PTA members and confidentiality?

[inaPTA]

Does anyone know if PTA members have to stick to the same confidentiality rules as paid members of staff and volunteers within a primary school?

Don't want to say too much for fear of being recognised, but if a PTA member was in school during working hours - finishing off some prep related to a PTA event - and broke the confidentiality rules without realising that they were bound by those rules (no prior explanation of what was expected of them, nothing signed etc), would it be reasonable for the Headteacher to ban this person from going into school during working hours (except to attend PTA meetings and that kind of thing) or should there have been some sort of warning given first?

Sorry it's a bit vague but it doesn't involve the PTA member going through files or anything serious like that; it's more witnessing an incident involving a child at the school and a member of staff and then telling the child's parent about it rather than going via the Head first :(

Yes, I think it would be reasonable for the head to ban the person. Whether or not the PTA member has signed something, surely it's common sense?

Well, you would think so. But the reasoning was (from what I understand) that this teacher had been unfairly criticising the pupil and that if the PTA member had gone to the Headteacher and 'complained' it would have seemed like they were making a formal complaint or something.

Whereas the PTA member knew the pupil and was friends with the parent - so just mentioned to the mum after school that the incident had happened, just intending the mum to speak to the teacher or something and ask them to be more sensitive regarding the pupil's issues. Instead the mum put in a formal complaint to the Head :(

Sorry I forgot to say; this Headteacher has long standing issues with the PTA member from what I understand, and may have also breached confidentiality themselves that same day when they shared information about the PTA member and outside agencies' involvement with their child, with another teacher (and this teacher doesn't have any contact with the PTA member's child).
So it does seem more like a grudge being held, than anything else.

Sorry but I've lost track a bit now - I know it's difficult to outline situations with enough derail for others to understand nuances but not so much as to possibly out you.

Generally, if you're in the school on its business you should behave as any other member of staff re what you see or hear. I can understand a head being cross with someone gossiping although don't know whether head's actions were proportionate.

Seems a bit extreme to me to ban someone who has given up their time to help the school.

Isn't this the chance to look at putting in place some sort of guidance info for visitors which covers confidentiality and also some basic child protection info (officer is mrs xx and talk to her about any concerns) , avoid being alone with a child etc.

Well, there is a lot of history with this person and the Headteacher, I understand - they've never really got on all that well.

Christina basically they went in to get some stuff photocopied for the PTA so it was a spur of the moment thing and just arranged via the office manager that morning.

I just think maybe a warning and reminder of sticking to confidentiality rules might have been more appropriate, especially as no further action has been taken against the teacher, and the parent has now dropped the matter.

It's frustrating for the rest of the PTA as this person was the most flexible with regards to going into school during working hours, and now we're not even sure if this person will be allowed to go into school (with others) to do prep for an event, for example on the day of the event, setting up and that kind of thing.

This person has also told me that the Headteacher has broken confidentiality themselves by talking to another staff member about 'outside agency involvement' with this person and their child...and the staff member doesn't have direct contact with the child concerned. However no one can say anything despite the seeming double standards.

Whereas the PTA member knew the pupil and was friends with the parent - so just mentioned to the mum after school that the incident had happened, just intending the mum to speak to the teacher or something and ask them to be more sensitive regarding the pupil's issues

If you witness something like that and think it's unacceptable, then you should be speaking to the teacher yourself-I've had the situation where I've seen something happen when in school and felt the wrong person was blamed, and spoken very quietly to the teacher later, along the lines of "I didn't see everything that happened, but just to let you know that I observed A doing/saying XYZ just before".
I don't take it any further than that, and have always been thanked by the teacher for letting them know.

If there's "history" it's certainly possible that this isn't the first breech of confidentiality that has occurred too.

Is this on another thread or is it already on 'the other site'?

Anyway, the head teacher can ban anyone from coming into school. End of. Even though it was for the best of intentions, this was essentially like spying. You saw something that you would not normally have seen and chose to go straight to the parent rather than the head teacher. It may have been justified it may not but serious situations have occurred through well intentioned people jumping the gun and not allowing schools to follow correct procedure.

You get a warning if you are an employee not if you volunteer.

Legally, there is clearly no duty of confidentiality in this situation unless it is a rule of membership of the PTA.

However, this doesn't stop the head doing whatever they like and being as unreasonable as they want.

Perhaps the person should have spoken to the head, but perhaps the head should have handled this better.

I think, whether confidentiality or other "issues" it's pretty normal for visitors (whether parents, PTA or any others) to be permitted on school premises only for specific activities.

I would also hope that anyone, having overheard something they have no business to know about another child would have the common sense to keep schtum. That shouldn't require policy.

Sorry, whatever other issues may have been at play here, I think any adult who witnesses a situation at school should have the common sense to keep it to themselves or report it through formal channels (if they thought it was of sufficient importance to merit that). It is a shame if if has impacted on this person's ability to input into our PTA but I'm afraid I think that is a secondary consideration to recognising that when we are on school premises (speaking as a parent), photocopying or whatever, we are being granted special access and need to be sensitive about anything that we witness.

I agree that they should be banned. It infuriates me that parents think they are able to tell people things they have seen in school. Its confidential and shouldn't be discussed. I have a friend who goes in to help with reading and can be heard discussing what shes seen, its unaceptable and unfair on the children and parents

I agree with Laura, a few parents that go into our primary school to help with reading have caused so much trouble repeating things they have heard or seen in school, that first of all,parents were stopped helping in their own child's class,and now it is likely that it will be stopped altogether,this is a real shame, as there are many parent helpers who would not dream of repeating anything.

"Anyway, the head teacher can ban anyone from coming into school. End of."

Wrong. The school is required to have a complaints procedure and if the parent is unhappy with a decision made by the Head then she has the right to take the complaint to the next level - usually the chair of governors IME.

Entirely banning a parent from the school site has bigger legal issues and would be more involved than simply being told, don't come back. However, this is not the case here. Parents have no right to roam the school. Being allowed in to carry out pta duties is at the discretion of the head. Therefore can be revoked. As anything complaints can always be made but unless the head had made a decision against policy, I don't think the governors can do anything. I doubt they would agree to allow a parent back in during school hours who had been talking about what they had seen in school. They would more likely make the pta meet after school or in another part of the building.

If this is not the case please point me in the direction of the information that contradicts. Honestly, I would be interested to know.

Only read start of thread, but - banning?! OTT, and out of order IMO.

There are boundaryless, well meaning parents aplenty in any school - and schools are meant to educate, not ban.

I think its poor judgement on the part of the Head, and - especially if the two of them have history - rather reactive/defensive.

Our Head would have had a tactful chat and arranged apologies if they were needed, then look at ways of making sure it didn't happen again. The PTA are just parents.

Obviously very poor judgement (and boundaries) on the part of the PTA person too.

But banning is another matter altogether.

Any role in support of a school is a privilege as well as a responsibility. We may volunteer our time, but that doesn't give us the rights to do what we want.

I volunteer at DD1's school and I'm also a Governor there. I would never share anything about my contact in those capacities, other than to tell people how brilliant the school is.

I am going to volunteer at DD2's school. Again, I would never share anything I saw there.

I think PTAs should be banned.

After 25 years of being involved with the PTA, as a parent,a committee member and a member of staff, sadly I agree with LittleFrieda.