Hi,
DS is 11 and has just started at the local comp in year 7. He's never been in trouble and has never hit anyone or been hit by anyone. He's generally a happy go lucky boy who is kind to others.
School pastoral staff called me today at 2pm to say there has been an incident during lunchtime when the boys were playing football and that my DS had had his lip and mouth hurt. I asked if he had actually been punched (as it sounded like it ) and they said that they weren't there and that he wasn't in the room to ask but that no, she thought it was the accidental result of a football incident. He had had an ice pack on his mouth and returned to class.
DS got home and said actually he did a bad football tackle on another child, whereupon the other boy stood up and punched him in the face! This was apparently in front of a member of staff who called them both over. They've both had to go to separate areas and write their own reports of what has happened and who witnessed it. The other child was sent to see the Head of Year and to write his report. My child was sent to the medical room to do the same.
I am not daft enough to believe every word my child says is gospel, but at the same time he has never hit or hurt anyone in any setting to my knowledge.
School behaviour policy online states that fighting is a "stage four" offence (the most serious) and will result in detentions and loss of house points, but that "physical assault " will be treated more seriously than any of the stated 'stages' and can result in exclusion.
AIBU to email the Head of Year and ask what has happened, and ask for appropriate sanctions to be taken for what sounds like a physical assault? Or is this being over the top and will mark me out as one of "those parents"?
I appreciate that a bad football tackle can hurt the other person but this is not something that DS has done on purpose and certainly I expect for the other party to be controlled enough not to punch someone in the face because of it. A shove and shouting at the person, yes...but a punch in the face hard enough to make the mouth swell and lip bleed? Do schools take this sort of thing seriously or am I being precious?
Thanks all.