by The Belbin Team, 12 Mar 2026
The school gates* are always a great place to 'people-watch'. This is our (tongue-in-cheek) Team Role guide to mums:
*We know that dads, grandparents, other relatives, friends... do the school run too, but as it's Mother's Day, we're concentrating on the mums!
– always wins World Book Day or similar school dressing up competitions (if she hasn’t completely forgotten).
– always gets the homework right and is never seen in floods of tears at parents evening (although the teachers often are).
– is the one shouting the loudest at the finishing line at Sports Day, and doesn’t believe in ‘it’s the taking part that counts' philosophy (her children wish she would).
– puts everyone else to shame by knowing when homework needs to be in, when assembly is and the procedure for absence due to sickness (the teachers rely heavily on her too).
– has the best turned out children, corrects the teachers' newsletters and never turns up at the school gates in her pyjamas (although it tends to be a last-minute panic most mornings).
– knows the names of all her children’s friends and usually has at least one extra child (not theirs) on the school run, just to help out (but can sometimes be put upon and have 5+ extra in her charge).
– is on every committee and is always at the school gates catching up on the daily who’s who/done what. (She's also the first to post a proud picture of her offspring on Insta.)
- always looks unruffled whilst chaos is breaking out all around her (if she hasn’t delegated the school run to a friend).
- talks to the teachers about the curriculum, and is keen to know which texts and extra reading will really help her children to get to grips with the subject. (The teachers are beginning to run out of ideas and start to hide when she comes in to class.)