Primary School Principal

channaigh

Hi
Just looking for a little advice on how to approach the following or maybe I'm completely out of line for feeling a little peed off.
So basically removed my two children from the school. Spoke with the principal at the start of the summer holidays to let them know. Now I hadn't told a soul that we were leaving only the principal. 3 weeks later a friend of mine rings me to ask was I leaving the school ?? Asked where did she get that from and was told she was at a funeral and it was topic of conversation.
I am just not happy that he was gossiping about me at a funeral. Surely this is no ones business and just to add I hadn't even told the kids about the move.
Maybe I'm wrong all advice welcome

DoozerT6

Had you specifically told him NOT to tell anybody? He may have thought that it was common knowledge otherwise. Maybe an odd topic of conversation for a funeral all right, but if your name had come up he probably saw no harm in bringing it up.

If you did specifically told him not to tell anybody, well then yes, I would be annoyed.

channaigh

DoozerT6 wrote: »

Had you specifically told him NOT to tell anybody? He may have thought that it was common knowledge otherwise. Maybe an odd topic of conversation for a funeral all right, but if your name had come up he probably saw no harm in bringing it up.

If you did specifically told him not to tell anybody, well then yes, I would be annoyed.

Thanks for the reply. I didn't say not to say it but he was definitely under no illusions that it was common knowledge. I just presumed probably wrongly that it was a private conversation. Just not happy with being the topic of gossip between him and some parents who fyi are not parents council or bom.

DoozerT6

channaigh wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I didn't say not to say it. I just presumed probably wrongly that it was a private conversation. Just not happy with being the topic of gossip between him and some parents who fyi are not parents council or bom.

I completely understand your point of view. He may, however, have just thought you were doing the rounds so to speak, and telling people as you meet them.

EDIT: are you moving house or just leaving the school?

alan partridge aha

Why have you removed your kids from this school?

channaigh

DoozerT6 wrote: »

I completely understand your point of view. He may, however, have just thought you were doing the rounds so to speak, and telling people as you meet them. It's probably what I would have thought if I was him, tbh. If someone tells me they are moving house I would assume it was common knowledge unless they actually told me not to say anything to anybody else. I genuinely don't think there was any malice or 'gossiping' involved.

I'm not sure what you could say to him: By all means if you feel you should, then do so, but realistically he's probably just going to apologise and say that he didn't know that it wasn't public knowledge yet.

Thanks for the reply. Oh I know exactly what I am going to say.
Basically I do feel like he was gossiping. New Principal only in the door since Easter so haven't had much contact but it came to ahead at the end of the year. When he was talking about services to link my son in with. But had failed to read his report. He is already linked in with these supposed services. Then he actually called me a liar seriously when I told him what had happened the previous year in the school when my GP wrote a letter and phoned previous principal because my son basically had a nervous breakdown teacher was bullying him. My son has aspergers. No record was kept of this incident and the letter disappeared. And my letter to the board disappeared. So when he told me I was lying. I said fine my kids will not be returning in Sept. That's why I'm now surprised it was being talked about it was a private conversation.

DoozerT6

In that case yes, he should not have said anything (if only for his own reputation) and you are quite within your rights to pull him up on it.

Best of luck and I hope your son is much happier in his new school.

channaigh

DoozerT6 wrote: »

In that case yes, he should not have said anything (if only for his own reputation) and you are quite within your rights to pull him up on it.

Best of luck and I hope your son is much happier in his new school.

Thanks for that. I do feel like he was trying to get his side out first. But that's the thing there was no need I wouldn't have said anything about it to other parents. My business is my business I dont stand at the gate talking with parents. 16 years associated with the school which by the way was amazing. My eldest wouldn't be where she is without the education she received their. So I wasn't going to start slating the school

BDI

Can I ask.

Do you feel that you get a bit of a hard break in life from teachers and office type workers. I feel sometimes I do and never once has it been my fault. Never once. I just think there is a certain thing they pick on and some of us have it.

Never once was it something I did but it always happens everywhere I go. The other people seem to get on with life and not get hassled by the system.

channaigh

BDI wrote: »

Can I ask.

Do you feel that you get a bit of a hard break in life from teachers and office type workers. I feel sometimes I do and never once has it been my fault. Never once. I just think there is a certain thing they pick on and some of us have it.

Never once was it something I did but it always happens everywhere I go. The other people seem to get on with life and not get hassled by the system.

Short answer No

Masala

Is it a big thing really? its not like he is telling lies about you etc.... What he said was the truth... whats the problem???

Sure others will also be in the know..(family, friends etc).

Maybe he needed to disclose same as it could possibly be having an effect on his teacher numbers etc... and needed to discuss same with X who said it to Y.

making a BIG thing about it now makes you look the 'smaller' person..... some people have some serious problems in their lives and this wouldn't even make the top 500.

rainbowtrout

How do you know it was the principal that was gossiping? The principal could have informed the teachers/school secretary and any one of them could have spread the news around.

byhookorbycrook

I'm wondering what outcome the OP is looking for-s/he has no proof that this came from the principal of their former school,it may well have come from the new school, for example, who told the teacher of the new class that x would be joining their class this school year. It's not that they shared untrue information in any case and it would be known come the start of the new school year that X has left.

Postgrad10

Would this type of info not fall under GDPR? Anyway, he had zero reason to discuss it with anyone but the department to remove the children off the school list so he wouldn’t receive their capitation ( or whatever it’s called).

byhookorbycrook

Postgrad10 wrote: »

Would this type of info not fall under GDPR? Anyway, he had zero reason to discuss it with anyone but the department to remove the children off the school list so he wouldn’t receive their capitation ( or whatever it’s called).

It is usually the secretary who deals with Easinet ( what you call " the school list." )

Postgrad10

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Postgrad10 wrote: »

Would this type of info not fall under GDPR? Anyway, he had zero reason to discuss it with anyone but the department to remove the children off the school list so he wouldn’t receive their capitation ( or whatever it’s called).

It is usually the secretary who deals with Easinet ( what you call " the school list." )

Secretary’s are still bound by confidentiality same as any other data holder.

Treppen

alan partridge aha wrote: »

Why have you removed your kids from this school?

That's beside the point

Treppen

DoozerT6 wrote: »

Had you specifically told him NOT to tell anybody? He may have thought that it was common knowledge otherwise. Maybe an odd topic of conversation for a funeral all right, but if your name had come up he probably saw no harm in bringing it up.

If you did specifically told him not to tell anybody, well then yes, I would be annoyed.

Do you specifically tell your doctor and secretary NIT to discuss personal information outside the surgery?

The principal probably sensed that there might be a bit of a bad vibe when other parents Found in September so decided to go for damage control!... Maybe.

In any event, they disclosed personal information. That's data protection breach.

Make a complaint but it might be up to the other parent, who told you what the principal disclosed, to stand behind her claim.

Treppen

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

I'm wondering what outcome the OP is looking for-s/he has no proof that this came from the principal of their former school,it may well have come from the new school, for example, who told the teacher of the new class that x would be joining their class this school year. It's not that they shared untrue information in any case and it would be known come the start of the new school year that X has left.

The op claims that the old principal disclosed it to another parent. And the other parent confirmed it to them.

If a doctor shared information with other people the fact that it's true doesn't make it acceptable... Even if your health predicament will become known in the future.

As regards outcome, I'd be looking for an apology for starters.

Rachiee

That's ridiculously unprofessional of the principle, I would be making a complaint just so that he learns that it's inappropriate , but don't expect much joy from it.

Masala

I wouldn't be going on about GDPR here... there is no data disclosed here. GDPR has strict definitions of Data and I would see this 'rumour mill' as falling into any claim against The Principal.

Treppen

Masala wrote: »

I wouldn't be going on about GDPR here... there is no data disclosed here. GDPR has strict definitions of Data and I would see this 'rumour mill' as falling into any claim against The Principal.

It's the op's claim that the principal disclosed personal information.

If you disclose information just to one person. And then a second party says that that same person told them what you said... How is that a rumour mill?

Masala

Treppen wrote: »

It's the op's claim that the principal disclosed personal information.

If you disclose information just to one person. And then a second party says that that same person told them what you said... How is that a rumour mill?

What personal information did he disclose did he disclose under GDPR.... Date of Births, PPS Numbers, credit card numbers, CCTV movements. That's what GDPR is concerned with ... information that could be used to the disadvantage of some one if given to wrong hands.

Treppen

Masala wrote: »

What personal information did he disclose did he disclose under GDPR.... Date of Births, PPS Numbers, credit card numbers, CCTV movements. That's what GDPR is concerned with ... information that could be used to the disadvantage of some one if given to wrong hands.

He disclosed personal information that was discussed in a private conversation between a parent and a teacher... You just don't do that. The information was in relation to the children being withdrawn.

Why would a principal do that?... Damage control I would guess.

You'll have to read between the lines and understand why a parent wouldn't want anyone else knowing why a child was being taken out.

e.g. I've seen it happen where a child's friends found out he was moving school from their parents (with various coloured rumors as to why, provided by parents), kids turned on the kid over the summer and he got isolated and teased. Not as bad if your in a big city... but small village it's not nice.

Whether or not the hands it falls into are "wrong" is immaterial. If I find medical documents on the road and hand them in without looking there has still been a data breach.

Check out the teaching council code of conduct OP...

2.2 respect the privacy of others and the confidentiality of information gained in the course of professional practice, unless a legal imperative requires disclosure or there is a legitimate concern for the wellbeing of an individual...

https://www.teachingcouncil.ie/en/Fitness-to-Teach/Updated-Code-of-Professional-Conduct/

You could make a complaint there

byhookorbycrook

Postgrad10 wrote: »

Secretary’s are still bound by confidentiality same as any other data holder.

But my point is, that the OP doesn't know who exactly said this- they are presuming it was the principal.

Treppen

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

But my point is, that the OP doesn't know who exactly said this- they are presuming it was the principal.

Ya that seems a bit unclear. On the one hand it was never stated that the principal stated it.... But on the other hand the op implied that the principal was there.