Send your child to school where you teach?

[linzimummy]

I'm currently applying for primary school for my daughter. I had viewed all the local schools and picked 4 but I've just found out I can send her to the school where I teach ( have taught there for the last 10 years) and I'm unsure about whether to go down this option or not. It's only a 10-15 minute drive so it's not far but we would be out of the 0.3mile catchment area otherwise.

I'm not sure whether I'm just being selfish thinking that it's perfect for school runs/childcare and it means I get to see her (& then her little brother too) participating in assemblies etc. Although it's not necessarily an outstanding school in ofsted terms, I love it and the pastoral care is brilliant.

I worry that it's not in her best interests because she doesn't get that freedom of being away from me (although I would never actually teach her) and she won't make friends in the local area. I'm also unsure how socialising with her friends out of school will work when I'm a teacher e.g her birthday parties.

Any opinions or experience of this most welcome!! Thank you

twolittleboysonetiredmum - our deadline is the end of December.

Muskey - that's awful. Useful insights though - thank you for sharing. I wouldn't ever teach my children (2 form entry) and I would never want to.

MrsCB - useful comments, thank you. I think I'll discuss it with colleagues and see how they'd feel teaching my kids!

I teach at my DS school. It's mostly great for both of us - I'm not actually his teacher and don't ever plan to be. The other parents have no issue and I do get on quite well with some of them.
At the moment he likes it, but maybe that will change as he gets older.

The only thing I don't like, and that you will have to be careful about is that perceptions of being treated fairly are scrutinized heavily. My DS is particularly good at the subject I teach. He is one of three kids at the school who compete at an international level - but he has never won a prize for this subject at school because of the perception that it's just because he's the teachers kid.

I would do it. You will get to see all her sports days, childcare won't be a problem as she can come in with you early and you won't be stressed about all of that.

I would stress that any bad behaviour reflects on you and always support the school instead of your dd so she won't be a favourite and always running to you.

Teaching in the school your child attends doesn't mean you get to see them on sports day as you are supervising your own class not watching races. The same goes for nativities and other school events unless your child is in your class.

I actually did this and it was fine - BUT it was 15 years ago and I do think things have changed and I'm not sure I would now. The social aspects were fine - everyone managed to separate me as a teacher and me as a parent, and both my kids were well-behaved so no issues there.

However, I'm not quite sure why you think it would solve the issue of childcare? I never had mine in my classroom with me before or after school. I was there to work, not be caring for my own kids. I made similar arrangements as I would have had to had they been elsewhere.

My current HT is very anti the idea of staff and their own children being in the same school and now rarely employs TAs if their kids are on roll. I think there's one left whose kids are still in the school. There were issues with confidentiality, unfortunately, and it's hardened her opinion against it.

My dad was my year 2 teacher. I remember calling him Mr Daddy sometimes but other than that, no embarrassment. I thought it was great. My brother, three cousins, mum and aunt were all at the same school. It made me feel safe and cared for.

Not childcare as such - I'd be using the breakfast and after school club and pay for them. But knowing the days I don't work that if i was running late (as an example) that a colleague would care for them. It's a Crap example

Yes my school has a breakfast club from 8am so that'd be the morning sorted. She would have to spend the odd night in my classroom while I got sorted on nights when my hubby can't get there or there are no clubs. I think I may still keep this option as a last resort though after reading about other peoples experiences.

DS will be going to the school I teach at. Logistically it is the most sensible option for me and the only one that makes sense. This is only for primary however (and I will never teach his class), he will go to another school for secondary. I don't think having a parent at school is important at primary level (it's pretty common at our school), but I think in secondary it is better for them to be away from the parent.

I teach on my DDs school and there has been no issues at all. I teach UKS2 and she's in Y1 so our break/lunch is separate. I hardly see DD at school until I pick her up (she goes to CM 3 days a week).

Socially it has not affected us at all because I knew the parents before I started at the school (started Jan) plus being in the opposite end of the school has helped.

DD definitely does not come running to me at the slightest thing. We are very clear that at school I'm Mrs Suffolk not Mummy.

My mum taught at my secondary school and it was really really bad for our relationship (small school so she had to teach me too). There were two other girls in my class who had mothers who taught there too and I don't think it was great for either of them (in different ways). But primary school is I think quite different. So long as you can avoid teaching her then I think it should be fine. My children have been in classes with children who had teachers at the school and they didn't seem any different to other children really. A bit more connected perhaps, but that's true for children whose parents are teacher governors, volunteer helpers or very active on the PTA.

My mother tried that I'm Mrs x stuff and I'm afraid I wasn't having any of it. Granted I was a stroppy teenager, but as I pointed out, she was still my mother at school and I wasn't going to call her something different just because she decided to come and teach at my school.

As I said her teaching at my school wasn't good for our relationship! I persuaded my father to send me to boarding school for sixth form Looking back I can totally see why she took the job at my school, but teenagers aren't the most rational of people.

Anyway as I said I think primary is quite different.

A slightly different view. Last year I had a colleagues child in my class and I found it very difficult ( it's not just me 2 other teachers have said the same this term). I had to tell her that her child's reading wasn't as good as she seemed to think and both mother and child expected preferential treatment.

Yes mrz - I know teachers who have not enjoyed teaching colleagues children at all.

I teach in our catchment (p/t) and I chose not to send dd there even though our ofsted is better than the alternative. Reasons being..... I went to school and one of my best friends had his mum as a teacher there. The other children picked on him mercilessly, all low level snidey stuff and he refused to tell anyone about it. I wish I could turn back time and speak out but his mum still thinks it was a fab experience all round.
Secondly, having taught for a long time I appreciate that parents can be moany and that I too, may want a moan. I just felt that it would better to separate work in this regard. I've already had a few niggles where I've gone in to see the teacher for clarification. I may have felt too embarrassed to do this with a colleague and just silently seethed!!!
Lastly, I wanted dds friends to want to come over for play dates with none of the 'oooh it's Mrsx' history. And I wanted to make proper friends with other parents and not worry about what I was saying all the time!!
It helped that I loved the alternative school when I looked around, so it wasn't my school or something horrid.
If people ask why dd isn't at my school (and they do) I just honestly say that I wanted to keep work and home separate and that's fine.
I can see advantages in having dc at your own school and my friend's experiences may have coloured my judgement, but I've been very happy with my decision.
As a side note, my friend works as a ta at her dcs school and she can't go to everything her child is in if the children she is supporting aren't also involved.

Thank you everyone. I'm swaying more to the decision that it may be a bad idea! I love my job and would never want any conflict caused by blurring my mummy/parent/teacher roles. I will speak to colleagues though to see how they'd feel about having my children in school.

Out of interest - those who do teach in the same school as their kids - do you have a childminder/clubs every night or are they sat in your classroom after school?

I teach (MFL, only 1 hour a week) at my dc's primary and actually teach both my dc. Dh is deputy head at the local secondary, where both our dc will go to school. It doesn't bother us or them at all so far, but I suppose it might cramp their style a bit when they are teenagers. It must be pretty common in rural areas, as there are fewer schools to choose from.

I'm not sure colleagues will say if they feel uncomfortable and I've got to be honest I didn't see it as a problem until the child was in my class. Previous teachers had said how difficult they found it but I (wrongly) believed it wouldn't be an issue. It's actually marred a 15 year working relationship.

Having said that my colleague obviously finds it difficult to stop being a mum and switch to teacher in school.

Really interesting perspectives on here. I think there's going to be pros and cons to either choice really linzi. We're fairly sure we'll be putting our chn in my school and will review our choice on the transition from infant to junior and possibly move them then. Another reason I'm keen on the idea is that I've a summer born boy who's quite immature. I'll feel better about his teeny tiny self starting at school at just 4 if he's in school with me. I don't plan on being on top of him and plan to keep the mum/teacher divide as clear as is possible. I'm year 6 so unlikely to have much contact with my chn for years on a day to day basis. But equally if he's sad at 3:30 I can go give him a quick cuddle and reassurance then see him again at 5:30 when I collect him. I'll see more of his assemblies etc than if I sent him elsewhere. And hear the anecdotal side of life from his teachers. Appreciate that's where the downside is too, especially if they're hard chn to work with. Again, pros and cons I think.

My good friend has her child in the primary school where she teaches and so do a number of other teachers and TAs. Undoubtedly pros and cons but it seems to work well for those who have chosen it.

Advantages I can see for my friend:
Small DC doesn't have to spend long hours in wrap round childcare in another setting
She gets to see so much more of her child's school life than she otherwise would - assemblies, nativities, just the odd passing hug/wave/chat.
She has complete faith in the school where her DC is (obviously this depends what you think of where you work but I think for her our school was always going to be the best choice and she wouldn't have wanted anything less for DC)
She has good relationships and trusts the staff who are teaching he DC (again, works because our school has v good staff room relationships ... to date ...)
Vastly easier logistically.

Major disadvantage I would say is that it's harder for her to be as easy in making friendships with parents in her DCs class as she would like. Not by any means impossible, but certainly harder. Doesn't seem to impact on DC though who is a lovely kid with a wide social circle.

I really don't think there is a right answer. I also have friends who teach who are very happy with their kids elsewhere, and another one who has an SLT post and moved her kids to her new school - very happy with it, but would never have had them in the previous one which was v different.

I have a very tricky kid and it is hard enough at times being a governor never mind a teacher. I think if DC was liable to be tricky to handle in any way I would think hard before proceeding.

Good luck whatever you decide.

I work in the school my DD is at (doing PPA cover and supply). She is fine with the difference between Mummy and Mrshels even when I teach her.
Thankfully she is a well behaved child(Apart from chatting in the toilets!!!) so that problem does not arise.
We have no issues with parties/friends etc as her friends all have sensible parents who can also separate school and home.

the main "problems" we have are:
Before I started working she regularly got certificates etc for doing well...this is noticeably less since I started working there (maybe this is co-incidence?)
When I have taught her class, if I have had to tell off certain children they them pick on her the next day. She has not made this connection thankfully, but I have now told the school I will only do supply in her class if they can get no-one else.

Out of interest - those who do teach in the same school as their kids - do you have a childminder/clubs every night or are they sat in your classroom after school?

I'm going to send DS to after school care two afternoons per week (my meeting days). The other days I pretty much leave straight after school as I prefer to work from home in the evenings anyway. We can use our after school care casually though, so if I need an extra day because of parent-teacher meetings, etc, I can always send him and just pay for the extra day.

DD used to play in my room while I got set up in the morning/did marking etc after school. I was early years so lots to play with/read. She also did her homework. I put her to after school club twice a week so I could work late. It worked for us, but she was/is exceptionally well-behaved/able to amuse herself!