Too many parents employed as TA's

[reallysayingsomething]

As title reads. Anyone with any experience of this. I have 3 DC's who attend a popular primary school. I am starting to get uncomfortable with the number of parents employed by the school. Out of the 16 classes, 9 have a parent working as a TA. There are also 2 teachers with children at the school. The employment process for TA seems to be to drop a CV in the school office and wait for an opportunity, no advertising whatsoever. Four of the TA's are good friends out side school and have all followed into employment, one after the other.

What's starting to concern me is that some children appear to think they have more 'power' than others, (no guesses to whose children). Many of the teachers are young teachers who appear to be rather fearful of upsetting the applecart. Many experienced teachers have left in the past 2 years. and there are families who have pulled their children out and registered at other local schools. (This would have been highly unheard of a couple of years back except for moving out of area etc)

There are a lot of unpleasant undercurrents buzzing around, I would like to know if other MN's have experienced a high proportion of parents working in school and what your opinions are on this. Many thanks

I would be uncomfortable about it too, but whether that's right very much depends on the individuals employed. I work in my DCs' school office with one other woman who is also mother to a boy at the school.

We couldn't be more different. My DCs never come to the office, her DC is there everyday. I never go to my boys' classrooms, but she often has a "forgotten" PE kit or lunch to deliver. If her DS walks past with his class she will always stop him to ask how he is and if she doesn't get a fantastic answer will run after the teacher to find out what's wrong. I've only spoken to each of my DCs once in the 6 month's I've been there. Once DS1 came with a bloody nose after taking a ball in the face. I cleaned him up and sent him back. Once DS2 delivered his class register. I said "thank you"! She has known her DS's class teacher for next year for weeks, I wouldn't dream of asking and will wait for everyone to be told, I'd rather not know things I wouldn't otherwise know IYSWIM.

So what I'm getting at is that it depends how the staff involved behave. I am uncomfortable about the special treatment this boy gets and that's only from the office. I do think the head should be dealing with it. If you believe some staff/families are abusing their position you really should speak to the head, but it seems like there are bigger issues too, which you should also speak to the head about.

Just occurred to me that no-one has ever "told" me about the need for confidentiality

On the whole, most teachers and TA's who have children at the same school are lovely reasonable people who want the best for all the children at school and do a great job and are fair. The school in our area is a great one, but like anywhere there are a few bad apples. There is one TA in particular who is very unprofessional. Even my children notice and have commented that if her 'perfect children' are involved in something in the playground there is a full blown investigation which often involves a punishment to the other kids involved. But a similar scenario not involving her children, they get told it 'just play with someone else'. Her children get all the main roles in plays, represent the school, awards in assemblies, etc etc. I've heard her talking - in not a nice way - in the pub about other kids at school. Despite all this, I think the head thinks the sun shines out of her xxxx so what can you do? I think that complaining would only make matters worse for my children at school, so I just try and get on her good side, like most parents I think, as I think she's quite influential with the other TA's. It's not right, why can't the school see it???!!

We have one TA who has children in the school but she was a TA in the school before she had children or moved into the area.

ZZZZOOOMMMBBBIIEE INVASION!!!

Yes we only have 4 classes but off the top of my head some 5 mothers are employed at the school. We have about 50 families. 1 parent is very friendly with the head and ran a specialist course which she got paid for. Other parents hive their time for free. It feels a bit uncomfortable to me. I also find it ironic I volunteer to listen to children read.... One of children I listen to is hardly listened to at home and is a poor reader compared to her peers. Her mother is a TA at our school and one of her jobs is to listen to children read...

Sorry hive =give!

We only have two parent TAs.

One is a 1:1 and doesn't work with her own child at all. She has recently been employed as a level 3 TA (through a proper short listed interview selection process and with appropriate qualifications) and her child will have left the school by the time she begins that role in September.

Other is a level 3 TA - again got the job through the official channels and with the appropriate qualifications. Youngest child started at our school this academic year but she was employed before this. And she is being moved to a different year group come September so not to be in same as her child.

Neither is an issue. It's all appropriately managed and they both keep their teaching role totally separate to their parenting role with school.

Our other TAs (have 2 x level 1s, 2 x level 2s, 9 x level 3s and 2 x level 4 HLTAs - some ft and some or, across nine EYFS/key stage 1 classes) don't have children in the school and again, all were employed through official external channels and all have appropriate qualifications, infact many have qualifications far in excess of what they need to have for the job they are employed to do.