Should a parent helper be doing maths assessments...

[minionmadness]

Dts's are in YR3... there are a couple of parents helper that volunteer to help in class who listen to the dc read.

Yesterday dts1 said that X's mum (parent helper) was taking children into another room and doing a maths test with them. I was a little as to why this wasn't being done by either a TA of CT. Surely parent helpers aren't qualified to carry out assessments on children. I'm not knocking volunteers by the way, just curious as to whether this is normal practice.

Maybe the parent was just sitting with them while they did a maths test? Seems a bit odd to need to do it in another room though. Did your DTs do the test, did they say what it involved?

This pisses me off no end. We had the same problem at our school. Then the stupid woman went and gossiped all over the playground about what/who/when.

Now there are no parent helpers except tidying the classroom, getting activities ready etc. much better this way. No firmly believe that most of them only volunteer so they can nose around at what the other kids are up to.

It depends entirely on what the volunteers were doing.

Actively assessing? I doubt it.

Sitting with a smaller group to supervise whilst they do assessment worksheets (ensuring no cheating without having to explain exam conditions or get a whole class behaving like that) sounds pretty sensible.

Am sure the parent was only sitting with them while they took a test their teacher had prepared for them! And parent helpers shouldn't be chatting about the dc to anyone in the playground. Most schools have a confidentiality agreement/guidelines for parent helpers to sign.

Maybe they were in another room to ensure quiet/they could concentrate. I sometimes take spelling groups to the library to do spelling tests.

No they shouldn't be doing assessments. However in the scenario you describe I wouldn't think it was assessing, more simply sitting with them while they do something staff have set, which presumably would be marked/ assessed by staff afterwards.

Yy on looney parent helpers. Ours introduced a 'not in your childs class policy' as a result of presidential pfb mum and her minions volunteering so they could promote their darlings cause for 100% teacher priority, getting own way with peers etc. And pick up gossip about other kids to spread round.

Also depends. We have parents that "help out" who are highly qualified. We have one with an astrophysics pHD, for example.

More than capable of supervising a Yr 3 maths test. As pp said, I doubt they are formally assessing.

Maybe they were just sitting with the dc whilst they were doing the test.

A lot of this stuff is computerised so the helper could have just been saying click on the one you think is the answer or something.

I wouldn't get upset about it personally. The school, like every school, is short of money and cannot employ as many people as it would ideally like to. This is the way schools make ends meet. It's unfortunate if a parent gossips but ultimately the help of parents is enabling school staff to do things they would otherwise not be able to.

I sometimes help assess but I am a primary school teacher who has also worked in the school. The staff know they can guarantee confidentiality.

I expect the parent was supervising rather than assessing?

Yes, initially I said to dts1 that maybe she just wanted to take some of them to a quieter place to do a test that the CT had set, however he said that X's mum marked it and told him how he did by telling him his score.

My view may be clouded by the fact that I don't generally agree with parents helping in their own dc class.

I help at DC school I listen to reading tidy up help junk modeling and arty stuff. I would never speak to any parents about what there kids were doing.

It pisses me off no end when other mums come up to say how come dt1 is much further on with his reading than dc2 .... Or dc2 was misbehaving in class is that why he has his own desk..... Or they have been reading the notes on the wall about various children's allergies or needs... And feel the need to comment.

I listen to children read make notes for the teacher about how confident they are how fast they read if the are strugerling it frees up the ta to take kids for a focus group to make sure they know what they are doing. By doing this the children get to read to an adult two or three times a week not just once.

I love junk modeling and painting and arty stuff... Most teachers are not that keen on glitter and gloopy glue :-)

Some volunteers are very qualified. I agree that parents should not be be chatting about dc to other parents. That is a serious breech of confidentiality.

I don't agree with parents helping with children who are in the same year group as their child.

This happened to my ds too. This parent helper was not doing assessment, just keeping eye on my ds. I had no problem with that until I heard my ds say that she gone through his work and commented about it.

I questioned teacher about it, but she said the helper was just making sure he answered all the question. Really? I didn't fuss about it anymore, but I overheard this mum talking about other children to other mums in the past, so I wasn't happy at all.

I don't agree with parent helper in their own dc's class.

Sooooooo much easier to lay into volunteers than to volunteer!

Sooooooo much easier to lay into volunteers than to volunteer!

I wondered how long it would take You know absolutely nothing about my personal situation so why try and rubbish me?

So because I can't volunteer I'm not allowed to ask questions about those that do

I actually wasn't referring to anyone specifically.........

Some individual volunteers deserve critism. However its better to take up issues with the school than complain on mumsnet.

Were you referring to me, Bert?

I am generally grateful to volunteers, and I have volunteered in the past.
It's just this post reminded me of the bad experience with one particular volunteer.

Sorry.

Where am I complaining

I believe I was canvassing opinion on whether this was normal practice before I approached the school.

I don't think you were complaining, Minionmadness, I was.

I'm really sorry if I made anyone feel bad.
I am complete introvert in real life and I find it very difficult to take up issues with school or person easily!

I will be careful next time.

irvine I wasn't referring to you, it was the comment from reallytired that suggested I was moaning

At mine the children often mark each others who are far more likely ime to talk about marks Tha a parent volunteer.

I help out with reading in my son's class. Their teacher asked me if I would so I agreed. I never listen to my own son though and I never discuss anything with anyone apart from the teacher. That has always been quite clear. We are a small village school and they are grateful for any help they can get.

I did this lots of times as a reception parent volunteer.I was briefed on exactly what to do