Child going to your own school.

Seamus4life

Hello teachers. Some background. Eldest already in a local secondary school thriving. Second has issues : "mild" asd and full blown ADHD. Both assessed and has primary school supports /Irish exemption. Kid has great group of friends all going to different secondaries. Only two schools have the level of supports he needs, school X and y. School X will have 2 friends but 1hr long classes(our eldest in an hr long class school and we think it's bad as when teacher away they can lose whole days of teaching) . School y has 40min classes but my husband works there (he is well regarded by staff, students and parents). I work on same campus in another school. Due to changes in staff it's been years since a staff member had a kid in the school. School admission policy means our kid will get in. What would you do?

iniscealtra

Send the child to the school the Dad teaches in. At my school five staff members have children in the school. I don’t see the problem really especially if it suits the needs of the child.

iniscealtra

Sorry actually seven.

Seamus4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121179788#Comment_121179788

My husband says all the teachers in his place will look out for my kid, the other kids will not mess with my kid etc.. my worry is exactly that , my kid will be treated differently. Was so much easier with my eldest.

iniscealtra

What your husband means I’d say is that if anything is up he will hear about it. This is a good thing. It’s a community looking out for the child. The school has the supports the child needs and the 40 minute classes plus a parent in the building. It’s the most sensible choice in my opinion.

Seamus4life

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121180035#Comment_121180035

I see what you mean. Thanks for your input.

Treppen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121179797#Comment_121179797

With all the best will in the world, 'looking out for the kid' is slightly different to getting all the educational supports that a school can offer. Some of the best academic schools in the country make a point of not providing adequate AEN supports so their stats aren't affected.

In saying that, teacher's kids generally avoid being bullied because their parent is usually on it and students know the game.

Talk to the learning support co-ordinator in all schools yourself and see what's there.

Spacebar2

I'm teaching almost 30yrs (FE mainly) and have no experience of a colleague with a child in the class. When I was a student myself, it was pretty common in my small single sex Primary but don't think a teacher actually taught one of their own kids. There were a few teachers kids in my secondary school, over 700 pupils mixed school. The Principal's son was in my class, a big messer and constantly in detention. All justified ! no special treatment from staff. No idea what the kids themselves thought of the arrangement

noplacehere

Three kids in my family. All of us went to our parent (and later parents school when one transferred in). I would say it was absolutely fine for two of us. The third struggled but I think would have struggled in any school. For me as an adult now diagnosed Autistic/ADHD having my parent/s on site was a lifeline. I found second level extremely hard despite being an "excellent" pupil on paper. I never put a foot wrong but I just couldn't figure out friendships etc. Sometimes I'd literally knock on the staffroom door just to be reassured my parents were there and that I wasn't alone in the crowd.

I would also say 40 minute classes over 58 minute classes any day for a student with concentration issues

wildwillow

Taught in my son’s secondary school and we simply ignored each other most of the time. Was in supervised classes occasionally and was fine. Did keep him grounded. His year had four other “Mums” with children in the school. As they matured the relationship in the school changed and we were just teachers and not mothers during school time.

Some of his classmates took ages to address me by my given name when they socialised in later years and I was one of the parents doing taxi. Many are in business now and I would be a loyal customer of some who stayed local.

They sometimes confess to what mischief they got away with unnoticed so they were not under constant supervision.