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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:
spreadingchestnuttree · 08/03/2019 07:27

Why does he think he's so special as a "separated teacher dad"? Most teachers don't teach at the same school their kids go to, so miss any daytime assemblies etc. That affects male teachers and female teachers, regardless of whether or not they're married or separated.

He needs to stop thinking he's in some uniquely difficult situation and realise the upsides of being a teacher such as the long holidays when presumably he gets to see plenty of his child.

And he needs to consider the best interest of his child and his ex rather than just his own.

ILoveMaxiBondi · 08/03/2019 09:01

Also there could be different teacher training days, possibly even different half terms.

Very good point. He would be expecting the mother to take two sets of annual leave from her job to fit around both children being off on teacher training days. Because he wouldn’t be able to cover it as he will be doing the teacher training.

Tbh it sounds like an angry man who has worked out a plan to make things as awkward for his ex as possible.

ems137 · 08/03/2019 11:27

Why can't he just get a job at the mums preferred school if he's that bothered?!

TheShiteRunner · 08/03/2019 11:34

I don't think he's considering the best interests of the child.

Isleepinahedgefund · 08/03/2019 12:53

Many teachers/staff at my DD's school either have or have had children go through the school with no issues. They don't have contact with them during the school day. One TA was moved year groups this year because her son started in reception. They don't get to attend in school events unless the staffing needs mean it's ok - they miss just as much as the staff who have kids at other schools. It's not a passport to getting more involved in the child's school life!

Your OH's stupid pie in the sky plan is a superb example of why courts act in the best interests of the CHILD.

RomanyQueen1 · 08/03/2019 12:58

yes, no problem at all, I know lots of teachers whose children attend the same school.
Unless he has restricted access for some reason, it will be fine.
I've even known teachers who have taught there own children.

Original poster
ThisMustBeMyDream · 08/03/2019 13:36

Hmm He is currently doing his PGCE and applying for jobs.
She is 2. Not at school. Not at nursery.
The mother doesn't have a job to take annual leave from at present. She hasn't worked for 7 years. Her other child is 5 and will be in year 3 when the little one starts reception year.
Inset and holiday days are all in alignment from observing the calendars for 3 years in a row.
He spoke to his barrister this morning as things need to go back to court this summer as the order needs to be addressed for when he starts working. Barrister suggested that her attending his school is something that is achievable from the information she knows of the case already. She was really quite optimistic, and bear in mind she has been present through the proceedings and knows the intricate details.
He doesn't want to work in the other school. I'd be here all day explaining why that is in no one's best interest. As I'm on a quick break at work, I don't have time to go in depth. But it definitely isn't something that he should look to do.
Hope that clarifies some misinformation that is being written. He isn't moving his child from any setting.

OP posts:
ILoveMaxiBondi · 08/03/2019 13:46

Not sure why you’re even asking here if barrister was just on the other end of a phone and has been dealing with the case!

Comefromaway · 08/03/2019 13:54

The barrister can say what he likes and he can certainly woprk on a presenting a case as to why he thinks the court should agree.

But the court will act in the best interests of the child and if the mother presents the case that it is in the best interests of the child to attend the same school as her sibling and not to have the added family stress of trying to get two children to two different primary schools and the difficulties that brings I would expect that to prevail.

Original poster
ThisMustBeMyDream · 08/03/2019 15:24

Hmm He is currently doing his PGCE and applying for jobs.
She is 2. Not at school. Not at nursery.
The mother doesn't have a job to take annual leave from at present. She hasn't worked for 7 years. Her other child is 5 and will be in year 3 when the little one starts reception year.
Inset and holiday days are all in alignment from observing the calendars for 3 years in a row.
He spoke to his barrister this morning as things need to go back to court this summer as the order needs to be addressed for when he starts working. Barrister suggested that her attending his school is something that is achievable from the information she knows of the case already. She was really quite optimistic, and bear in mind she has been present through the proceedings and knows the intricate details.
He doesn't want to work in the other school. I'd be here all day explaining why that is in no one's best interest. As I'm on a quick break at work, I don't have time to go in depth. But it definitely isn't something that he should look to do.
Hope that clarifies some misinformation that is being written. He isn't moving his child from any setting.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThisMustBeMyDream · 08/03/2019 15:27

Don't know why that has reposted. But anyway...

The barrister wasn't just available on the end of the phone. He only got hold of her by chance. Hence why asking. Like many other people do. Or are we not allowed to ask questions to find out what others experience of the same issue is on MN anymore?

OP posts:
LuluJakey1 · 08/03/2019 15:29

He doesn't work in the school. He may never work there.

LuluJakey1 · 08/03/2019 15:29

It is none of your business.

ILoveMaxiBondi · 08/03/2019 15:29

Of course you’re allowed to ask but if you are so certain of the outcome that you have no interest in hearing anything other than “yes you will get what you want” then there’s really no point.

ILoveMaxiBondi · 08/03/2019 15:30

I’m still not seeing the benefit to the child of being separated from her sister for school?

spreadingchestnuttree · 08/03/2019 15:33

So she's 2, and her sister is 5, and you're already figuring out how you can ensure they're split up at primary school? Hmm

I fail to see how that is in anyone's best interest.

LeekMunchingSheepShagger · 08/03/2019 15:34

I love that he's just assuming he can qualify as a teacher and choose which school to work at Grin

This thread is ridiculous.

Catscratchclub · 08/03/2019 15:37

You want to goto court to ensure his daughter - aged 2 - goes to a specific school, apart from her sibling, just in case your dp gets a job there in future? When he hasn’t even got his PGCE yet?!

Are you and your partner usually so controlling? Surely you can see this is batshit?!

NoCauseRebel · 08/03/2019 15:54

OP your question is actually two-fold.

To the first part, I.e. can a child attend the same school their parent teaches at, the answer is predominantly yes. The only stipulation I have come across is that children are generally not placed in the same class as their parent, but parents working at the school their child attends is very common.

The second part of your question though, will the court order the child to be sent to the school the parent teaches at? Absolutely not. School admissions are handled by the LEA and it is not for them to get involved in parents’ access disputes. If the father needs to have details of his child’s schooling, attendance etc then he needs to go through the school to get that at the time his child is admitted. However given this child isn’t going to be in the system for another two/three years there is absolutely no way that a court is going to order that the LEA admit the child on the basis of their parent having a hypothetical job there. The courts generally only get involved in appeals etc where e.g.special needs are concerned, but certainly not with parents’ access disputes. And to be honest, if I were interviewing teachers for a post and it came to my attention that the reason they were applying there was because they were going to be having their child attend there by court order I wouldn’t employ him.

If/when he gets a PGCE he will (hopefully) be applying for jobs because that’s the field he wants to work in, not in order to get access to his child. The latter is quite sinister tbh and gives quite a good insight into why the mum may be being difficult.

titchy · 08/03/2019 16:22

Why is your dh so confident a) that there'll be a vacancy at this particular school, and b) that he'll get the job over and above all the other experienced applicants?

titchy · 08/03/2019 16:24

I'd like to be a fly on that wall though: 'so why is this school the best for Arabella?'

'Cos I'll be working there?'

'Oh lovely when do you start?'

'Oh there isn't actually a vacancy at the moment, and I haven't qualified yet, but I will, and there will be, and they'll give me the job'

IWannaSeeHowItEnds · 08/03/2019 16:38

It's really unlikely that he'll get a job at this school. You can't send a child there on the off chance.
I don't rate your barrister tbh, if she is seriously telling you this is achievable based on him wanting to get a job there! When school places are allocated, having a sibling already in the school is one of the considerations of the LA. They do this because they recognise that it is much easier logistically and better for siblings to be in the same place.

flitwit99 · 08/03/2019 16:48

I would think your chances are slim at best.
No judge is going to order which school she goes to in 2 years time right now. Nor will they order she goes to a different school from her sibling before your dp has a job there.
You might possibly have a chance if he has a permanent contract there when the time comes to choose a school. Then he would need to show that his preferred school would be better for her than her mum's preferred school. And it would be about what's best for her, not her dad. I don't think dad teaching at a school would trump being at the same school as her sibling though.

flitwit99 · 08/03/2019 16:48

I would be suspicious of any barrister who is planning on charging you money for arguing this particular point right now

Loseitandkeepitlost · 08/03/2019 16:49

As a parent with children at different primary schools (not by choice), I think it’s a daft idea. Whilst drop off and pick up may work on paper, it isn’t fun and don’t underestimate how important it is to some children to have a bit of time with their friends after school.

I don’t think you are thinking of the child.

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