to not understand why my son's school's safeguarding officer needs to speak to me... (since ds has broken his arm)

[alittleconfused10]

namechanged.

DS is 9, he broke his wrist yesterday after playing a stair game with his brothers, he slipped fell and there we are, a bloody broken wrist. He has a cast, all fine.

He goes into school today, as normal, I get a phone call around lunch time from their safeguarding officer saying she would like a word with me regarding his wrist... now I'm stressed and don't know what it's for, but didn't get the message until I was home from work and now it's the weekend.

Does anyone know the reasons this may happen?

[SolomanDaisy]

There have been two broken limbs in my DS's year already. And he's in reception with a group of 20. I don't think they're super rare. (Though the school does encourage lots of physical play and stuff that could be perceived as dangerous).

[wherethewildthingis]

School are just covering themselves, I would not worry. If hospital were worried they would have rung it through to social care.

[wheresthel1ght]

It will be because you haven't spoken to the school in person. Ywbu to send a note and "teacher isn't about" is a shit excuse. You should have gone to the office and asked to speak to his class teacher or a meme of the management team. You will have triggered all their red flag warnings by seeming to slope off quietly.

They are doing their job and making sure he is safe.

[mustnotwait]

My 2 year old plays that game. On every set of stairs we take.

I'm sure the school just needed to confirm a few things with you. No big deal.

[smokeybandit]

I thought it would be a pretty standard thing to inform the school of an injury like that so they can make sure they cater for him while he's got a cast on. Make sure he's not out playing rough etc - pe would be my last concern, they'll see the cast! As others have said they'll be calling you because they need to talk through what they'll do to keep him safe and agree with you that he's ok to be in school. Same thing happened when my ds broke his arm (both times) except I informed the school in person...

[lougle]

DD1 broke a bone in her hand (at school), then had her cast off on a Friday. On the Monday I had to phone the Head Teacher to say that she would be attending school in her (SN) buggy because she had a cast on her leg. She'd attended the school for a respite session with a charity organisation on the Saturday, slipped as she climbed a bouncy castle and fractured a growth plate in her ankle

I was so glad, at A&E, to be able to answer the 'where did this happen?' questions with 'at school'

[blimeyalldecentnamesaregone]

I also played that game, and also broke bones. It's not one I encourage!

[MrsS1980]

We have to do a risk assessment for any child in plaster/on crutches etc. I am sure it will just be for that. You really should have made the time to speak to someone on your child's return to school.

[smokeybandit]

A risk assessment! MrsS1980 I couldn't for the life of me think what phrase I wanted to use, that was it!

I actually can't fathom how someone would send a child to school with an injury like that and just expect the school to get on with it with just a note about p.e.

[DogsAndCats1]

The thing is, they do just get on with it at Secondary School? I have no clue about primary, but at secondary you don't need to tell anyone.

[Marmaladeday]

I agree it is because you didn't do a face to face. Last year my DD had an issue where she saw a family member had a mental health breakdown and I went in to tell her teacher just in case. They said then they were not worried about her because I had come in and that it would have been if they got it second hand through her it would have been a concern.

[LaContessaDiPlump]

You're meant to let the school know if they hurt themselves? that would honestly never occur to me. My thoughts would be 'Why do I need to inform the school of this? They'll see the cast for themselves so what value will I be adding by letting them know by phone?' I now see it's to check that I don't appear to be feeling guilty. Or would it be better if I DID appear to be feeling guilty? Not sure.

[FuzzyOwl]

I used to love that game and many other dangerous ones. My mum had to collect me from school to take me to hospital to have various bones xrayed more than once because many of these games were played during break/lunch time.

[wheresthel1ght]

Lacontessa - it is because in dv and abuse cases silence is a defence mechanism and they school have a responsibility to find out why it was seemingly swept under the carpet and not explained. It is a very common safeguarding flag.

As a brownie and rainbow leader I would expect whomever dropped The child off to explain what happened and anything I need to know like who to call if pain relief is needed for example. Sloping off quietly would have me asking why you aren't talking about it.

[BeauGlacons]

wheresthel1ght I now have a vision of a big brownie in charge of the Rainbows.

Sorry will piddle back to pedants corner. You did make me smile though

[Linds53]

My son obviously didn't read the memo that 17 is too old to be playing daft games. His favourite (I found out when he confessed several years later) was leaping out the upstairs window on to the trampoline in the garden.

[ohisay]

School are just being cautious I'm sure!
Did he win the game?! Our favourite stair games were either to go down in sleeping bags or race down on our tummies head first

[lougle]

LaContessa the school are expected to act in loco parentis. Part of that involves being able to judge whether the child needs medical attention. If a child arrives at school with a cast, the school has no idea which bone has been broken, when, how, how badly, whether pain relief has been given, whether any instructions have been given for resting or elevating the limb...the list goes on. A quick conversation to say 'Tom fell and broke his wrist last night. He might be tired later because we got back from A&E at 11pm. He has had calpol and should be fine but he could have some more after 12pm if he's sore. He needs to try and keep it up if he can' takes 5 minutes and gives the school enough information to take responsibility for his care.

[wheresthel1ght]

Haha beau I have just read my post back and am laughing loudly whilst do is looking sort of at me!

Although to be fair when I am running around or sat on a parachute playing Granny's Washing I probably do look like an overgrown rainbow

[CalleighDoodle]

at some of these responses about mot needing to inform the school. No they dont just get on with it at secondary. There are most likely at least 1 thousand children most probably in a building built for significantly less. Any child with an injury that can be made worse by being knocked leaves lesson 5 minutes early to get to where they need to be before the crowds. If theyre on crutches getting from one end of the school site to the other could take significantly longer. Theyll need to be in the canteen early and heading to the buses early too. Another child might be assigned to carry bags / hold doors.

Im really surprised people think it is acceptable to drop a child off at school and not mention a broken limb.

[MrsGradyOldLady]

I don't think it would have occurred to me to speak to school either - I mean they can see the caste for themselves. I might have emailed but that's probably all.

I remember breaking my arm when I was about 10 and I don't remember my parents going into school either.

[LaContessaDiPlump]

Well, now I know. I went to school overseas and I think they did things differently; I don't recall either of my parents ever speaking to my teachers unless it was Parent's evening. Add in the fact that the back of the school opened out onto a vast wasteground and we just roamed around it (with plenty of obscured areas) willy-nilly, and I think you'll see my experience of school doesn't quite fit with the 21st century!

Do abusive parents usually slink off then? Do none of them just brazen it out with 'Yeah, kids eh?' 'Cos I can quite easily imagine myself turning up with DS1 in a cast and being totally unsympathetic when discussing it if I thought he'd brought it on himself through not listening..... it must be difficult for teachers to know if the parent is a) disinterested in child or b) interested in child but a bit harsh on them, esp if the parent rarely collects/drops off.

[BeauGlacons]

Wow calleighdoodle your school must be amazing. When dd broke her collar bone in yr seven, and although I wrote to the head noting the advice of a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, the exquisitely intellectual PE teacher decided she knew better two weeks in and orders dd to change and hold the register and be ready to pick up the ball from the ball from the side of the gym. Unprotected break and she couldn't carry two bags. Still makes me cross thinking abput it. We ended up removing dd in Y 8 due to the school's uncaring and inappropriate attitude. The Sutton Trust thinks highly of the school they say.

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

You honestly don't see the harm,
but your ds's wrist was broken, so there clearly is harm. Never mind a broken wrist. It's lucky one of them has not broken their neck or back.

[lasermum]

My dsis and I used to play the stairs game too - dsis won, she did a huge jump which propelled her through the glass panel in the front door! No safety glass in the 1970s but her only injury was a tiny scratch on her little finger. It really was a different time then.