Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Supply teacher physically hurt my child

132 replies

Makesmilingyourbesthobby · 31/01/2018 12:31

Putting it hear for traffic
I have a 9 year old dd who yesterday had a supply teacher in school & the teacher gripped my dd in the bottom back region & pinched her to stop her going into the computer room without even telling her first even she come home showed me & told me what had happened she was left with marks on her back so I took photos & had her write her account of the event went to the school this morning & seen head & was she said it had to be dealt with by Edcaution as teacher was from agency & took photos & statement from me Itold me supply teacher isn't there today & sent my dd into class i felt very unsatisfied by our discussion just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience & what advice you can give or if anyone knows more about this as to me its a very serious matter to her it seemed like a everyday thing very concerned by it all? Tia

OP posts:
MsHarry · 31/01/2018 15:35

Do bruises disappear overnight?

Greensleeves · 31/01/2018 15:38

Clearly nail marks don't

MsHarry · 31/01/2018 15:40

Those injuries just don't add up.

MsHarry · 31/01/2018 15:41

Police will know that too.

Greensleeves · 31/01/2018 15:42

Aaaah, you're a trollhunter

Biscuit
MsHarry · 31/01/2018 15:43

If I dug my nails into my arm now on bare skin, the marks would be faded by tomorrow. To do this by grabbing a child through clothing to stop her going into another room would be a grave assault. Police would be called, no MN discussion required.

fadingfast · 31/01/2018 15:47

I would be inclined to let the head deal with it and make it clear you expect a response. If you are not satisfied with the response, consider taking it further at that stage.

Desmondo2016 · 31/01/2018 15:48

À LADO referral needs to be made via social services and/or the police. All 3 of those agencies will be involved in a section 47 children's act investigation for which the Police will have primacy. The supply teacher will be suspended pending the investigation. If the school have not followed this procedure (making the referral) then they are not acting correctly (they will be very aware of what they are meant to do). If you have not heard from SS or the police yet then make the referral yourself. I am a child protection police officer so I know this process inside out.

Original poster
Makesmilingyourbesthobby · 31/01/2018 15:51

Thanks all for your help & input today I came on concerned about how the head was handling it but know now she's following the correct steps & doing what she should at this early stage but this is getting ridiculous now

OP posts:
Greensleeves · 31/01/2018 15:53

Yay, someone who knows what they are talking about :)

Good luck OP Flowers

Original poster
Makesmilingyourbesthobby · 31/01/2018 15:54

Thank you desmondo

OP posts:
Original poster
Makesmilingyourbesthobby · 31/01/2018 15:55

Thank you greensleeves

OP posts:
MotheringMilly · 31/01/2018 15:57

This is a tricky situation. I’d let the head investigate but I’d get in writing exactly what the process is and how long it will take, get copies of the pictures.

The supply teacher will have known what has happened, it could be put down as a clumsy grab and they should admit it, if they deny all knowledge then I would be inclined to involve the police.

I have several friends who are teachers, it really is a tough profession with long hours, lots of responsibility and so much scrutiny. None of them particularly like the job, it has fleeting moments of satisfaction but is outweighed by all other aspects, combine that with poor leadership or a head that hasn’t been in a classroom for years and is only interested in trying to get an “outstanding” from the bureaucrats at ofsted and it’s an unpleasant environment. No wonder so many leave in or after their first year of teaching.

Desmondo2016 · 31/01/2018 16:03

@motheringmilly it's not a tricky situation! It's quite simply a teacher injuring a child non acidentally. I'm not sure how that can be described as tricky! It's a criminal assault commited by a person employed in a position of trust .

BubblesBuddy · 31/01/2018 16:05

Desmondo is correct. The procedure to be followed will be explained in the School’s Safeguarding Policy. This will be found on their web site. It makes no difference whether it’s a supply teacher or not regarding any investigation. They were working at the school on that day. It would be no different to a parent volunteer doing the same thing. It’s still a safeguarding issue.

The LADO will investigate. I would check that this is who your complaint has been referred to and you can certainly ask for an expected timeline. I don’t believe going to the Police directly will expedite anything. The LADO will have all the procedures to be followed.

MaisyPops · 31/01/2018 16:05

I think the head needs to investigate it, which they are doing.
They need to look at the photographs, speak to students, speak to staff and get advice from the apropriate bodies if needed.

I can see streeting to trying to be preventing a child through a room being misjudged, but deep nail marks still there much later, through clothes (at leadt based on any training i've done) would suggest a sizable injury which would have gained some of loud disruptuve response or yelp or something.
The head might also need statements from other pupjls in the vicinity too (our whole class had to write statemebts about a lesson when i was in school. We weren't told what for but we had to see if we could remember an incident and if we could write it down. I wrote about the teacher tellinga boy off for shredding a rubber into bits as did most of the class. Turns out another pupil had made an allegation. School rightly investigated it but it came to nothing as it was false).

People saying go straight to the LADO are missing the point. The first question will be 'have you reported this to the school?'

Let the head deal with it and take it from there.

Originalfoogirl · 31/01/2018 16:08

I doubt "a spell behind bars" would be the result of any investigation, but a police caution on her DBS would be appropriate for sure.
Or a record of investigation from her current employer would do the job too. Notes with the teaching registration body wherever she is. There are so many ways this can be handled without involving the police unnecessarily.

Antigonads · 31/01/2018 16:11

This reminds of an incident with my mum years ago. After she retired she started doing some supply teaching in infant schools. She was much sought after and was kept very busy. However one day she was called into the head's office and told that a complaint had been made against her for bruising a boy's arm. Mum agreed that she had indeed grabbed the child by his arm and pulled him towards her to stop him continuing what he was doing, which was endangering another child. The boy's parents didn't believe her, fortunately the head did. But she stopped doing supply after that.

UserSnoozer · 31/01/2018 16:11

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

StaplesCorner · 31/01/2018 16:11

Desmondo has come on and told us ALL what needs to happen and I reckon MOST of us are grateful for that, as is the OP. So really that's the end of it isn't it; unless more people want to come on and say they know better?

StaplesCorner · 31/01/2018 16:12

*People saying go straight to the LADO are missing the point. The first question will be 'have you reported this to the school?'

Let the head deal with it and take it from there.* - what, you mean like the OP said she had, on the first page and many times since?

MotheringMilly · 31/01/2018 16:17

Have you ever been in charge of 30 plus children! Have you never had to pull a child away from the road, out of the way of someone. I'm not excusing what has happened merely saying there could be an innocent explanation opposed to this teacher intentionally injuring a child. We're all human.

Yes you could just call the police and the person would be interviewed under caution. Possibly hugely stressful for the person involved and a complete waste of police resources.

Be careful what you wish for as otherwise you'll reach a point where teachers are not allowed to touch a child at all in any capacity. See how that plays out.

Greensleeves · 31/01/2018 16:19

yes MotheringMilly, many, many times. I am a primary school supply teacher. Being in charge of 30 children doesn't excuse non-accidental injury. It's disgusting that anyone would suggest it does.

There's a CP police officer on this thread who has told us exactly what needs to happen.

DancingOnRainbows · 31/01/2018 16:29

You'd need very sharp nails to dig them in through a childs top, especially with a jumper/cardi on. I can't see how that would happen accidentally.

MotheringMilly · 31/01/2018 16:34

Good for you, obviously you're perfect! The point i was making was that if you're in charge of 30 children and they are all over the place, deviating here there and everywhere it can be easy to have a lapse in judgement and lunge and grab a child.

It's a matter of opinion, if it were black and white then the head would be contacting the police immediately.