To go to headteacher about child being pinned to floor

[Fruittwist12]

There has already been many concerns with DS school. I raised a concern with the head regarding what the teacher and TA had said to my son 2 weeks ago and still have not had a response.
Today he has come home and said the 1:1 in his class has pinned down her pupil. They are Yr 2. Apparently he said that the pupil was being disruptive and walking around the class and shouting. They were not a danger to the class or to themselves from what my son has said. However the pupil was pupil was pinned on the floor laying down at the front of the class for their unacceptable behaviour. A parent has witnessed this 1:1 shouting at their pupil for no big reason whilst on a school trip. This child is a LAC.
I've read the school policy and states that restraining is the last thing to do and only if they are a danger to themselves or to others. I've been increasingly concerned about his class anyway. Aibu to raise this with the head or stay out of it? I don't feel like my son should be witnessing this and other violent behaviour from another child in the class.

Again with whatever the other parent saw, they saw a one off incident, not the background or build up. Teachers and LSAs can get to the end of their tether too.

You've no idea what he was shouting, or what he may have said before. You've no background, just a 7yo version of events.

You honestly need to keep your nose out. You have no idea if this child has a care plan or what is in it. He could need restrained when the 1:1 feels he is heightening.

Mind your own child.

Shouting should not equal restraint. More like removal of class

It sounds like you can't easily move your child to a different school, and there are ongoing issues between yourself and the school.

Perhaps it's selfish, but in this scenario, I wouldn't want to perhaps create a further rift with the school by bringing up something that doesn't directly concern your child.

WRT another child, they may not be able to give details of why restraint was used, so they may not be able to adequately reassure you anyway. If you go to the head and they say "Yes, we are aware and it was done for safety reasons", would that be adequate? What level of detail would you want?

Just to play devil's advocate, what if the child has shouted they are going to seriously harm themself or another child?

Don't interfere, the child has a 1:1 for a good reason.

This. They don't only have a duty to safeguard this child, but also those around them, and sometimes they will have to restrain for the safety of ther children.

A 7yo does not describe a peer being "pinned to the ground". That's an adult turn of phrase, it sounds like he's repeating overheard gossip rather than describing what he's actually seen himself. It's really unlikely he saw everything that went on as staff will have done their best to prevent other children seeing and being upset by extreme behaviour.

Shouting should not equal restraint. More like removal of class

You've no idea what he was shouting.

Removal from the class can require restraint. It's usually safer to restrain using floor/wall the remove if restraint is needed.

What is LAC?

I worked in a school (a couple of years ago) and once saw a boy pinned to the floor. It was quite a shocking sight to be honest but he was being aggressive, disruptive and violent and they felt it was the only way to stop him at that moment. I'm sure this is covered in their training - like only do this in X and Y situations. I'm sure they learn how to do it safely. It looked like they had some kind of technique when I witnessed it.

LAC = looked after child. A child in care.

I don't understand why you feel you need to bring it up when you say you saw the parent being taken in at the end of the day to be spoken to.do you think they'll not tell the parent the full extent of what happened?
If you have issues ongoing then just get them dealt with, stay out of every other child's/ parents issues.

I agree with you, OP. I wouldn't keep your beak out at all.

I have experienced seeing children restrained for no good reason. It's extremely distressing for the child and there can grow cultures of restraint for no good reason. I've seen it first hand. Can still hear the screams now. If your gut is off, better to question it. You know your own child and what they're communicating to you.

Restraint is often misunderstood by adults, let alone children.
I had to restrain a (large Y6 ) child with another member of staff in a public place a few years ago, whilst we were waiting for help to arrive. We had 3 separate members of the public approach the child and ask if he was OK in the space of less than 5 minutes. It was a good thing, I was pleased to see people stepping forward when they thought a child was in difficulties, even though for me it was embarrassing, and we were following protocol to the letter. My point is, the adults didn't understand what they were seeing, and you can't expect a child to understand either.
However it is perfectly in order for you to email the head and say what your child has told you. It would be right course of action as you clearly have real concerns. The head may or may not act on it, but needs to know how other children are reacting. There is an outside chance that in fact the child in question is not being treated reasonably or kindly, and if that is the case the head does need to know. As the child is a LAC that makes even more important for people to be vigilant on their behalf.

Nothing to do with you OP,keep your nose out.Unless you witnessed the incident yourself,you are just going by gossip from a 7year old.

You sound like a difficult person.

Looked after child

OP did not witness this incident though. School would have already dealt with this after it happened, parents/carers spoken to and paper work filled in.

I had to restrain a pupil once who threw a stapler at the ceiling light causing it to break. Another time after someone went after another pupil with scissors.

OP you have no idea what this child is like, and unfortunately however bright your boy is, he's 7, and he can't be relied upon to give a fair and balanced reply to say if the restraint was necessary or not.

@Callyem how can you state that so confidently? It could happen here is one of the most important aspects of safeguarding and it does trouble me when people on here insist a child is lying / made it up.

You cannot get involved in this given your sole account of the incident is from a 7 year old.

For those saying the child made it up - I worked at a pupil referral unit and once witnessed a member of staff bring a perfectly calm 8/9 year old child into a room and then proceeded to start shouting at him and winding him up to the point he lost it and had to be physically restrained. (I reported it and nothing happened, unsurprisingly Ofsted had a field day with that place.)

I have massive respect for teachers and TAs but let's not pretend that 100% of people who work with children are total saints.

Were you there or going on hearsay from a 7 year old?
It is none of your business!

I hate threads like this. It’s like we’ve made no progress over the last forty years with regard to safeguarding or even children’s rights. The assumption is still they are little liars.

Thank you.

Everyone assumes because of her job title that she does this in a reasonable manner. It might not be the case. Yes I know my son and he wouldn't make something like that up. Coupled with the teacher and TA putting blame on my DS for not informing me they had spoke to him when that is not his responsibility. I feel like it's a bad environment in the class. I don't want my DS to keep crying and saying he doesn't feel safe at school

I don't think anyone is saying the child is lying. He's probably simply stating exactly what he saw/heard. Except most of the context of the situation is missing.

I didn't say she did.

You may have used it appropriately. But if you had seen it used inappropriately and the harm that can cause, you wouldn't be so quick to assume everyone always uses it as they should do. It is absolutely beyond horrific when it's done when it shouldn't be.

I'd rather say something and be wrong than say nothing.