Is asking to be moved classes a reasonable pregnancy adjustment?

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I am currently 16 weeks pregnant and working in a Y1 class with very challenging behaviours. Physical fighting almost daily, throwing things across the room, anything you can imagine that is stress inducing. The class teacher has been off for the last 4 weeks due to her mother passing unexpectedly and we have had a string of different supply teachers who have no control over the class. The class teacher isn’t going to back before the summer holidays. I have come home every day for the last week in tears and am having to step in and deal with all of the behaviours due to the supply not being permanent. My risk assessment states that reasonable adjustments should be made during pregnancy. Is asking to be removed from that class a reasonable adjustment? I feel like that’s my last step before going off on the sick because this level of stress cannot be good for the baby.

Would you be equally as stressed if you weren't pregnant? It doesn't sound like a pregnancy related thing to me, though others might disagree. And I don't think being stressed is necessarily bad for your baby - again, others might disagree.

I do wonder how it's got to this though - what is being done to address the problem? Kids throwing things across the room is not acceptable.

I think you'd be justified in going off with stress, rather than asking for reasonable adjustments because you're pregnant.

I would say so - https://www.acas.org.uk/pregnancy-at-work/health-and-safety-during-pregnancy

You can ask to be moved as its dangerous in the classroom. I have removed teachers from working with classes if a child is volatile and there is a danger of injury in pregnancy.

Failing that you are certainly entitled to a risk assessment regarding your pregnancy and dealing with a difficult class

The worst that can happen is that they say no. Just ask.

Definitely ask to be moved!

I had to get taken off playground duty when teaching secondary and pregnant, due to the amount of fights. Was told to sit inside on a stool and monitor the corridors instead.

You can ask to be moved as its dangerous in the classroom - I agree, though it's just as dangerous for someone who isn't pregnant. I don't think any teacher should put up with the kind of behaviour you describe.

You can always ask. I think workplace awareness has moved on a bit. None of my colleagues got her break duty removed. 16 years ago in my risk assessment I raised that I was timetabled across 6 different rooms and was lugging heavy boxes of books around and felt unsafe walking up and down the stairs with the books. Rather than temporarily swap me into one room I was told to just wait in the classroom until the corridors calmed down a bit.

Y1 are 5 and 6 year olds, how on earth has their behaviour been allowed to get to this level? DS goes to a large infant school with a very mixed intake (38%pp) and a high level of SEN pupils and it's not like this. What is the leadership team doing? Was it like this before the class teacher was off or is this just a string of temps who can't do the job? Maybe they need to move another teacher and give the tennis to an older calmer group.

I don't know if you'll be moved tbh but that's probably my line of work, I've seen pregnant social workers, probation officers , police officers and prison staff deal with dangerous adults without being taken off front line work far later than 16 weeks, just with a risk assessment to say no restraint work, your industry might be different though

The behaviour has been bad since September but has escalated since the class teacher being off. Leadership team step in occasionally for parent meetings, exclusions and have referred to the local behavioural team for support but there’s no improvement. We have no backing from the parents who on several occasions have responded to their children being in fights by fighting the other parents and police being called. I feel like slightly more is being acknowledged now as they can’t be seen to be doing nothing while outside supplies are in but if i’m being honest I feel like previously a lot has been put down to the class teacher being ‘too soft’ which isn’t the case. It’s a battle we’ve been fighting since September i’m just more concerned now with being pregnant and the extra risk.

I agree entirely Knickerless though unfortunately as a teacher we do not have the right. However, when we site danger to a pregnancy we are covered by other laws and protections. Its outrageous but true.

I was once punched full on in the stomach by a pupil, and the first question from management was if I was pregnant as it would be dealt with differently.

SIL got moved when she was pregnant but a child was specifically targeting because she was pregnant. I hope you get moved.

Y1(5/6yos) behaviour is such that it is dangerous for the supervising adults? What is leadership doing about that?

Put your request in writing (offer to talk too) and hopefully it will work. In my experience more attention is paid to things in writing.