To be cross with school - health & safety risk

[lulamoo]

Hi just after a bit of advice. My DS & DD attend our local primary school with which I have a good relationship. I'm on the PTA and regularly attend school to help out. There is a large flower (5ft square) planter in the playground which was poorly made and consequently the wood is breaking, soil pouring out, wood protruding and has long rusty nails sticking out. It is beyond repair. This was brought to schools attention during the summer term but has still not been dismantled.

Last week another parent & I went to see the School Manager to ask why it hadn't been sorted and was told that it would be 'soon'. I have been in again today and the Manager was very flippant and didn't take my concerns seriously. When I said that a group of Parents were concerned she once again said she would sort it out at some point. I said that if a child hurt themselves on it the school would be in trouble. I said at the very least the area around the planter should be coned off to keep the children away and she said that I should go and speak to the Caretaker then.

I am really annoyed. I will speak to the headteacher later but would like to know whether you think I'm overreacting. Many thanks.

You should go and give the planter a good hefy kick so that soil spill out everywhere and they'll be forced to do something about it then!

Perhaps you should speak to the Caretaker.

You could write a letter to the head with your concerns; this forces them into laying a paper trail (any responsible head will feel obliged to write you back). Write it and hand in today. Once you've started the paper trail expressing your concerns formally, the pressure is much increased for them to act.

Ofsted loves their paper trails so every head of a state school will automatically respond thinking about that paper trail and how it holds her accountable.

How long are the protruding nails?

You are helping the school to avoid injury to the children in its care and subsequent liability if something does go wrong. Particularly as you have brought it to their attention - they cannot even claim any lack of knowledge (!!)
I would have expected it to have been disappeared overnight let alone during the summer holidays.

Of course YANBU. Do as ragged advised, if that fails a match and some screwed up newspaper should do the trick.

Try the Governors? They have responsibility for ensuring the H&S of children in the school - see if you can find out who chairs the premises/site committee and write to him/her.

Could you form a working party of parents to come and dismantle the planter and take away all the rubbish? We often had these at my dd's old primary school for all sorts of tasks around the school like painting fences and even digging out the hole for the swimming pool!

Thanks everyone - great advice. Went to see the head but he was in a meeting. Will see him tomorrow.

dexter73 - We've had a number of working party days and you're right, these are really effective.

However, this has been an issue brought to the school's attention for sometime and I really think that it's incumbent upon them (if only for the principle)to deal with this. Incidentally, I spent the whole of Tuesday planting winter pansies and heathers around the school so I do do my fair share. Just want the school to do theirs.

Write the the chair of governors

use your brain and realise these things happen

These things happen (i.e. accidents) when reasonable precautions aren't taken, yes.

It's hardly PC Gorn Maaad to point out an obvious hazard.

Southeastastra - huh??

Further on from yesterday, I happened to mention to my Son about the planter and he said he and a group of other pupils had been emptying it of it's soil at environment club on Tuesday. I was really annoyed at the blatant lack of concern for the children's safety.

Anyway, I spoke to the head today and said that if the planter wasn't taken away by Monday then my DC wouldn't be going into the playground. I asked him how the Governors felt about a potention litigation case against the school and funnily enough he was very quick to assure me that he was taking the matter very seriously and it would be sorted.

Watch this space!!