Teachers secondary age daughter helping in primary one class

[Fashion83]

Our DS is in primary 1. (Scotland - age 5, almost 6). He is in a council ran school. We are privileged to have so many PSA’s (teaching assistants) in the school so the children get quite a bit of small group time with one adult. However this week on a video posted to a parent app the teacher was showing us a group who were doing a literacy game with her daughter who I think would be around 14/15/16 years old. Assume she is off on study leave. Am I right in thinking this is a bit strange? Since when did teachers take their children in to help. Unless she wants to study teaching but perhaps let us know?

As an aside, said teacher is part time & the deputy head teaches our son and his class on a Friday which I was quite happy with however I could count on my hand how many times she’s been there in class over the past 2 terms and they’ve had another teacher. No issue as such but we as parents haven’t been told which annoys me. AIBU to expect to be told?

Thanks.

I used to run an entire dance class at 14-16 for a while hour while the teacher supervised. At sixth form I used to TA a year 7 and a year 9 maths class in my spare time. They were a low set and really needed an extra body to check things and go through things but there wasn't a TA for that class.

I don't really see what the issue is?

I think 14+ is fine. I did the same at that age (my best friend's mum was the class teacher). The teen won't be leading the teaching, just helping with small groups, listening to children reading etc. and will always be under supervision.

Is this thread for real?!
Jeez.

Yes, definitely. At least in my child's school it did, but it's not something that ever bothered me. I trusted the school to make good decisions and I didn't want to be involved in their staffing arrangements. I have enough with my own job

Work experience weeks. It's normal. I'm a teacher currently have several teachers children in my school along with a few others from the community

It sounds like a great school!
I particularly like the no homework apart from reading approach, I despise the mountain of homework that primary aged dc get these days. It achieves very little and reading really is the key to expanding a child's mind.

No tables in early years? Again, it sounds great. I work in eyfs and this has been the approach for a few years now.

As for there being a 14/15 yr old helper in the class, brilliant, as speaking from experience, I love having teenagers in doing work experience etc they are normally full of enthusiasm, a huge help and my class absolutely love having them there.

You sound like a parent who is fond of looking for 'issues' It's not helpful for those of us working in education!

This sounds wonderful! I wish there were schools like this near me! They are using evidence based teaching methods, which will have better outcomes for the children than the "traditional" methods the government bangs on about.

I feel like op would have an absolute aneurysm if she found out you can teach in private school without being a qualified teacher.

Op why are you arsed? It's 100% normal for teens to volunteer in schools across the country and no parents do not need to be informed. Also no early years don't need desks and writing books. The UK is incredibly strange in its approach to teaching very small children so formally and it's good that with studies and changing rules they recognise it more and more. I used to be a TA and started volunteering in schools aged 16.

In my dds primary they had a program of teens from the local secondary coming in to do activities with the primary children. The little ones like having friendly older kids around and learn a lot from them.

I work in school. DS1 did his work experience in our primary class.

IME it's actually quite common for staff's children to help in school. Our head's teenage son ran our covid testing centre as a volunteer, while he was furloughed from his job and younger teens are often in helping with admin type tasks.

You can teach in any school without a teaching qualification. We are a maintained school and have three UQT. Academies have loads, our local secondary academy runs at about 20% UQT.

The worst thing about teaching is the (thankfully small) minority of parents who want you to take time out of teaching the children to explain to them exactly what you're doing at all times and why.

White boads are a "thing". The pens cost schools a fortune, much more than note books would, but they're considered better educationally because mistakes aren't permanent, it's supposed to make children more willing/confident to have a go, knowing they can easily rub out mistakes.

It’s very common and you are being unreasonable to think you should be informed about such minor issues.

No desks in early years is the norm. Why would you be told about someone new in the classroom?

You have a very antiquated view of what education should look like. Everything you have described as happening is totally normal.

Unless a child in the class is autistic and finds any kind of change difficult, how could this possibly be a problem anyway?

Yes (ime)in private school it's quite normal for senior children or even Y8s to occasionally go and spend time with YN - Y3 and they always have 18/19 yo "Gappers" or "Gappies" there for the year helping out with games lessons or other things in addition to FT trained teachers and TAs.

The older children do things like reading to a small group or helping with more play based activities. I think it's lovely. It's not a regular thing just once in a while. It's good for all of them. The little ones love it.

Re private school, we had a secondary private pupil doing work experience in the state setting I work in and I don’t recall telling parents. I only do when it involves filming e.g. with a teaching practice student reflecting on a lesson.

We’re always having volunteers in but it’s a big school. However I think you need to accept that on the whole the school ensures it follows safeguarding procedures which don’t always involve informing parents.

I take my DD in occasionally if she has INSET or something. She obviously can't be left alone with the children and she isn't allowed in the staff room. It's always helpful to have an extra pair of hands.

Re some of your other points, it is considered bad practice to have EYFS pupils sitting at desks other than for specific activities.

My dc used to love the volunteers when they were in brownies - a big sister figure who would also sometimes babysit. That volunteer has now graduated and my dc have taken her place. It can be really useful to have slightly older, responsible role models. Secondary school children can seem a little intimidating in a group especially when the child doesn't have any older siblings. Getting to know one in a familiar situation can break down that barrier. One of mine is in 6th form but will say hi to any girl she recognises from when she knew her in guiding, that can help the confidence of the yr7 in a big school to know there are older children looking out for them.

This was commonplace even when I was at infant/ junior school in the 60’s.

When my children were small their school would rope in any parent, grandparent, older sibling et al available to listen to reading, help with sports, do arts and craft.

I can’t understand any objection to this at all!

Are you one of these ‘all teenagers are the work of the devil’ types?

What are you assuming is going on if it’s not work experience then?!

Your expectations of an early years classroom are frankly bizarre-certainly nothing evidence-based!