What will school actually be able to do about this?

[NotGettingRidOfPetsPlease]

DC aged 8 Y4, new pupil joining the class.

The child is so allergic to cats and dogs fur that they have been hospitalised with it according to the mum and they can’t even put up with a small amount of fur on someone on the other side of the classroom, this is apparently the reason they left the last school because of the schools lack of doing anything about it – they live on our street and I gave school permission for my details to be passed on.

The mum is obviously very worried about their DC starting a new school and class and asked me if I know about pets within the class.

I have pets, as does DCs dad. DC has SN, and the animals in both homes are brilliant at helping to regulate emotions and also with their social skills as we do dog parties and obedience training.

I know the teacher has a couple of pets, and of DCs immediate group of friends (6 DC) I only know one without either a cat or dog or both. Then in the wider class I know around 50% have pets, its just the way it is.

The mum of the DC says they left the last school because the Headteacher “refused to keep their DC safe when in class” she said she expected her DC to be in a class with only DC who didn’t have pets and they couldn’t guarantee this so they changed schools.

Apparently they’ve had assurances from the HT that their DC will be safe in class.

The mum doesn’t know we have pets and has not met my DC yet as DC has been with their dad for the last week (home now).

Bar asking for clean unpethaired uniform and asking us to lint roller/change the uniform if it does come into contact with a pet, I don’t see what else the HT can expect. Unless she’s expecting 14/15 families (possibly more due to separated parents) plus the teacher to rehome their animals? Which I don’t think she would ask anyway.

I’m worrying about this though, I don’t want my DC to feel pressured to get rid of their pet due to their classmate – which they would ask of me/ExH due to their SN, they love everyone and wouldn’t want someone to suffer.

So what else can the parent expect the HT to do? And do I need to be worried that I might be expected to get rid of our dog?

There is absolutely no way whatsoever that school can make anybody rehome their animals, literally none, so it's a non worry.

They can ask for things like hand washing etc but the school is really very looted in what it can do.

*limited

There is no school anywhere that will be able to ensure the child does not come into contact with anybody with pets at home. That just cannot happen.

Of course you won't be expected to get rid of your dog.
There's nothing the school can do about staff and pupils having pets.
I assume with an allergy that severe the child has a specialist nurse that will advise the school how to manage the allergy.

That kid needs to be home schooled.

There is no school that will promise that.

For a start schools couldn’t go around telling parents “oh your DC can’t be in that class because Mary’s mum had a guide dog”.

The mum has either misunderstood what the HT told her or is outright lying. There is no head in the country that would guarantee that there were no pet owning households in her child's class. And if she's that allergic how the hell is she going to manage playtime when she could be socialising with a hundred more children...

Totally unrealistic of the mother to expect those accommodations to be made. And obviously the school couldn't enforce anything like that even if it wanted to.

The mother needs to explore medical therapies to acclimatise the child to the allergens or they will suffer a very restrictive and stressful life

Home school would be the obvious solution for the kid

This is daft. Your worrying about something that has neither nor will never happen.

Even if some of the kids don't have pets at home there is no guarantee they wouldn't stroke a cat/dog on the way to school anyway.

No, getting rid of pets would bd ridiculous as would expecting families to treat all clothes etc!
The phrase that comes to mind is that schools must make 'reasonable adjustments for any child with needs. This would not be reasonable.
HT must carry out an accurate assessment of the risk that is carried by the child being in school. We have to remember the children will be passing others in the corridor and going to assembly etc so the contamination risk would go far beyond her classmates.
It does seem very extreme- I wonder how accurate this information is? I would be asking medical professionals for an accurate indication of the level of risk that a small amount of pet dander presents within a set area. There are always levels to the risk

Of course the DM may be over stating the issues and kept going off on one at the last school over minor or non-issues. You really don't know if what she is telling you is the truth. I guess you just need to see what happens when school goes back in.

It’s sad for her child but it’s unrealistic to think her child will be in class with children/teachers and none will have any pets. I really find it hard to believe that the headteacher has assured her that her child will be safe as it’s impossible with such an allergy to make such a promise.

The parents need to talk with the hospital/doctors who manage the care for her child and plan going forward how to manage it, the problem with people having pets is always going to be there even when the child is an adult in a working environment, they need to work on a plan going forward as coming into contact with people who have pets will be a daily occurrence.

The school I don't think can do anything about it, though you could be considerate by making sure your animals don't come and join in your washing and ironing, and clothes are not a comfy blanket for them.

It’s awful if the child really is that allergic, how on earth do they get through life?? Going on days out or even the supermarket or the doctors must be impossible for them? I used to teach a child with a nut allergy. There were actually a number of kids with this allergy in the school but this particular parent was the most pedantic about the school being a nut free site. Then we went on a school trip and 6 schools were all eating their packed lunches in the same room and we had no control over anyone else! I have no idea what she expected to happen the next year when she went to senior school and I imagine it’s much much harder to control what snacks are brought on site.

the school cannot expect anyone to do anything other than ask they come to school wearing clean non pet hair covered clothes.

I preface this as a parent of a child with a life threatening air borne allergy.

She can’t expect people not to have pets. If her child is that airborne anaphylactic then homeschooling is the only option.

I can not and do not expect parents not to feed their child Nutella, crave or other nut products for breakfast despite the fact they could make my child ill.
He takes large doses of daily antihistamine to try and combat airborne allergies.

I understand her worry but the head is wrong to offer assurances that they can not fulfill.

Thanks everyone

I can well imagine the HT saying the child will be safe, but in a general sense "safe from harm" etc. as it's something she talks about at shows/concerts where she says "All children have the right to perform and be safe, so no photographs" etc.

Do you think she is overstating the severity of the allergies? I don't think a child with such acute issues as you describe could be accommodated in mainstream school.

Homeschooling will be the only answer. Very sad situation.
Unless the allergy improves, their future life will be so restricted.
No school could force pupils to give up their pets.

Was literally about to say this. It would be next to impossible to find a whole class of pupils in a school with none having pets. The fact she's already brought this up to you gives the impression she thinks the world should get on its knees for her.

If they were that concerned then, God forgive me, they'd need to put the child in a bubble in the house. You run a risk of animals anywhere! What would she expect someone in a shop with a guide dog to do if she walked in with the child?!? I would 100% home school if I felt my child was that unsafe to be near a bit of rogue pet hair.

I do not believe that any HT would promise a parent that their child will not be in a class with children or staff who have animals at home. This would be impossible to facilitate and goes well beyond what might be considered a reasonable adjustment.

There’s a massive difference between something where they can keep a child safe - like no photos - without actively being detrimental to the other children and something like this where they can’t reasonably do it.

Theres a child in my DDs class who is allergic to kiwi. It’s reasonable to ask parents not to send kiwi, but even then they acknowledge that it’s a request and ask if you do send one with lunch you give them a heads up so they can sit the children far apart.

It's not just the classroom, though. What about assembly where they're mixing with pupils from all the other classes in school? What about visiting professionals, for example Ofsted inspectors/peripatetic teachers/speech and language therapists who potentially come to class? Then there's supply teachers or PE coaches etc. What about if the school hall or classrooms are used by outside agencies after school (like a club or a church group)?

It sounds incredibly difficult for the poor child and their parents, but the Head cannot guarantee the school will be 100% animal-fur-free.

Sorry should of been clear, I don't think the HT has promised anything beyond the child being safe, and definitely not being in a class with DC who don't have pets. For a start, someone could decide to get a pet, or have a pet at their other home or see a pet on the way to school and pet them etc.

I was worried that I would be expected to get rid of our dog or DC might feel pressured to get rid of the dog, despite the obvious positives to us having one.