What would you expect to happen if your child vomits at school

[JoeWicksHair]

Just after a quick feel if I'm BU.

DD (yr7) vomited at school on Friday motning. Teacher in break duty was told, evidence visible on the floor, DD told to go to the student support office. They kept her out of lessons for over 1 hr, told her she looked pale, quizzed her on what she'd eaten etc. DC felt rough but mustered through lunchtime until leaving on an early finish as is usual on a Friday.

When I saw her she was still ropey but also upset, believing school had contacted me and I'd left her there feeling ill. Obviously we cleared this up quickly but it left me really annoyed at the school. The person who took charge if her in student support was her year groups pastoral support staff member to boot!

I'm astounded a parent wouldn't be contacted if a child has vomited at school, at the very least to inform a parent out of courtesy even if not to come collect them. My DD potentially having a vomiting virus is relevant to our whole weekend, we were due to visit an eldery relative in a care home for starters which I had to cancel but didn’t have enough notice to let another family member know so they could switch their plans to visit meaning our relative had no one visit. If DD'd felt well at hometime there's also a real chance she wouldn't have mentioned it & I'd not have even known she'd been 🤮 then taken the virus into the care home.

So AIBU to think a parent should always be called / informed when a child vomits & is visibly unwell at school?
Or not?

Before I raise it with them tomorrow for clarity on what happened, why I wasn't contacted & schools sickness policy (which is not available on their website), to moderate my tone if I'm BU. Thanks!

I’m surprised the school were happy to keep her to be honest, half the class will be off with it next week if it is something like norovirus..

I’d expect to be called to come and immediately collect the child (whether I wanted to or not!)

My son in year 7 was sick at school last week. They called me to collect him immediately and he wasn't allowed back for 48 hours

Its high school. My son once vomited in year 9, he was taken to the office where they kept an eye on him for 30 minutes then asked if he wanted to go home or to class. He went back to class. High school is worlds away from primary.

Were you told though?

#Plumbear2

No the decision was his. Its high school not primary, they put more trust in the kids.

It's not a primary school. The children are expected to take some responsibility for themselves.

It's policy here for 48 hours out of school, so you would have been phoned to pick him up.

I don't remember the 48 hour thing being applied to secondary schools but that may be me being stupid.

I agree with poster who said it's not primary, surely if she was feeling like she needed to go home she could have said that to staff or contacted you herself?

At high school I would expect the child to either text/phone me or be able to ask the question ‘have you phoned mum/is mum coming to get me’.

48 hours wasn't applied to my secondary school but I'd have been asked to be sent home

How did you find out she’d been unwell? Does she have her own phone?

That’s crazy our school are well over the top with it all.

ive had a phone call once telling me my son looks ‘white’. fine. I went in and he looked his completely normal pale as fuck self. We just looked at each other confused.

Not surprised, if it’s anything like my sons secondary school - my son also in year 7 at the time, was burning up at school with a fever, headache and felt sick. He could barely keep his eyes open he was told to drink more water and sent back to class! When I picked him up at the end of the day his temp was 39.6! He ended up in a & e that evening with an infection.

It’s all about their attendance figures in secondary school.

I think the being in yr7 makes a difference to how I've felt. DD still very much finding her feet & not confident in most staff who she doesn't know, as a not generally confident 11 year old anyway. I think this is why I'm amazed there wasn't more pastoral support given. I've an older one in yr 9 who would challenge the staff if they left her in a stuck corridor for 1 hr & that DC would contact me directly if school didn't, but the younger one can't (doesn’t take phone to school for various reasons).

And also, the factor of having a close relative with reduced immunity considereations living in a place where lots of people have lower immunity. I don't expect school to know this, which is why I thought it'd be a given they'd communicate illness so families can weigh things up themselves based on induvidual scenarios behind the scenes.

Seems there's no general expectation though.

She told me when I saw her after school. She was upset I'd not asked how she was or come to get her. I explained I'd had no idea!

Yes my thoughts too, attendance figures above all. My DD hasn't been off once this year for the record!

I’m really surprised as usually they can’t get them out fast enough if they vomit.

Are you sure they didn’t try and contact you?

I can see why if it was only an hour until home time they may keep her there but they should have rang you to see if you can collect her earlier or not.

Ah, poor thing. There’s nothing worse than feeling rough and just wanting your mum. Hope shes OK now.

I’d expect them to be monitored and if sick again to be contacted.

A one off being sick I’d not expect to be called, and would expect DC to continue at school if well enough.

We do get an awful lot of kids telling us they feel sick or have just been sick. Maybe they thought they'd chivvy her along as she was finishing at lunchtime anyway. Lots of parents are cross if you ring them and they don't think it's serious enough. Your relative in the care home was not at risk as your child would obviously come out of school and tell you that they are unwell. I do think secondary expect a bit more personal responsibility.

I would get a phone call and a strict no return for 48 hours. It applies to students and staff, whatever their age.

Why would your daughter not inform you that she’d been sick in the day? She’s 11, not a baby

When I was at secondary school, you'd be sent to the sick bay then the nurse would decide what needed to happen based on a quick assessment.

So for example, I was often sick due to heavy periods so she'd give me painkillers and let me make tea/toast and have a lie-down for a few hours, then it was back to class if I was feeling better - if not, I could stay there until the end of the day or she'd call my parents.

If you were sick with a bug (or what she thought was a bug) she'd ring your parents to come and collect you straight away and you'd stay in the sick bay until then.

We were a boarding school though, so we had a nurse on duty 24/7, private sick bays/rooms and a doctor available if necessary too.

I'd expect to be telephoned immediately and asked to collect.