Teaching Scotland, fairly urgent

[spidereggs]

Good evening

Is anyone able to point me in the direction or advise me on rules, guidance on teaching your own child in a local authority school in Scotland.

Is there anything?

Is it just avoided or is that a myth.

Really appreciate any help. Google not throwing up much.

I don't think there's any guidance, I know a few people in small schools who have taught their own children. It's harder to avoid in a small school.

In my experience when a teacher in a larger school has their own child attending the leadership team will arrange classes to avoid the parent teaching the child.

I've worked in my own children's school as DHT. We just avoided me teaching in their classes, it only happened very rarely in a cover emergency.

Happens regularly where I teach - average size central belt secondary. Smaller departments it can't be avoided.

Thanks @Appin .

Could I PM you. It's quite unusual and I'm really needing a couple of questions answered.

@Lidlfix thank you.

Ok so I will just put the rough detail, rather than PM.

Three schools under one head. All 50 max each.

Each school three teachers, composite classes. Roughly 1-2, 3-5 and 6-7. ISH

Two primary ones starting one school, both boys. One out of catch,ent considerably, but teachers child. So will have primary one of two pupils, one his own, and another.

Then primary two in same room.

General feeling is teacher should be opting to change class, they are refusing, child lives next door to local school elsewhere but father bringing child early and leaving late for work.

Isn't this a good thing, given there's only be one p1 child otherwise?

Certainly you can pm me

@MistressIggi is it though? Can you elaborate. Why is that good?

Open to all thoughts.

Does that not set them against each other versus dad.

I've certainly seen it in the scenarios described by others, unavoidable, cover, etc, but not seen it as choice, when other options available

I've never seen a parent choose it.

As a professional, I'd be worried that parents would perceive me as biased towards my own child. I'd happily move up a stage, then back down, to avoid teaching them.

And as a school leader, I'd certainly move the member of staff to avoid any risk of that happening.

I’m not aware of any ‘rules’ about this. Don’t know any teachers who would choose to teach their own child!

Thanks all. @Appin i have sent a PM.

Because no one wants to be the only P1 child in a class?
what's the dad got to do with the price of fish?
your vagueness makes your posts too cryptic to get to the bottom of OP.

@MistressIggi

The dad is the teacher.

I would prefer alone in a composite class than only other child being teachers son.

The thing is though that it’s not just the two of them in the class, and generally in composites the different year groups aren’t taught separately. So it’s not really 2 P1s ( with the P2s in the same classroom) but rather a class of 8 or whatever with kids of different ages. The other thing is that surely this teacher will be working really hard to provide a great education for the kids, even more than normal because his child is one of them. It’s a bit of an odd situation, but wouldn’t particularly concern me as one of the other parents.

In terms of your actual question, sorry, I’m not aware of any guidance. It is generally avoided but not a huge deal when it happens (which in my experience is more like part of the day or cover, rather than main primary teacher).

It's a bit unusual but it wouldn't concern me, unless I already had concerns about the teacher. Whether he's a good teacher or not is surely the important thing. It's clearly a very small school (rural location?) and that would worry me more than the teacher/parent situation as I'd like my child to have more friends of the same age.
Do you have "previous" with the teacher?

@MistressIggi no, first child. Others do, but that's hearsay for me.

I know all the teachers generally due to area.

As a parent I wouldn’t be comfortable with the only other P1 being the teacher’s child in a class with just a few P2s. What happens if they fall out? If the teacher’s child bullies mine? Could they be sufficiently impartial if my child shows bullying behaviour towards theirs? I would always be alert for fair treatment in every situation - did they not get Joseph in the nativity because it went to the teachers son or if they did get Joseph was that just to try and make it look like there wasn’t bias? I wouldn’t want to have to live with that and wouldn’t want the teacher to have to either.

I'm not sure teachers can refuse to change the year groups they teach. Weak leadership if the HT has requested the move and he has refused. That would worry me more than the fact a teacher is teaching their own child.

OP has said "general feeling is" not that the HT has asked and been refused.
I really couldn't be bothered about this unless I had other reasons to doubt the professionalism or character of the teacher

Ah, I see. I wouldn't be bothered either then.

@Shelefttheweb this is how I feel. Although I worry about it it going the other way as well, the teachers child not being chosen ever for fear of that and then pushed down, not that they are my problem but it's still a worry.

At present, they get on like any four year olds do.

It's been helpful to put down my thoughts, perhaps I should reframe it in my own mind as to whether small class or slightly bigger class is better for my child.

Balanced against transport, other sibling placements etc.