After School Trouble

Pollycat

GetOut wrote: »

yes, that was the only thing I could think of. He said he took a piece of pear so possible.

She was appointed as after school lady once a company that was running it last year had to stop due to loss it was generating. She's a pupil's parent.

I found this just so humiliating, everyone was staring in silence and I was caught completely off guard. I wish I asked to look at that fruit before it got chucked away but I was so shocked all logic escaped my mind

Is her child in the same class as your lad?

Just wondered if there was something more going on and she saw the fruit thing as a way to have a go at your son, especially as you said she gave him a 'time-out' but couldn't elaborate on the reason.
That would have rung alarm bells for me, tbh.

Hope you get it sorted.

warmhands.coldheart

PoorCharleyBear wrote: »

.....A bloody cuddle would have been the right solution, but seemed to be not allowed in London...

Not aloud anywhere now-a-day it would seem....... All these cases in the media means people in caring professions have really pretty much abandoned all "caring" in case it gets misconstrued by some imbecile as "taking advantage" or "grooming"....

quidsy

Regardless of whether your son did or didn't spit on the fruit I would be asking for an urgent meeting with the head to discuss the unprofessional conduct of the person charged with looking after children after school.

If she spoke to your son like it once who is to say she isn't speaking to kids like it on a regular basis when they upset her?

I had this issue with my sons teacher last year, she was having some kind of breakdown & her attitude & coping abilities around the children were deteriorating very quickly, the school though were slow to handle it & it was only after several of us said we would remove our kids for the remainder of the term & inform the governors as to why that they finally had her visit her doctor & get signed off. She has since taken redundancy.

I feel bad for the woman but not so much that I would allow her anywhere near my kid.

I very much doubt this is a one off, anyone that easy to flip out over fruit has likely had other unreported instances of flying off the handle at the kids.

chiefgoobster

Looking at it from another angle ....
How was the fruit laid out ? .... was it in a bowl , or spaced out
on the table ? .....If the latter , did the teacher really think your child would go round spitting on lots of different laid out fruit ?

moomoomama27

She acted totally unprofessionally. I work in primary, and there are specific eats we have to handle things, the main one bring never to humiliate a child through sarcasm, shouting etc.

This does need to be investigated further, I would personally go to her, let her have her say and then if not satisfied, escalate it.

GetOut

maman wrote: »

I agree but then is the woman a professional? I wonder what training/qualifications she has for the job?


Obviously OP needs to speak with the Head and I'm sure she'll agree too but providing childcare that is both cheap and good quality is very difficult.

Don't think she is, no. I will be asking for qualifications and references

GetOut

FBaby wrote: »

Was there a manager or at least supervisor there? Regardless whether your son did it or not, she didn't respond to the incident appropriately.

I personally wouldn't focus on trying to disapprove that your son did it which could go nowhere, but that as it's been mentioned, she should have taken him aside, speak to him, and then discuss it with you again taking you aside. I wouldn't think any club manager would be impressed with how she dealt with the situation.

She IS the manager :O There are two other staff who are both lovely and approachable and never had a bad word to say about my son.

I agree, this is turning out to be a lot less about what my son did/didn't do and more about how it was handler

GetOut

peachyprice wrote: »

Is it just her, by herself? Does she have any experience or qualifications to be looking after a large group of children other than being a parent? Is she even CRB checked?

If there were other members of staff how did they seem to be reacting to her outburst? Were they shrugging it off as her being her usual self or were they embarrassed too?

I'm sorry, but if a school cannot provide adequate staff for an after school club they shouldn't be offering the service.

She and two other staff, both looked uncomfortable last night.

I'll esquire about the CRB check and how she exactly qualifies to do the job.

GetOut

Pollycat wrote: »

Is her child in the same class as your lad?

Just wondered if there was something more going on and she saw the fruit thing as a way to have a go at your son, especially as you said she gave him a 'time-out' but couldn't elaborate on the reason.
That would have rung alarm bells for me, tbh.

Hope you get it sorted.

Yes, she is.

Don't know if there's anything there at all. I believe it's she herself who is having personal issues or just a complete lack of understanding on how to deal with kids

Mojisola

GetOut wrote: »

The second I saw her, she screamed 'your son spat on everyone's fruit'. Completely flabbergasted I looked at my devastated son and said 'what are you talking about'.

She repeated herself and then ordered someone to throw all the fruit away.

quidsy wrote: »

Regardless of whether your son did or didn't spit on the fruit I would be asking for an urgent meeting with the head to discuss the unprofessional conduct of the person charged with looking after children after school.

I very much doubt this is a one off, anyone that easy to flip out over fruit has likely had other unreported instances of flying off the handle at the kids.

I agree with quidsy - totally unprofessional behaviour towards your son and totally over the top to throw the fruit away.

Such an over-reaction suggests there's more going on - hard on your son but perhaps it's just as well you witnessed her behaviour this time. The chances are that parents would have thought the children were exaggerating if they'd talked about her outburst.