Teaching in same school as DC

[Tilly2020]

What are your thoughts please. Thinking of applying for a job in my daughters school. She is in year 2 primary but I will be working in secondary part.

I have a few concerns and not sure if it will work. Also don’t want to be considered taking the P**s in some situations e.g. in my current school teachers request a morning or afternoon off to see their kids assemblies etc which head is fine with especially if no cover required but I surely cannot do this if I get job at her school? Am I thinking too much?

Depends on lots of factors. My dad was a senior teacher at our secondary school. Me and my middle sister absolutely hated it but my youngest sister was quite happy about it.

The issue isn’t your being there at assemblies etc it’s the utter mortification as a teen of having a parent in the place that should be your space and separate from home life. Age 13 sitting in a school assembly given my dad who played music was a low spot. My best friend and I bunked them after that despite being very well behaved normally.

Thanks swift. I don’t think this will be an issue as when she’s finished primary we’re hoping to move from the area anyway and move closer to where her cousins live. She was really happy when I told her I might work in her school! I can see it being a problem if she was a teenager but at the moment she would be so happy

I would have thought ut would be much better for the school if you said can I pop to the assembly etc when you will onky have to be gone half an hour rather than travel etc. It sounds like you would be quite separate anyway.

I work in dd’s school (a different part of it) and I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. It’s nice to travel together and we can sometimes get a bit of time together after school without her little brother which makes her feel special as he is quite a handful. My school and colleagues would actively encourage me to go and see her assemblies etc (as they would for those in other schools too).

The only problems that have arisen were when there was an issue regarding her teacher, it was something I would have approached the head about as a parent but felt awkward about doing so as a teacher in the school. Luckily other parents felt the same and the issue was resolved without me having to put my oar in.

I am thinking of sending my DD to the school that I work in and she would be in my class for a few years. I think as I am part time it would be okay because DD will have my colleague for the other half of the week for balance.
I’m actually really looking forward to it. Not many working parents can be this close to their children!

It’s brilliant! I’ve worked in their schools on and off & it’s absolutely fine. All ignore each other but lovely to get glimpses of them having a great time.

Sorry saw she’s at primary that’s fine (my mum was at my primary dad at secondary yaay). Just make sure she’s not at your school for secondary

I worked in the same school as DD all the way through Primary and it was fine.

I work part time in a secondary now doing exam invigilation and quite a few students have a parent working there. Two of my grandsons are there.

I have moved Dd to the secondary school in which I teach. I moved her in Y9. She thinks it the best decision 'she has ever made'. It's nice to chat to and from school and she has made some great friends. The only thing I dug my heels in at was teaching her class. A few time table changes and it was sorted. There are a number of staff who have children at the school and it has never been an issue, and if there are some issues it's easy to go and talk. Win,win I say.

I've had both DDs through my secondary school. I taught DD1 in my main subject in year 8, then both DDs in something different for half of year 11, and DD1 in that subject for half of year 12. We played in the orchestra together which was fun for all of us.

There were a couple of occasions when they weren't very well at school. I was able to see them pretty quickly, and because I was there to agree to it, they could be given medication like paracetamol.

There were only 3 occasions when I had issues with colleagues. 2 concerned the same department 2 years apart. One was dealt with appallingly by a former head (idiot), the other by a deputy who took my concerns seriously. The last was DD2 in year 13 and I emailed her form tutor who is quite a good friend, but he also is a parent of a child in the school. He was very professional in his response, but the new head was better. He insisted on seeing DD and explaining to her himself what he would do to resolve matters. She was delighted.

It's also great getting the gossip and hearing the bonkers rumours. It worked really well for us and I miss them now they have both moved on.

I worked at my daughter's schools (part time and supply amounting to about 50%) from when the youngest was 5, to when the oldest was 12.

I talked to them when I was first offered the work, and said I wouldn't do it if they'd rather I didn't, but they were fine. I also said that they were to tell me if they ever had any problem with other pupils because of it, which they agreed to do.

There were no problems at all (they actively liked it, they claimed), but then one day, my oldest, at 10, told me that a boy in her year had stopped her in the corridor and said "Your mum's horrible. She gave me a detention". My heart sank,so I asked her what happened then. She said "I told him 'she's a teacher - she's MEANT to be horrible' ". She was totally unbothered!

I was happy to take a full time job elsewhere when she was 12 though. I felt it was the right time.

Both my children attended the school I taught in. It wasn't a problem for either of them. DD and I were reminiscing about her school days only yesterday. The few issues she had were nothing to do with me being there - in fact, it helped resolve them more quickly.

I work in the senior school part of my Y2 DD's school - she loves seeing me around and thinks it's cool. I don't think I'd get this privilege if she was 4 or 5 years older though! So I say go for it. She'd get used to you being there

We've got 18 staff kids where I work! It's fine, as long as everyone is professional, but we've had no real problems with it. The children seem to love it.

Both my kids are at my school. It’s worked really well, lots of staff , (including several SLT) , have their kids there so it’s not a novelty and in fact I think most pupils I teach won’t know or care they are my kids. They’ve not had any come back so far. I’ve asked not to teach them in my classes although that wouldn’t necessarily be a complete disaster, it just avoids issues. I say hello if I pass them in the corridor and sometimes say an expansive hello if I’m trying to wind up my 15 year old, but I don’t see them most of the time. They are very calm about me being there and I like the fact I know their teachers well. I ran a craft club in my daughter’s first year which ended up being a lunch club with a bit of sewing, for a gang of year 7s including DD1- that gave me a chance to get to know her new friends . I know the school systems really well so decoding the reports is easy, knowing what matters and what is teachers ticking boxes. I like knowing which teachers I trust completely and which ones I think are less on it and I do a bit of extra support at home.
I suspect the fact that lots of teachers/ TAs/ office staff have their kids in school really helps, and so you would need to judge it on your own situation, but for us it’s been a really lovely bonus.

Reassuring to read this as my DC will be coming to the secondary school I work in shortly. There are several staff children there already but I have to admit I am a bit anxious!

Both my DSs went to the school where I teach, and there were lots of staff/children in the same position. There were lots of pros: matching term/inset dates; shared knowledge of school procedures/expectations/curriculum/individual teachers etc. It’s hard to explain, but it’s a nice school and there was a sort of family/school team spirit.
My younger DS was very happy that I was there and found it reassuring when he started (although we rarely saw each other). The older one was a bit embarrassed and didn’t acknowledge me in the corridors, although his friends happily did! I know they didn’t get any real stick from their classmates.
The school was really good about keeping us apart - the Head once stepped in to do a cover for me - and that really helped.
If it’s a decent school which is used to this situation I would have no qualms at all.

I overlapped with my daughter for one year. Similar to you, where I worked was quite separate from the part she was in. It was fine, thought I did send my husband to any parent's evenings, etc, as I just thought it was easier for everyone.

I have several children of school staff in my current class. Provided everyone has a clear work / parent boundary, it works fine. For example, I have noticed that the mums with children in my class always use their personal email address (not work email address) when emailing about their children - that distinction is helpful.