School didn’t call me about a broken bone

[Tigerbreadbum]

DS (8) fell at school this morning around 10am, witnessed by a teacher and TA. Was in a lot of pain, couldn’t wiggle fingers let alone write. They don’t contact me at all. We are in an and e and it’s broken and he may need surgery. I’m fuming he’s been in agony all day with no pain relief, and potentially made it worse.

what on earth do I say to school? I’m absolutely livid. He only started there in January due to physical violence from classmates at his old school. We were both so happy with the new school and now I’m fucking furious! Is there someone I should be informing, council maybe?

It comes under risk of physical harm as they failed to identify an injury which could have exacerbated it, failed to seek medical help, and it indicates a potential risk of similar harm through failure to seek medical attention to other children if not addressed.

Risk of future harm is still risk of harm and is a safeguarding concern. Bit surprised you didn't know that.

So sorry this has happened, I hope he heals quickly. I used to be a lunch time supervisor and have dealt many injuries and a couple of broken bones, I would have had him seen by a senior first aider (was he seen?) from experience at my old school he would have been sent home. Did he come out with a sling? Honestly I feel that the school has failed and they need to review their procedures so this doesn’t happen again.

And I would get my facts straight with school before jumping to conclusions. Did he actually tell anyone he was in pain?

Children can be overly dramatic about even an old scab or paper cut and claim to not be able to write. Other children will fuss over them over nothing.

You haven't got the schools side of the story only your child's.

I think the cast, cannula and x rays speak for themselves. If the school thought I was exaggerating I can provide them with plenty of evidence I am not. What a bizarre post.

Oh my goodness @BoundaryGirl3939 what is wrong with you?? A child has a severely broken arm requiring severe surgery and you’re insinuating OP is mad and child is dramatic?! Go away if that’s all you can say here!

No one's disputing he has a broken arm, but you don't know what actually happened or why it wasn't reported to you.

Are you sure their isn't a note in his bag? It wouldn't be the first time...

I think the school really messed up here. If your son was clearly in pain, sitting out in break, and saying that he wanted to go home, the school failed to adequately safeguard him.

It is hard for teachers with stoic children who insist they are fine and don’t want to see the nurse/have parents called/go home, but it doesn’t sound as if this was the case here.

I would ask for a meeting with his form teacher and the head as a first recourse and see what happened, how it was allowed to happen, and what they have/will put in place to make sure that it never happens again. If you don’t get a satisfactory response, escalate it to the safeguarding governor.

I hope your son is feeling better now the bones have been stabilised.

Wishing him a speedy recovery. The school should investigate what has happened and their reaction to it. Disappointing noone has checked in with you or responded. If they have not logged it in their Accident Book it needs referring to LA Safeguarding as they should follow a process.

I think I would report to ofsted or whoever is responsible for investigating school incidents.. They need to improve their safeguarding procedure.
If my child has an injury school always rings up straight away.. As they should.

Even if it was I would expect a phone call if my child was in that sort of pain, not a note stuffed in a bag!

I’ve actually had a call from school now. The secretary apologised, she was off yesterday so wasn’t aware of the situation or knew who covered for her, but she said she’s going to find out what happened and sent DS well wishes

Yes, of course, it sounds like the whole thing was terribly mismanaged, but we don't know anything really, until OP has spoken to the school.

I'm just struggling to imagine a situation where, faced with a child crying and complaining all afternoon, teacher wouldn't send him to first aid, if only to stop the disruption.

At least they’ve acknowledged something. Can’t wait for their response - ‘oh sorry he seemed fine,’ just won’t cut it ….

I work in a primary school and think that's awful. Both my children have broken their arms (one at school) and it's very painful. Your poor DS, not even having calpol. If a child in my class was repeatedly crying over an injury I would make sure someone called the parents. I hope they take another look at their procedures in situations like this.

Not enough!! Tell them you will have to make a complaint with Ofsted. This is a serious case of negligence and should never have happened.

Your poor son must have been in so much pain.

That would be the school who would then pass it on the H&S.
OfSTED wouldn't need to know, except for that policies where followed/reviewed.

Wow .....I hope teachers know the children they care for and can see a child in tears unable to use an arm after a fall isn't just pretending....teachers and school first aiders are not doctors and should err on the side of caution

Were you forced to carry on as normal with no access to pain killers though?

Your club doesn't sound very up on its responsibilities I hope you report to RIDDOr

To the head and safeguarding lead who posted earlier......this is what you need to read up on.....the forgotten section 15

Hi OP, I am the safeguarding governor in my school with previous experience in that field and over 30 yrs as a governor. You need to do the following:

• Ask for a copy of the Complaints Procedure and the Safeguarding Policy;
• Arrange a meeting with class teacher to establish what has happened;
• Then escalate, you will need to request a mtg with the Designated Safeguarding Lead and the HT;
• At this point, you can decide if you wish to make a formal complaint and you will have ticked off the first few steps of the Complaints Procedure.

I am so sorry that this has happened to you and your child but this does expose gaping holes in the school processes and frankly if I found out that this had not been recorded in the Accident Book, I would be very unhappy and the school would be aware of this. You have to think what you want out of the process... an apology to you and your child, a change in how this is handled, training for staff into how to deal with these situations, that learning is taken from this so it is less likely to be repeated?

I wish your son a speedy recovery, start the ball rolling now and pls, on this occasion, be that parent.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/reportable-incidents.htm

It is RIDDOR reportable - he should have been taken to hospital.

Some of you have seriously low expectations of how our children should be looked after in school!

No child should be left in pain all day - doesn’t matter if it’s an obvious break, whether the kid is generally a moaner as others have suggested or not. The child was in enough pain to not be able to write, a teacher should have noticed this, other children did so why wouldn’t a teacher!

I also worry if the ‘head teachers’ who have come on here and suggested a child being neglected in school isn’t a safe guarding issue!

If a child came into school and reported that he had really hurt his arm but mum and dad didn’t do anything about it and it later turned out to be a really serious break - would you consider that a safeguarding issue?

Which is exactly why the fact no one said anything is an issue and bizarre.

And there is no way the OP’s ds wasn’t in pain with such complex fractures