Any advice on how to handle this PE teacher?

[PyongyangKipperbang]

DD is being investigated for two particular issues, or rather we are still waiting for her first appointment with a specialist but GP agrees that she will almost certainly have one of the two. As a result we have been advised that she shouldnt participate in contact sport until told otherwise by specialist as she is at a greater risk of injury. Year head is fine with this (Y10) but PE teacher is refusing to make any adjustments without written instructions from GP. Contacted GP who agreed to send the letter but he was a locum. Called them today and its been logged on the "job list " (my words) but its not been sent. It was initially logged 2 weeks before Xmas.

DD has other issues which means that she wont simply say "No I am not allowed to do this" to the teacher and then bring it to me or YH if teacher kicks off, she will risk her health rather than do that. I dont know why YH (who is part of SLT afaik) isnt pulling rank but she isnt.

PE is on Thursday and they are doing football. I have asked GPs the expadite the letter, was promised a call back which of course never came.

I would say that she has an appointment at the time that PE is on to get her out of it for a week if I could, but I have work and its too late to book it off. I have no one else to ask. DD isnt a skiver at all, her attendance is great as are her results.

Any ideas, firstly for this week and then going forward as I sense that the teacher really is rolling her eyes and isnt taking it at all seriously. Maybe she will if DD saves a goal and gets three dislocated fingers......

Should add that today was the first day I could call and speak to school, was just checking the letter had arrived, so of course the next call I made was to the GP. Will be calling again in the morning.

I would personally complain to the head teacher about it, the fact they are trying to undermine the head of year would irate me too. The PE Teacher needs taking down a peg or two

The PE teacher doesn't need medical verification. She follows instructions from her line manager/SLT.
The Year Head has agreed to this adjustment and is a pastoral lead, that is all.
Don't allow your daughter to play football. Refer the PE teacher to the agreement with the Year Head. More medical investigations and information will be forthcoming.

Although you shouldn't need to, can you screenshot the notes from her NHS app as an interim measure?

I would contact the head of year or tutor and ask where she should go instead of PE. My dd doesn’t do PE and goes to a room called student services which has sofas, tables etc so she can do homework.

Deputy Head here.
Email PE teacher, cc in Head of PE & Head of Year.
Specifically say this is an ongoing medical issue, you have been advised by Gp / medical team that she must not participate in contact sports, as this will put her at further risk.
Explain that you will produce a letter from GP as soon as this is available. In the meantime, she is NOT to take part in team sports / contact sports for the foreseeable future.

We were told DS could not do any form of sport/ PE because he was in danger of suffering a severe internal injury. The school had no problem with this at all. Your simply telling the school should be enough

Can you not just speak to the PE teacher directly?

Or send a note saying 'DD won't be able to participate in PE today as she's under the Dr for XYZ reason' and don't send DD with a PE kit.

Can children not be excused for a lesson with a parents note these days?
I would send a message/email to head of year and copy in form tutor, SEND officer and PE teacher too if you can. And don't send her in/with PE kit!

Ps she’s not the only one so there should be a plan in place.

You call the head. You explain in excruciating detail what will happen to the head, the SLT and especially the PE teacher if they don't protect your daughter.

And then you follow up the call with an email stating that as agreed your daughter will not be taking part in any PE until it is clear what she is, and is not allowed to do.

Quite! That PE teacher needs to be given some targets, I think...

Thank you for all the comments.

Thank you for this as (no offence to anyone else!) I was hoping for an SLT teacher to comment!

Will do this first thing tomorrow.

Good grief,what is it with PE teachers? I had issues with a certain PE teacher when my DD was at secondary school, back in the late 90s. She'd had her appendix out and while she was OK to return to school after a week off she wasn't up to doing PE for a couple of weeks. The PE teacher tried to demand a letter or certificate from her doctor. The doctor provided a letter - saying that he did not provide letters or certificates authenticating students' illnesses or disabilities.

DS had his appendix out in his first year of secondary school. Off school for 2 weeks, no PE for 6 weeks. Absolutely not an issue and no medical letter required. PE teacher is an arse.

When DS was well enough to be in school but not well enough to do PE, I just emailed the PE teacher and told him that DS would not be participating.

Hope you get it sorted OP.

I think that the teacher knows that DD will not simply say "no" so is pushing it and DD is scared to push back.

So I will be sending the email tomorrow, and will also CC in the Headteacher. I will also be making sure that DD wears full uniform on Thursday (her school has kept to the covid rules around PE kit). If teacher pushes it on Thursday then Momma Bear will be coming out in full force!

I'd go into the GP and ask them to give you the promised letter tomorrow, or make a complaint. Adults can get fit notes; it's awful they're making your kid wait. TBF, most managers would insist on a sick note before making adjustments, and just because the GP is a locum doesn't mean your child should miss out.

I don't think it is a PE teacher's (or any teacher come to that) to be getting details from a GP about a child's medical conditions.

SLT has told OP that it is fine. and that should be the end of it.

PE teachers are too often intransigent and a thorough PITA IMO.

I had issues 3 times with one at DDs’ senior school.
First, she berated dd2 so badly for still attending her weekly ballet class (which she still enjoyed) because it clashed with netball practice and ‘You’re too old for ballet now!’ (She was 11)

Next, same dd, who’d given up ballet because of the PE teacher, developed a pain in her foot which was especially bad while playing netball. (She was supposed to be in the team). So she cried off practice and competitive games. Was berated by teacher for being a pathetic wimp, or similar.

NHS hospital could find no cause - it was only when we finally consulted a sports physio that a march fracture was detected - he said it was unlikely to show up in a standard NHS X ray.
So that finally shut the PE bitch up.

Dd1 did sports acrobatics after school. On the same day I had younger dd to pick up from ballet, 5 miles away in the Friday night outer London rush hour, soon afterwards,
So I told dd1 to come straight out after the activity, we needed to be off.
Teacher told her she absolutely had to stay to help put mats etc, away - another 10 minutes.
When I said no again, she said, ‘Surely someone else can pick your sister up?’
My reply was a somewhat politer version of ‘No, they can’t, so fuck off!’

This is a school problem not a GP problem. Generally GPs don't write notes for schools as parents can inform the school if their child has a health condition.

I'd make sure the school know this is their problem, email everyone and state you are feeling forced into keeping your child off school if they won't keep her safe.

HoY here. I second @HappyKatieA.

I'd tell the school you'll keep her off for the day if they can't pull their pe teacher into line.

Question for the teachers here: presumably you all know by now that GPs won't issue notes for schools.
So why do any teachers, heads, SLTs etc ask for them?

This sounds like excellent advice. I’d be tempted to point out that you are not asking for her permission, rather informing her - purely as a matter of courtesy- that DD will not be participating. You have r taken medical advice and have cleared this with the Head of Year.