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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Annoyed with school

145 replies

HelpMeToHelpDD · 22/07/2021 10:11

DD is 7, just finished year 2.

They finished for summer on Friday. DD has some medical needs which means medications are kept at school (think inhalers and pain killers plus epipens and similar – DD has severe asthma triggered by both hayfever and hot weather and also triggered by the cold weather. She’s also got an insect allergy that causes antiphalictic shock. There’s also a painful condition which school give pain relief for)

The medicines have not come home. According to DD they were in the side pouch of her bag at afternoon playtime but when I picked her up there weren’t there. I can only assume as DD keeps her water bottle in her other side pouch she’s pulled the stuff out, realised it’s not her bottle and without thinking put it down.

Without them she cannot go to holiday club. Usually I take the ones from school to holiday club then replace everything right before she goes back to school.

She’s been off holiday club this week due to not having the stuff. Next week I have a big meeting I need her in holiday club for as it’s all day and a train ride away.

DD has some SN, and in previous years they’ve either got me to pick the stuff up from the school office or handed it to me as I walk through the gates. Apparently Year 2 and up they don’t do this but with her SN I thought they’d treat her as if she was a younger child – I am assuming she put the stuff in her pouch not realising what it is, I generally don’t carry the pain relief around with me for obvious reasons so she’s probably not even recognised that.

Apparently DD is not the only child in the class to come out without her medicine. I emailed school as soon as we got in before the gates are apparently shut for pickup for the older children (Ys3-6) but got the out of office response. I then called but got a phone message saying the office is closed until September – usually the secretary works until 4.30pm and responds to message and phonecalls until about 5 minutes before that time.

I’ve called the GP to get an emergency reissue but not having much luck actually getting hold of the medicine, remembering I’d usually ask for the reissue as a general prescription so they have 6-8 weeks to source things and there’s always a few weeks leeway with her previous ones if they can’t before school starts.

I have the pain relief as it’s over the counter, and I have the physical epipens and inhalers but I’ve removed them from boxes and thrown boxes away for storage at home so I can’t even send those into holiday club and ask for them back everyday. The home ones go between here and ExHs house so not even a spare supply anywhere.

AIBU to be annoyed with school? And AIBU to ask how on earth I can get her into holiday club next week?

I’m a single parent and if I lose my job because of this then DD will be unable to continue her extra curricular activities that keep her so well and help not just her SN but her medical issues too.

Please help.

Will add here school are generally great and manage DD with her issues well. I've never had direct contact details for her teacher or I'd have emailed her instead.

OP posts:

pineapplecat21 · 22/07/2021 10:36

I sympathise but you should of checked before leaving really considering how important they are.

Howshouldibehave · 22/07/2021 10:38

Your post is full of you ‘assuming’ things would happen but not actually bothering to speak to anyone at the time or in advance.

This is important to you, you failed to check she had it and you’re now blaming the school. YABU.

Mistressiggi · 22/07/2021 10:38

Focus on the importance of getting the replacements from your GP. If the medication is important, it can't take 6 weeks for your child to get it!
At the same time email the HT directly, hopefully an address on the website. But he/she might be on a beach somewhere but could hopefully sort some access out.
Or, call whatever group is in charge of the school (council?) and get help there.
But they will probably also not understand why it isn't a medical emergency to get a new set of medication.

DumplingsAndStew · 22/07/2021 10:39

@HelpMeToHelpDD

Why did you expect them to be in her bag, when you also assumed they'd treat her as a younger child and get you to collect from the office?

MotionActivatedDog · 22/07/2021 10:41

You need to send the ones you use for home/exh’s. I don’t know why you wouldn’t tbh.

MotionActivatedDog · 22/07/2021 10:44

This makes no sense. Why can’t you send them in? Just put them in a labelled bag/box with instructions written on them.

DumplingsAndStew · 22/07/2021 10:46

Some settings insist on all medications being in their original packaging with labels from the chemist.

Youdiditanyway · 22/07/2021 10:48

Not the schools fault at all, they weren’t to know she’d lost it. You should have made sure she had it as she left the classroom door then all of this could have been avoided. Unsure why the GP can’t prescribe new ones.

MotionActivatedDog · 22/07/2021 10:49

I’m sure if OP explained the situation they wouldn’t exclude the child for lack of original boxes. If they did I’d be making a public stink about it.

worktrip · 22/07/2021 10:50

@MotionActivatedDog

This makes no sense. Why can’t you send them in? Just put them in a labelled bag/box with instructions written on them.

They won't be accepted. Rules around meds are they should have the label from the chemist on the box/bottle. Chemists usually just label the box. We ask them to put them on the bottles, or give us a supply we can stick on ourselves.

dancinfeet · 22/07/2021 10:51

The school should have a contact number for the caretaker, is there a board with this on outside the school? Or if not, a quick enquiry on local facebook page for how to get in touch with caretaker, if they are fairly local?

luckylavender · 22/07/2021 10:52

It's Thursday today so nearly a week later. I wouldn't be letting a child of mine use medication that had been who knows where for all this time. As others have said, the time to check was last Friday.

DahliaMacNamara · 22/07/2021 10:55

There will be a keyholder somewhere who can get into the school at short notice. There should be a phone number visible from the outside, but if not, email the HT and ask. Don't set it out as though the school's at fault here, as you don't actually know what happened. That would be for them to establish.
Failing that, I agree that your usual pharmacy should be able to help you out.

ineedaholidaynow · 22/07/2021 10:58

As others have said email HT. Are there any teachers who live locally, if so a shout out on local community Facebook page might help

PheasantsNest · 22/07/2021 11:00

This is not the schools fault. It is yours and your Dd's. You should have made sure it was in the bag.

KatieB55 · 22/07/2021 11:02

I have worked in a primary school office and all medication had to be handed in by an adult and returned to an adult, regardless of the age of the child.
If no luck call the education dept at the Council and see if they can help with access to the school?

SleepingStandingUp · 22/07/2021 11:05

Annoying op but its really your responsibility to have double checked something so important.

Sirzy · 22/07/2021 11:09

Ds has just finished year 6, I made it my responsibility to take his emergency meds into school and pick them up at end of term. Schools have enough going on

toocold54 · 22/07/2021 11:12

So she lost them and you’re annoyed at the school?
Who picks her up?

My DDs primary never allowed children to have medicine in their bag it’s the parents responsibility to hand it in and pick it up from the office. Did the person picking her up not check to see if she had it with her before they left the school premises?

Notonthestairs · 22/07/2021 11:13

You don't hand an SN child medications and expect them to keep them safe.

I had a handover of medications up until Yr 5 (and that was discussed with me in advance ie do we think she's ready to understand how important they are).

All you can do now is email the school and ask if any staff member might be in to clear their classrooms.

thewreckingcrew · 22/07/2021 11:15

I can't believe school staff left medication in a primary school child's bag Especially pain meds and an epipen

What if another child had found it and started messing with it, or worse taken it?

You really can't just be leaving prescription meds where young children can get their hands on it.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 22/07/2021 11:17

It seems poor planning to not even have an at home set of medications.

If she comes home from school on any random day she may not have the medications. What happens if you need them over night/ over the weekend?

Nocutenamesleft · 22/07/2021 11:21

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

It seems poor planning to not even have an at home set of medications.

If she comes home from school on any random day she may not have the medications. What happens if you need them over night/ over the weekend?

She does have them at home

She doesn’t have the boxes however. So the summer school won’t accept unboxed medications.

Nocutenamesleft · 22/07/2021 11:22

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

It seems poor planning to not even have an at home set of medications.

If she comes home from school on any random day she may not have the medications. What happens if you need them over night/ over the weekend?

That’s what she said in her op

My child is the same with an epipen

Have tons of them. But discard the boxes and some places do need them. I imagine it’s that

GreenSpiral · 22/07/2021 11:26

YABU - It was your responsibility to check before when you picked her up. Simple.

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