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?

Out of curiosity Cripssandwiches what would you get them to do? Baring in mind it has to be PE related....

In my school children can't just be sent to the library to read a book.

Surely it's the PE department's responsibility to come up with tasks? They could have them do some data analysis. Write a report on what makes a good team member. Read an article about whatever sport they're currently doing in class. I would have thought the PE department should have some stock activities lined up for kids who can't play sport.

I would have thought the PE department should have some stock activities lined up for kids kwho can't play sport.

They should. This is what happens at my school, there's a bank of resources available.

you should sit in the library and study, when you get a PE waiver.

Child with a note from home is one thing but if it's from the GP then the teacher should abide by it without question.

We're lucky here our PE staff are very good- anybody sitting out is usually coaching or scoring. They have a selection of sporty books for them to read too if they want to sit quietly. Depending on the injury, if the kid is really fed up about not joining in they may let them have a tennis ball to bounce or similar but it's much more the side of caution here.
Notes from parents rather than medical professionals are a bit different because they can be everything from 100% skive to 100% genuine, that takes more judgement to call.

PE teachers are sadistic because the profession draws sadists.

Regular teachers used to be like this more often, back in the days of oral exercises and exams in front of the classroom, or even had corporal punishment. You'd get teachers who, as Pink Floyd said, "hurt the children any way they could." Humiliation and degradation was the norm in many classrooms.

We've completely dismantled that in most classrooms for the most part. Children with learning disabilities that impact their mathematical ability aren't humiliated by being called to the front of the class to solve problems on the board. Children with difficulty reading aren't smacked with rulers when they pronounce a word improperly. Both those things happened in my parents' classrooms when they were children, and much more.

Once there was less opportunity for sadism toward children in the rest of the teaching profession and student-centered learning became the norm, the sadists went to PE. In PE, it's still just fine to mock the slowest runner for being a slow, fat failure. It's fine to make every child perform physical tasks in front of one another so everyone can see who's best and worst. It's fine to subject kids to physical punishments if they misbehave.

Imagine the response if a teacher of science or history, say, made students run laps or do exercise to the point of exhaustion as a reaction to a child mouthing off in class. Hell would rain down on them. A PE teacher doing the same thing is par for the course.

This isn't at all to say that ALL PE teachers are sadistic. It's of course a minority. But it's a profession that simply because of what's allowed and tolerated by society, will be flocked to by sadists.

My dc was seriously injured in a PE lesson.
Hospitalised, off school for 3 months. PE teacher lied and tried to intimidate the witnesses.
The HT backed up the PE teacher.
We never got any letters about attendance though.

you said you DC was really good at throwing and catching, so they'd be able to aim the ball without any movement at all.

usernameusername01 - I think the OP used quotation marks to indicate heavy sarcasm as to her DS' ball skills

Acis - how is the teacher the idiot when you didn't even realise your DC had a broken foot?!

Guess what, usernameusername01, stress fractures of the foot aren't immediately obvious, and I don't have X ray vision.

DD very obviously had problems with her foot which was swollen and she was limping. She is not a child who exaggerates or makes such things up, rather the reverse, if anything. Nor do I have any history of making up or exaggerating injuries. In those circumstances, a teacher who decides to ignore a reasonable parental request and thereby causes or exacerbates an injury is an idiot.

If a child had a note to get out of something in Maths and the teacher just let them sit there not doing anything, everyone would be in uproar about wasted learning time. It's the same for PE.

Don't be silly, how on earth would that happen? Can you just imagine a note saying "DD will be injured if she tries to do fractions so can you let her off that"? Are you seriously suggesting that a child with an injury should never be excused any part of PE because that would mean them wasting learning time?

And where did I suggest I wanted DD just to sit around in PE not doing anything? I would have been happy for her to do something useful that would not exacerbate her foot injury.

YANBU. Perhaps mention the school's duty of care. I appreciate they may be fed up with pathetic excuses some other children and their parents use, but this is no justification for ignoring medical advice.

"Don't be silly, how on earth would that happen? Can you just imagine a note saying "DD will be injured if she tries to do fractions so can you let her off that"? Are you seriously suggesting that a child with an injury should never be excused any part of PE because that would mean them wasting learning time?"

You know, I've seen this. With some types of concussions, you're not supposed to read or do anything mentally strenuous until you've healed up some. I've seen children excused from some of their academic subjects following head injuries that could be exacerbated by excessive mental strain.

Certainly, if people are getting injured during a Maths or English lesson somethings gone a bit wrong...

If you have concussion and need to be excused from academic subjects you won't be at school at all though so no danger of a teacher going against medical advice.

I called the school yesterday morning and left a voicemail for the Head of PE, as well as reiterating to the receptionist that DS was not to do PE. Thankfully the message got through as he was excused from PE yesterday.

DS told me the PE teacher has made a note of the date when he will be allowed to resume PE. I told DS that’s IF his foot is better (I’m doubtful as it seems to be getting worse) otherwise I’d need to write another note to excuse him for longer. DS immediately replied that the PE teacher really isn’t going to be happy about that. Like we are going to be happy about it! Least of all DS!

rosablue you’re right, it IS a safeguarding issue. I don’t know who the other child is or who their parents are but I hope he went home and told his parents.

mummy must have conned the doctor so little Johnny can slack off. Unfortunately there are enough lazy and skiving kids that those with genuine injuries get dismissed. ADropofReality I really don’t get this? Why would a PE teacher think that the parent WANTS the child to skip PE?

Yellowpolkadot Brave of you to step in! Yes, there should be an alternative and your suggestions sounds great. many parents think that they write a note and their kid can twiddle their thumbs. DS is not naturally sporty so I have to really make an effort for DS to be active. I’m the horrible parent that chucks DS out at weekends in all weathers to go for a jog. I even spoke to the PE teacher last parents evening and told them I didn’t they did ENOUGH PE at school. However, health must always come first, and I have no problem with DS ‘twiddling his thumbs’ if it means resting his foot. As for that teacher still has accountability for the students progress ….I would say that the progress made in PE is pretty negligible. I don’t think anyone is going to be on the PE teacher’s back like “Alfie scored 8 goals last term but only 3 this term, what the hell is going on?”

Always wonder on these threads about the compliant DC who take the authority of the PE teacher over that of parent plus doctor. Yes but I’m not there, neither is the doctor, and the authority figure at that time is the PE teacher. DC is pretty compliant when it comes to teachers, he doesn’t like speaking out of turn or getting into trouble. I’m surprised you say your DC wouldn't be compliant in this situation, I think most kids follow teacher’s orders and those that don’t end up in detention which DS hates to get.

Interesting post WombOfOnesOwn. It does seem that the PE teachers haven’t changed much in attitude over the years. DS says that if during a PE lesson a student gets into trouble for not listening/mucking around etc, they are made to do sprint several laps around the field without stopping to the point of exhaustion. I just think that is so backwards. Using physical exercise as a punishment – surely they should be promoting exercise as a positively as possible.

Did OP ever say he has a ruptured tendon.
As it happens my right foot has come out with some AT as of this morning (running over very rocky ground, I guess).
The NHS advice is NOT TOTAL REST. But says to avoid the aggravating activity while actively painful.

NHS advice does not suggest heightened risk of rupture.

Just seen this, very useful articles, thanks lljkk