Someone complained about my child at sports day!

[SackRaceComplainer]

DC is 8, Y4. Has SN including dyspraxia.

For sports day every child has to take part. DC has some adjustments for sports day so they can fully take part.

Even with their adjustments they still come last in every race.

Someone has complained about the sack race and how my DC had an unfair advantage. DC started roughly half way along the track in their sack, had help to get in from staff (which the others didn’t) and then was picked up when they fell over while doing it whereas the others had to get themselves to their feet, DC had insisted they wanted to do this race – they were told they did not have to do it.

DC still came last and finished about 2 minutes after the other children they were racing. DC also fell through the finish ribbon thing onto the grass and had to be helped out.

And someones complained to the Governors about DC starting in a different place and that giving them an unfair advantage even though my child came last. Apparently starting half way along the track was an advantage.

Apparently it was taken straight to the governors, and I was informed as I was asked by the HT if she could share with the governors why DC started where they did because it’ll help the governors to decide if it’s an Reasonable Adjustment for DCs condition or whether in future all children start in the same place - I was just picking DC up for an appointment and was told this. HT says she doesn't agree it was an advantage.

My DC struggles enough as it is, just being upright is hard for them and now someone is complaining. DC was thrilled to even finish the sack race, they don’t care where they placed! The person who complained as a child in my DCs class – as it's been mentioned by name on the class whatsapp, and they’ve been together since Reception so said parent will have a fairly good idea of why DC started where they did.

Whats likely to happen now anyone know?

Message to class Whatsapp: "Can you believe some cretin has complained to the Governors about my disabled child being given a head start in a race they came last in? Some people have no shame!"

Some people are such arseholes, I’m sorry.

Nothing will happen the governors will agree reasonable adjustment or not, if not then you make a complaint about discrimination.

Nothing will happen now. I expect the governors will have a good chuckle over how interfering the other person is and will fully support your dc. Don’t waste any of your time worrying about it and well done to your dh for finishing.

What kind of parents are these?

At our school a Y6 child in a walker has always started half way down the track. Everyone cheers him on and, this year, the children in his race group had clearly all made a pact or something because they all subtly slowed down to let him have a win.

This parent is clearly batshit. Ignore them.

Give the head permission to prove reasonable adjustment and write something calm and considered about valuing inclusion on the WhatsApp.

How incredibly cruel! I think everyone who has complained or entertained it should be ashamed of themselves

*dc, not dh

Wow - said parent should've been cheering yours on, not making a tit of themselves. We used to have kids like this where we worked and the whole school would be cheering them on. One year the winner ran the race again so a SEND child could beat someone to the finish line.

They have to listen to complaints and follow procedure but they don't have to actually change anything. I suspect if they did, the students in Y5 would do a go-slow in the Sack Race so your child wins next year 😂

well done to your child for giving it ago Brilliant to them a big clap from me

I'm a governor. If a parent made an official complaint of this nature in my school and I was asked to investigate, I'd think a) they're a complete twat b) bloody hell, have people not got actual things to worry about, and c) I can't believe I now have to spend masses amount of time investigating something so petty.

This with knobs on! Some entitled parents need to take a long walk off a short pier

Some parents are such twats.

A parent complained when one of my DC won an award and wanted the prize shared with her DC who was upset they didn't win it. They contacted me directly and asked me to share it and I laughed and told them to sling their hook.

Who are the 2% who have have voted you unreasonable 😩

I have to say though, I think more schools should take an an inclusive approach to sports day. Our school has one running race where everyone starts together and the winner is obvious. The rest of the ‘races’ are things like jump over a stick and back as many times as possible, where the totals go toward house totals. It means even the less athletic feel they are contributing to the overall total.

Or to be tethered to the TA like the blind child?

Nothing will happen, the governors should recognise as your DC still came last, there was no advantage given.

What a horrible thing to do though. Some nasty, small minded people out there....

Complainer is an arse and I hope the chair wipes the floor with them

Your child sounds like a star. Tell them a silly old grandma from the internet thinks it sounds like they bossed sportday!

I think we can conclude, given the extreme unlikelihood of the HT reacting like this, and the disappearance of OP, that this was a ‘wind them up and l watch them go’ poster.

I literally can’t comprehend how someone could complain that a child that came last had an unfair advantage or why the head took it to the governors and didn’t tell them to sod off.

Possibly, though it is true the head would need permission to discuss the child’s details.

Sadly, in 30 odd years in education, I know for a fact that twatish parents like this do exit. It’s a plausible post, to me.

Quote fail. My response is about questioning if this post is real.

They are bastards, ignore them. It's very twatish of them.

I am honestly shocked at someone complaining!!

At ours, we have a few kids with various diagnoses, so there are accommodations, little tweaks - eg. they have 6 team colours, and only one from each colour runs per race (so you might have 5 sack runs for an age-group, and they'll subtly order the kids to keep the races a bit more even)

Then for the obstacle course, no-one's even going to mention if one of the kids who struggles doesn't make it under a hoop, or slightly cheats on the bouncy ball bit or whatever.

And for the running race the older classes do, a couple of the kids weren't going to make it round twice - the one that wanted to was cheered in, the ones that didn't just quietly ducked out after their first loop.

Because whilst it's a competition, it's still a primary school sports day, how mean spirited do you have to be to complain!

What an absolute A-Hole that person is. I’m angry on your DC’s behalf.

This image springs to mind: