Advice of how to deal with very rude Head Teacher

Bennifred

If the issue has been resolved, why do you need to approach her at all? If you happen to come face to face with her, just greet her pleasantly and carry on your way.

I think some headteachers have difficulty with pitching conversation with parents - parents are such a varied bunch! I'd be inclined to let the incident go, but if she is rude in future then pull her up on it ("Do you realise how rude that sounded?")

cobbingstones

pleasedelete wrote: »

Was the issue something to do with your child?

It was to do with all the children, not just mine.

marisco_2

Firstly I find it bizarre that a member of teaching staff has spoken with a parent about something confidential about another teacher. This is not how issues or worries regarding staff conduct or problems would normally be handled.

I find it incredulous that a Head teacher would even entertain the idea, of discussing a confidential matter in a playground, with a parent. There are strict procedures in schools for handling confidential matters as the way they are handled can jepoardise the outcome when these are addressed.

If she were to busy to speak with you at that time, she should have suggested that you speak with the office and arrange a mutually convenient time to discuss it. The office could have asked you what the meeting was concerning and arranged for any other appropriate members of staff, such as the school senco, to be present as well.

I cant really make sense of the phrases the Head teacher used when contacting you or the context in which they were meant. To say either of those things, to a parent of a child attending the school which you lead, seems extremely unproffessional in my opinion. If the Head teacher of the school my sons' attend mishandled a sensitive situation so badly I would be worried. I would also have to politely ask her why she thought it at all appropriate to do this. My reasons for wanting an explanation for this, is that I work at a school and know full well that the Head teacher there would never handle a situation such as this so incompetently.

I hope you manage to address this and reach a resolution you feel happy with.

Bambam

Oh dear, she sounds very much like the Head Teacher at the school I work at. Wouldn't know how to apologise to parents or staff if her career depended on it

For future reference, it's always better to arrange a meeting at a mutually convenient time - the playground isn't the best place

balletshoes

Bennifred wrote: »

If the issue has been resolved, why do you need to approach her at all? If you happen to come face to face with her, just greet her pleasantly and carry on your way.

I think some headteachers have difficulty with pitching conversation with parents - parents are such a varied bunch! I'd be inclined to let the incident go, but if she is rude in future then pull her up on it ("Do you realise how rude that sounded?")

i'm a bit confused by this thread - but I'd agree with Bennifred's approach. The issue has been resolved, you felt the Head was rude in her words when she called you, but to be honest if the issue is resolved what do you need to talk to the Head about again? I also think her choice of words to you in the phone call was her round-about way of apologising for having you tell her whatever you told her in the playground rather than in her office.

tesuhoha

It sounds to me that she walked off when she realised how confidential the matter was and really should not be discussed in the playground. Perhaps she phoned you with the intention of making an appointment but then you told her you had already spoken to the Governors.

skintchick

I definitely think she was trying to acknowledge your feelings in her apology, it's a shame you felt it was patronising but it is exactly what is taught as a way to speak to people. I learnt it on my breastfeeding support training course. We were told to reflect back and acknowledge the person's feelings as they would then know they were understood.

She obviously didn't make the apology bit obvious enough so you felt patronised instead, which is a shame.

I think you probably should have simply insisted that you had a meeting with her rather than agreeing to start discussing the matter in the playground, and the fact that the head didn;t know till after the phone conversation that you had contacted the governor backs up my feelings that she was apologising and calling to discuss it further.

I agree with another poster that she probably walked off when she realised it was too confidential for the playground.

I think both you you made mistakes and that it is probably better to learn from it and move on. I don't think the head has been as rude as you think she has, put it that way.

Blackpool_Saver

She behaved very badly, you should have made an appt, both at fault.

memoryoftrees

I'm inclined to agree with those who believe she was trying to acknowledge your feelings. I work in a secondary school but have a lot of primary based friends and many of them can often speak to adults as if they are small children - they don't mean anything by it but it does seem to be the curse of the primary school teacher, especially those based in Infants! :rotfl:x

flora48

Let it go. Heed the advice given here.