolchild due the distance, friends live further away so more difficult to spend time with them outside out school, may not get into the areas secondary school so could be split from friends at 11, potentially different school holidays to sibling and these are just off the top of my head in a couple of seconds. Is this worth considering for an imaginary job for somebody with imaginary qualifications?

frenchonion · 08/03/2019 06:55

Is he a teacher? You've worded it like he hasn't trained yet. If he isn't, you're banking on the fact that he will even pass (teacher training is tough, and many drop out) THEN get a job in the school, which isn't anywhere near guaranteed since a) what are the chances of a job place becoming available there?!! and b) that he will be selected at interview. How old is the DD? Because it would be ludicrous to send her to a school based on this arbitrary plan with such a huge unknown that he would even end up working there. If he's already teacher and currently applying for a job that exists there that changes things slightly. Technically yes, you can work at a school your DC attends. But why this school? Why doesn't the mother want her to go there? Is it just because your DP would be working there, or are there other reasons? We need many more details here.

frenchonion · 08/03/2019 07:03

Sorry have rerread. So he has this pie in the sky plan and is prepared to make the DMs life much harder by having DC at two different schools, and going against the school choice of the RP (for what reason? What's wrong with the school her sibling attends?). Wouldn't it make more sense to be looking to get a job in the existing school?! There's so much wrong with this plan. I can't see a judge ruling in his favour, no way. Its bizarre actually.

SMaCM · 08/03/2019 07:11

I have done school runs to two schools before. Even though it was theoretically possible to do both, it all goes wrong if one is late out, or a teacher wants to talk to you. Or a child just wants to have a chat to a friend before they leave. It's better to have them in the same school.

PotteringAlong · 08/03/2019 07:15

I think you’re crossing 27 bridges before you’ve reached them yet. This is a bit like me worrying if my spacesuit will be too tight when I reach the moon rather than concentrating on passing my basic training to fly a plane.