Would the head know your dcs if he walked past them in the street?

[AntiJamDidi]

My dd (14yo, yr9) and I walked past her head the other day and he stopped to speak to her, knew her name and spoke about something specific she'd done the previous week. I was quite surprised by that, seeing as there are almost 2000 pupils at her school and he can't possibly know all of them.

So do you think they head of your dc's school would know them well enough to stop and chat in the street?

Yes to one my DCs, no to the others. Although my DCs go to a slightly larger school and he would only know one of them for negative reasons unfortunately.

Yes absolutely but we're lucky in that our high school has 160 ish pupils. He would know my name too

Yes, been proved by bumping into them ( 3 separate schools) in various places. Ds2 head teacher recognises parents outside of school even without their children in tow and can match them to the correct child.

I don't know that I'd like that Autumn. There were more pupils than that at dd's primary school.

Wow fifi that's some memory your head has got. I can match some parents to the right child, but only the ones where I've taught a child for a few years or I've taught a sibling previously.

Yes - we know him well. And DH and AI both work there. And there are only 130 pupils and it is a very tight knit community.

Can I tell you a funny story? please? indulge me
When I was in 5th (year 11) there was a presentation about a residential trip we were going on given by a couple of people who worked there. I was helping them load their stuff into the car when the Headteacher of my school came along and chatted to them about their work. Then he turned to me and said "And what's your job there?"

Head, no. Depute head, absolutely. DS1 dragged her across the playground to show her how much his baby sister had grown! I have cancer and school have been great.

Our previous HT would know DD1, because she sings in every school concert and she's seen and spoken to us at open days and various events.

I don't know if the acting head (who hasn't been at concerts and isn't as talkative) knows either DD. She may remember DD2 as she had to ask permission to fundraise in school.

our deputy HT (also 150 DCs a year plus 6 form) knew everyone. He could name all the first years in two weeks (we were only on main site 2.5 days a week!!)

ops 1.5 days (2 in Y8)

weebarra sorry to hear about your cancer I'm glad school have been great, you need everyone to be as supportive as possible at a time like that.

Fudge that's the sort of thing I imagine my current head would do, I don't get the impression that he would recognise all that many of our year 11s. I may be doing him a disservice though as I don't have all that much to do with him.

Yes but a. It's a very small school of less than 200 pupils & b. dh teaches there.

Where do you all live to have such tiny secondary schools? I thought the school I was on teaching practice at was small but even there they had 3 form entry so about 80-90 pupils per yeargroup. I've never been near a school with less than that.

Dds school is unusual in that its a specialist vocational boarding school with approx 12 govt funded places per year & about the same number of few paying places.

Yes, absolutely!

I'm amazed that so many people say yes at a secondary school. I completely expected primary heads (dd1 has had 4 primary heads in 3 separate schools) to know every child in the school, but in most secondary schools there are over 1000 pupils, how on earth do heads know the faces of all of them? I would only expect the head to know 'exceptional' pupils, that stand out for whatever reason.

I suspect the heads would recognise both DSs, who possibly stand out for all the wrong reasons.

What I find both lovely and disconcerting about DS2's school is that random staff members recognise me. I've had barely-familiar adults beaming at me and saying 'You must be so proud of him these days!' or 'How's that little sister settling in?' It takes a while to process them as 'possibly met once at parents' evening in year 8'.

1000 pupils, by the way.

Scottish Highlands - tiny, tiny school!

No, he cant tell his arse from his elbow so I doubt he would recognise one of his students.

Worry that's more the sort of reply I was expecting

Dd1s head would, I am sure, she has a reasonably distinctive style and often has a chat with her (in a good way) about an item of clothing she is wearing. He's a really good bloke and in a school of 1200 he seems to be genuinely involved with the kids.

ds's head - yes (and quite possibly even would know me)
dd's head - not so sure. I'd like to think she ought to know dd1 at least (dd2 in Yr7 so probably not). Deputy would know them both though - she's excellent.
Oh, ds's school has 750ish pupils and dds' has probably about 900 counting the 6th form

(I too, am amazed at these miniature schools - I'd consider both my dcs' schools to be small for secondary)

I'm not a head teacher but, I recognise faces in the street, but unless they are sitting in the correct seating order and wearing school uniform, I haven't got a clue what their names are!

The head wouldn't have a clue! She doesn't even know what room numbers are in which department!

Ds(9) is in a large primary with a 4 class intake each year. I have only, said hello to the deputy head twice in passing in 5 years, once was the day he started, and second time I didn't have ds with me.

Last year they took a full school picture of over 600 pupils and had it on display on a wall. I was in for parents evening and stopped at the picture to try to find ds and she came along and asked if I could find him, and without me telling her who he was she found him in 30 seconds flat.

I told her I was surprised she knew who to look for as I'm never in school and she said in a very touching way 'I know every single one of them'.

Both my two appear to be quite high-profile, I think for good reasons (music/drama dh is a governor )
At primary school, I remember seeing the HT take ds aside on the way out one day and have a word. I was convinced he must have been naughty, but it turned out he was praising him for some writing he'd seen in one of his books when he was doing some work scrutiny.