To think this teacher is overstepping

[FuckCalmRhageOn]

DS 8 has historic leg and foot pain. He is now been investigated to see if he has the same congenital defect in his feet that older DS has (required years in walking boot and surgeries)
Secondary to this he has a foot infection and is on antibiotics. DH went into school last week and explained this was causing extra pain so please be mindful of his pain when he expresses it's too much, and that he couldnt swim until it was cleared. Hes wearing trainers whilst awaiting the arrival of specialist shoes as this was advised by gp and physio.

Fast forward 3 days from teacher and school been notified and he was made to continue PE after explaining he was in pain and came home with swollen feet. The following day his class teacher told him he had to remove his socks and prove he had an infection!

This was last Friday. I spoke with my gp and she agrees it was unnecessary as well.
I'm so cross. I emailed the school on Monday explaining my concerns and have yet to receive a reply. AIBU to be so annoyed by this??

[honeysucklejasmine]

YANBU. PE teachers get a lot of malingering but this isn't "I have a headache, Miss", this is something they should be aware of and understand is long term. Has the school been kept informed of the diagnostic process?

My friend struggled with undiagnosed pain all through secondary school. She now has a diagnosis of fibromyalgia but got grief from our PE teachers for 5 years.

[Avasarala]

I'd have been straight down to the school office on Monday morning to deal with this - it's not on. You are not being unreasonable - the teacher is.

Wishing a speedy recovery for your son's infection and hope he gets the m a segment he needs for the pain. Good luck op!

[BoneyBackJefferson]

YANBU. Talk to the school about him being excused PE until cleared by the doctor.

[CoraPirbright]

Totally not U - I would be fuming too! My son twisted his ankle really badly. We took him to the docs as it was so painful and we were advised that it could take as much as 6 weeks to heal. Strapped him up and sent him into school and went in to see them regarding missing PE etc. He would quite often come in from break time and sit in the office as it was hurting but one of his teachers took it upon herself to accuse him of malingering and lying. If he was trying to get out of maths or something, she might have a point but WHAT 8 year old boy tries to wriggle out of break time with his mates?? I was fuming.

[falsepriest]

Heh... "overstepping"

[BattleaxeGalactica]

YANBU.

I was made to remove a dressing to 'prove' to the PE teacher I wasn't malingering despite DM's advice to the school way back when. Tell them the 70's called and want their protocol back.

[BoneyBackJefferson]

FraWater

I was hoping that the OP would be sensible and take a doctor's note hence cleared by the doctor to do PE.

[cantkeepawayforever]

It sounds as if communication processes within the school are really poor - your DH telling (presumably) the front office staff about the issue should have been passed on to all teachers likely to take your DAS for PE.

It can be tricky within schools, as PE can be taught by e.g. specialists or PPA cover teachers, but the school should have processes robust enough to get that information to everyone who needs it. Do the school now have the information from you in writing, so you can ask them to circulate it to every member of staff involved (ie prompt them to do what their internal processes should have done already but have failed to)?

[LittleCandle]

A doctor's note to excuse a child from PE? Since when? Okay, my kids are long out of the system now, but no way would I ever have taken in a doctor's note. If I say my child is not swimming/doing PE etc, then that is the end of the conversation. You told the school about the problem and that teacher is bang out of order! I would have been down there on Monday morning ripping their head off and feeding it to them, and I am very supportive of teachers, having trained as one many moons ago.

[cantkeepawayforever]

Little, I would say that, in general, we require a written note to say a child is not to do PE. Not a doctor's note, but a written note from an adult.

In this case, where a parent went into school to give a verbal report on the situation, a written note / e-mail / note on the electronic register would (if the process worked well) have been generated, requiring nothing more from the parent. That is what would happen in a school with good systems for this sort of thing.

[Storminateapot]

My daughter wasn't 'made' to do PE by the school for years 10 and 11 for good reasons of which they were aware and kept fully informed. Never needed a doctors note though. Doctors have better things to do than be issuing letters to PE teachers left, right & centre!

[Coconutspongexo]

Erm Drs notes do cost money actually it’s not an NHS service.
I’ve never ever known a school to require a drs not for being excused from PE

[YouTheCat]

You don't need a doctor's note to excuse a primary aged child from PE. So long as a parent or carer has sent a note then that is enough.

The school have disregarded the parent who is acting on medical advice and that is a safeguarding issue putting a child at risk of harm. I would have expected a response to your email by now. This is absolutely not on.

[apostropheuse]

YANBU. Shocking behaviour, who needs to be told it's unacceptable. Diagraceful.

I can't believe anyone is seriously suggesting a parent needs to get a doctor's note to excuse an 8 year old child from participating in PE! A parent's note should suffice. I think doctors are busy enough without adding this nonsense to their workload.

[Feenie]

Parents' word should, of course, be good enough in the vast majority of cases, unless parent is quite obviously taking the piss.

'Porky' kids??? Seriously?

[cantkeepawayforever]

Fra,

I have to say i have never come across this. We might be quite stringent around those who are known for 'not entirely legitimate excuses' - follow up phone calls to parents, meetings about concerns around health and fitness, inclusion in specific clubs etc - but in the same way as we only require Drs notes for medical absence when there are already very significant concerns around a child's attendance record (already focus for attendance officer, case for court being prepared etc), we would only require one for PE in VERY extreme circumstances.

[apostropheuse]

Porky kids? Goid grief. What a horrible thing to say. You sound more like a school bully than a teacher.

[Coconutspongexo]

Surely you’re not a teacher Fra
Very few drs just write notes whilst they’re seeing to a patient btw they don’t have time and it’s an additional service. They don’t really do getting out of PE notes.