to insist DS doesn't do PE?

[cakedup]

DS(14) has achilles tendonitis. The GP recommended he did not do sport/PE for 2 weeks, and even printed her notes to confirm this, to which I added a letter asking the school to excuse DS from PE.

DS came home to say that he (and another boy, recovering from a broken leg and in a boot) were made to play 'catch' with a tennis ball because "there is nothing wrong with your hands."

Surely you do use your feet a bit when playing catch though? One sudden move could rupture his tendon. I'm quite annoyed they've read my letter and gone against my wishes. I asked that he did not do PE, not that the lesson be adapted. Or am I a being over protective?

As someone who has done their achilles I'd say you aren't over reacting. I kept on aggravating mine when I had to do similar things at school, it took me a few months to recover in the end.

I'd say as a teacher that if the GP has provided a letter saying no PE, then it should be no PE.

I would query whether, since the PE teachers think they know better, they have risk assessed your DS's throwing and catching activity. Surely they could be landed in the shit if he seriously injures himself when he's on doctor's orders to rest so he can recover.

A tiny part of me, though would want to probe into whether your DS and the other boy were arsing on, so given something to occupy themselves, mind.

Which part of "no PE" does the bloody PE teacher not understand? Go to the school and spell it out to them - s l o w l y.

I've had Achilles Tendonitis recently. Mmmm... some movement is good. To keep circulation up which promotes healing. So I'm leaning towards YABU as long as he is able to do small movements within comfort, rather than forced into anything. Presumably he's hobbling around school not wheelchair bound. Playing catch doesn't have to be more rigorous than that.

Do you know what kind of movements triggered the AT? I assume it wasn't catching a ball.

I am surprised. When DS slightly broke tiny bone at end of finger (yr10) he wasn't allowed to do any school PE, not even jogging around the field.

Exactly what I thought re risk assessment PickAChew. The irony is, when he was in year 7, a group of boys including DS were told to move a goalpost. DS was pulling it, fell over, and the bar ran over and broke his leg. So you'd think they'd be extra careful about this sort of thing!

PE teachers can be a law unto themselves IME.
My DC had a badly sprained wrist.
Bandaged and tubi gripped, told to rest it.
Everything documented and provided in a letter to the school.
PE teacher removed bandage and tubigrip and forced DC to do PE.
I was not happy.

lljkk from what I've researched, you're meant to rest the foot as much as possible? Save for specific exercises recommended by a physio. Yes, he does walk around school but the more he walks, the more it seems to hurt which can't be good?

I don't think his achilles tendon was sports related. Another cause of tendonitis is ill fitting shoes. Because DS has sensory issues, he can't bear to wear shoes that are too close fitting and will have any laces completely loose so there's no support. Obviously I will have to get very strict about this now.

I can understand that about your DS because if he was to fall over, the first thing he'd do is put his hands out.

endofthelinefinally fucking hell! That is way too far. What is wrong with these people?

I'd ask the PE teacher where he got his Primary Medical Qualification from and what his GMC number is

DS kept doing his paperround (cycling) the whole time he had his injury (shrug). No regrets. He did same with broken arm, tbh.

I don't think maximising immobility is recommended for many injuries now. Did the GP actually say your son should minimise all walking & movement?

Too loose shoes is how I got AT the first time (in my 20s) so I hope you can coax him out of them. Can he wear velcro or even lock lace shoes?

I had a PE teacher tell me my asthma was a figment of my imagination when I was at school. Some PE teachers are completely weird.

The GP has said no PE. The teacher has no medical training and hasn't examined your son so they are not qualified to over ride the doctor's opinion. It honestly sounds a bit petty and a complete waste of time making them throw a tennis ball back and forth. Surely they could just sit on the side and read quietly?

I had a parent at work (paediatric nurse) tell me that their child had been made to do PE post surge for an injury or something. I couldn't believe that the school had pushed I'd even with a hospital discharge letter!

Fucking PE teachers

I suppose PE teachers don't listen either way. My DS was definitely NOT banned from all PE. Just contact sport advised against, not all activity. DS's school went excessively protective in banning all PE for DS.

lljkk well that's what I initially thought, as DS has broken his leg previously and yes, he was encouraged to move it as much as possible. However, all the advice online for tedonitis is to rest it. GP did not say to stop walking altogether though, no. Interesting to hear that you also had it from wearing loose shoes. He does have velcro but still keeps it on the loosest possible. I have had nightmares in shops with him wanting to buy shoes 1 or 2 sizes bigger, I normally give in a bit as he just can't seem to stand wearing close fitting shoes. However, this is a wake up call for us both.

I'm shocked at reading some of these posts. As someone who works with schools and risk assessments regularly, I HAVE to be err on the side of caution, no matter how ridiculous it might seem.

I am going to call the school tomorrow and re-iterate that DS should not be doing PE. I just don't think it's worth the risk.

Don't just call the school, write. It could also be worth putting the wind up them by asking for copies of their health and safety and safeguarding policies, and asking them to confirm that they have notified their insurers of the fact that they have put your child at risk.

Agree OP - my DD got 'pump bump' aka Hagland's Deformity on her heels. DS had severe pain in the sole of one of his feet (bones growing faster than the tendons could keep up with - absolutely no PE was possible (both times diagnosed by a really good local physiotherapist). It can't be 'stretched out' - there's no stretch left in the tendons, they're twanged to the max and it can't be 'worked through'. Jeez, they did not get it at all.

Tell them he is NOT to do PE of ANY kind including activities which involve 'just the hands' - sounds like they need it spelling out and they sound pretty stupid if they think playing catch doesn't involve the ankles! If they don't want him sitting idle, he can go to the library or study somewhere. Don't they understand that even walking is putting strain on it?

Could you also suggest he do his rehab exercises
during PE that way he also benefits from the time rather than sitting at the side

DointItForTheKids surely part of PE i.e. Physical Education should be to look after your body?! Yes, if you're as 'good' as catching as DS is, then playing catch will involve the feet more than the hands!!

I would call them and read them the riot act, including saying that you are raising this as a serious safeguardeing issue and a failure in their duty of care to for ds. I would single out the teacher by name but also ask to speak to the head or the safeguarding lead and point out that the actions of their teacher in explicitly going against the doctor's advice could have lead to him rupturing his tendon which would have resulted in him not only rupturing his tendon, but would have meant he was out of school for a long time needing painful surgery and recovery time - and of course even once he was back at school he would then need much longer recuperation time before he was able to do PE again. Not to mention the insurance claim that you would need to make against them for the disruption to ds's education and the possibility of significant long term damage that would require ongoing physio, adaptions, counselling and more, that they of course would be liable for.

I would put it all into an email - whether I'd send it tonight so it was there for tomorrow morning and for them to refer to in the call, or send it after the call as a follow up - not sure. Maybe both. And copy in the head of house and head of PE too actually.

When does he next have PE? If it's tomorrow, I would also send in another note saying that if ds is made to risk rupturing his tendon again, you will send the wrath of Hades upon them have told your son to go apologise, but to go inside and find the head of safeguarding /matron/head teacher to call you and invoke a second formal safeguarding complaint immediately as they can obviously not be trusted with the care of an injured child. I would also tell ds what he has to do and ensure that he knows that even if the teacher threatens punishment then you will refuse to allow it because your ds is doing what he has been told to do to ensure his own safety.

Do you know the parents of the other injured child? If so, can you contact them and see if they are also as angry so they can also make a similar complaint - if you can both reference each other to show that it is a deliberate action by the teacher rather than a one off mistake it makes it all the more worrying but all the more powerful as a complaint.

If not - does your ds have a phone in school with him =- could he text you the email address/es of the other parents if the other boy knows it/them, to see if they are aware, annoyed and want to put a complaint in too...

hope that they listen to you and your ds isn't made to go against doctor's orders again.

I knew a boy who was told by PE teacher ‘he had to drink water like everyone else’ and had his lucozade tipped away. He was diabetic.

Ruptured Achilles are not something anyone would want to deal with. I would say you won't be sending him to school on PE day unless they guarantee in writing that they will adhere to the advice of your GP and will not do anything to add to the injury.

My son had an old school style PE teacher who used to shout at them all the time that he'd carried on playing rugby on a broken ankle. He sneered at anyone with medical notes. Thankfully he retired after a year.