Page 3 | PE teacher forcing my son to do PE with a head injury

AutieNOT0tie · 11/07/2023 21:38

I'd complain school have failed to safe guard your child. I'd also argue that given that they are responsible for him it's up to them to make sure he's not playing football at breaks.

TomorrowToday · 11/07/2023 22:17

Changingmynameyetagain · 11/07/2023 20:43

I’d complain to school.
My DD had a huge spinal surgery and wasn’t allowed to do any sport for 6 months and no heavy lifting for 12 months.
1st day back at school 8 weeks post surgery her PE teacher made her collect the tennis balls during the lesson ie being a ball girl.
I was absolutely furious, the teacher however didn’t seem to think it was a big problem as she wasn’t actually doing any sport 🤦‍♀️
I spoke to the head teacher and then followed it up with an email just to make sure they understood the seriousness of it.
She spent the next year in the school library during PE lessons or sometimes shes sit at the side of the sports hall doing homework.

I don't mean to be an idiot but what's wrong with collecting balls? Is she not allowed to Bend over etc?

LolaSmiles · 11/07/2023 22:42

I'd have expected a note to be given to the PE teacher to excuse your son. It's the standard way to excuse a child from PE because it's clear and much easier tha relying on a passing conversation getting to the right person.

I can see how a PE teacher might see a child playing football one minute and then saying they're not allowed to do PE doesn't add up.

I'd contact the school and ask how the information didn't get relayed to the PE teacher though.

Whatthediddlyfeck · 11/07/2023 22:48

Teacher was being an arse but the whole situation would have been avoided had you put it in writing to school, so it’s all on you, not your ds or the teachee

WildUnchartedWaters · 11/07/2023 22:52

towriteyoumustlive · 11/07/2023 20:30

Agree with this.

Any serious medical reason for not doing PE should have a written letter from the parent.

No written letter and your son playing footy at break I can see why the teacher thought he was taking the p*ss.

Your son is at fault here. Supervised PE is far safer than break time footy!

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Sorry...
A kick of a ball back and forward is more risky than athletics? No.

Please don't blame a child.

MrsSkylerWhite · 11/07/2023 22:55

Complain. I wrote to excuse our son from PE (cricket, outside). He had severe hayfever and asthma and we ended up in A &E. Some PE teachers are sadistic arses.

NetNew · 11/07/2023 22:55

Clymene · 11/07/2023 19:51

Your son was told he wasn't to do sport for 7-10 days. That includes kicking a ball around at playtime.

Your son is at fault here, not the PE teacher. And you should have written a letter too

I am no fan of PE teachers incidentally.

No. A child doing something they shouldn’t doesn’t mean a teacher should compound it. Obviously. The teacher should have reminded him not to do it. The teacher should know better regarding head injuries and sports concussion protocols. If he needed written permission then he should have erred in the side of caution and requested it.

WildUnchartedWaters · 11/07/2023 22:59

Clymene · 11/07/2023 20:06

I'm not sure how my son is at fault? At 10, he probably doesn't fully realise the consequences of having another head injury/ concussion. When I asked him why he had been kicking a ball, he said he hadn't been running around so wasn't getting the wound sweaty/wet. I explained to him in more detail why he mustn't do any sport and that is why he stayed inside today.

Okay, that's your fault then. You should have explained to him - especially as he's sport mad - that NO SPORT means NO SPORT.

Let's not go kicking a parent.

Whatthediddlyfeck · 11/07/2023 23:13

WildUnchartedWaters · 11/07/2023 22:59

Let's not go kicking a parent.

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No one’s kicking a parent, just pointing out she has a responsibility in all this

Gerrataere · 11/07/2023 23:15

Whatthediddlyfeck · 11/07/2023 22:48

Teacher was being an arse but the whole situation would have been avoided had you put it in writing to school, so it’s all on you, not your ds or the teachee

How would have ‘putting it in writing’ made a difference here? The teacher had already been informed of the situation, he decided based on watching the boy flick a football that he knew better than what must have been a very obvious head injury and the request that came with it regardless. Very obviously the whole staff knew as even the TA asked her son to refrain from further outdoor games. There’s no excusing the PE teacher here, he chose to play a ‘gotcha’ rather than balance out the welfare of a child and the express instructions given to him by the head.

Gerrataere · 11/07/2023 23:19

Whatthediddlyfeck · 11/07/2023 23:13

No one’s kicking a parent, just pointing out she has a responsibility in all this

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The op informed the school, they were in agreement. Once her son is under the school’s care for the day, the op is limited in what she can do to make sure the medical request is enforced whether by teacher or by her son. However the former is owed a duty of care to a 10 year old who cannot be wholly responsible for his own (silly) decisions, that’s where safeguarding and risk assessments are meant to come in. Considering schools are meant to take the safeguarding of children more importantly than teaching them anything these days, the failure here is almost completely with the school and their staff.

Whatthediddlyfeck · 11/07/2023 23:23

Gerrataere · 11/07/2023 23:19

The op informed the school, they were in agreement. Once her son is under the school’s care for the day, the op is limited in what she can do to make sure the medical request is enforced whether by teacher or by her son. However the former is owed a duty of care to a 10 year old who cannot be wholly responsible for his own (silly) decisions, that’s where safeguarding and risk assessments are meant to come in. Considering schools are meant to take the safeguarding of children more importantly than teaching them anything these days, the failure here is almost completely with the school and their staff.

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Ha she put it in writing, which is basic common sense for any important information for school, she’d have had an argument. A verbal chat with people who have human foibles, not so much. It’s called taking responsibility, although that doesn’t seem to be a popular concept these days

Gerrataere · 11/07/2023 23:29

Whatthediddlyfeck · 11/07/2023 23:23

Ha she put it in writing, which is basic common sense for any important information for school, she’d have had an argument. A verbal chat with people who have human foibles, not so much. It’s called taking responsibility, although that doesn’t seem to be a popular concept these days

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But the teacher knew that he 1. Had a head injury and 2. Had been told by slt the boy wasn’t to do pe. I ask again, what purpose would have an email made at this point that would have changed the outcome? The op could have hired a flying message over the school saying ‘Child X will not be doing pe today’, the PE teacher had decided from the action of kicking a football that he would partake in his lesson anyway.

The issue is solely with the teacher, anyone working in sport with any ‘common sense’ would know that you do not take part in any sporting activities until rested and recovered. The boy would have had a very obvious head injury, even if the pe teacher hadn’t been told (which is very clear, he had), common sense dictated that child could not do pe to avoid further injury.

Original poster

rooby252 · 11/07/2023 23:59

Whatthediddlyfeck
Ha she put it in writing, which is basic common sense for any important information for school, she’d have had an argument. A verbal chat with people who have human foibles, not so much. It’s called taking responsibility, although that doesn’t seem to be a popular concept these days

At my children's school they request that the office is informed- you either ring the office, go in and speak to them or, I guess, write them a note/ email and they pass on the information to the relevant members of staff.
I did take responsibility, which why I told the school in the way they request information to be passed on.
I'm not sure why putting the information in writing would have made a difference? I'd have had an argument for what?
I'm not looking to get any teachers in trouble, I am cross that my son was made to do PE and want to make sure a similar thing doesn't happen again.

OP posts:

Changingmynameyetagain · 12/07/2023 00:12

TomorrowToday · 11/07/2023 22:17

I don't mean to be an idiot but what's wrong with collecting balls? Is she not allowed to Bend over etc?

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No she wasn’t, she had her spine fused from the top of her back to her pelvis, she has a big titanium bar screwed into her spine, definitely no bending!
The hospital even wrote to school with aftercare instructions which made it even worse.

TomorrowToday · 12/07/2023 01:36

Head injury - I thought it was hand.

Why was he at school? You don't recover from a head injury in 24 hours.

TomorrowToday · 12/07/2023 01:37

@Changingmynameyetagain oh god that
Sounds awful and so limiting. How did she sit down to go to the toilet or get changed? Showered. So traumatic for a young child. Hope she's ok now.

Original poster

rooby252 · 12/07/2023 07:42

TomorrowToday · Today 01:36
Head injury - I thought it was hand.

Why was he at school? You don't recover from a head injury in 24 hours.

No you don't, but the weekend is 2 days long! I checked with A&E if he would be able to go into school on the Monday and was told yes as long as he didn't get the wound wet, didn't take part in sports and felt OK in himself.

OP posts:

Abhannmor · 12/07/2023 07:56

rooby252 · 11/07/2023 19:47

My 10 year old son sustained a quite bad head injury over the weekend and had to go to A&E to get it glued. We were told he couldn't do sports for 7-10 days and to keep the wound dry.
I took him into school yesterday and spoke to a deputy head and the office, passing on the information that A&E had given us.
When I picked him up at the end of the day, he said the PE teacher had made him do PE. He told the PE teacher repeatedly that he wasn't allowed to but was told to do it.
Apparently, the PE teacher saw him kicking a ball around at play time and just thought my son was 'trying it on' to get out of PE.
My son is sports mad and generally loves all sports, so he is not known to try and get out of any type of sports!
My son's class teacher told my son to tell the PE teacher that he wasn't allowed to do (which he did) rather than passing the message on directly.
AIBU to be really cross with the PE teacher for not believing my son, despite him having a huge lump on his face, glue and steri strips?

He's 10. Of course he is going to kick a ball. But presumably would avoid heading it.

A P.E. teacher should know this surely? Sounds a bit thick to be honest. Why can't they exercise a bit of discretion and common sense!

TomorrowToday · 12/07/2023 15:36

rooby252 · 12/07/2023 07:42

TomorrowToday · Today 01:36
Head injury - I thought it was hand.

Why was he at school? You don't recover from a head injury in 24 hours.

No you don't, but the weekend is 2 days long! I checked with A&E if he would be able to go into school on the Monday and was told yes as long as he didn't get the wound wet, didn't take part in sports and felt OK in himself.

So it happened at 3.30pm on Friday?

How serious was the "head injury" or was it a graze to this head from falling over so he needed to protect the cut? Did you not give your son instructions to sit down at breaks?

Original poster

rooby252 · 12/07/2023 16:15

TomorrowToday
So it happened at 3.30pm on Friday?

How on earth do you get to that conclusion?
It happened on Saturday morning so there were almost 48 hours between the accident and returning to school on Monday morning.
Grazes to the head don't usually require trips to A&E do they? At least not in our house they don't! It's 4 days post accident today and he still has a sizeable bump to his head, glue and steri strips so yes, it was slightly more than a graze.

OP posts:

TomorrowToday · 12/07/2023 16:23

rooby252 · 12/07/2023 16:15

TomorrowToday
So it happened at 3.30pm on Friday?

How on earth do you get to that conclusion?
It happened on Saturday morning so there were almost 48 hours between the accident and returning to school on Monday morning.
Grazes to the head don't usually require trips to A&E do they? At least not in our house they don't! It's 4 days post accident today and he still has a sizeable bump to his head, glue and steri strips so yes, it was slightly more than a graze.

People go to a and e for accidents.... why didn't you keep him of school at the start of the week to check of concussion etc?

If your son has a big noticeable injury on his head I'm not sure why the teachers didn't spot it and tell him to sit down.... and the PE teacher,

WildUnchartedWaters · 12/07/2023 16:25

TomorrowToday · 12/07/2023 15:36

So it happened at 3.30pm on Friday?

How serious was the "head injury" or was it a graze to this head from falling over so he needed to protect the cut? Did you not give your son instructions to sit down at breaks?

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Why are you grilling the OP? It's not helpful in any way to the discussion.

WickedSerious · 12/07/2023 16:35

eddiemairswife · 11/07/2023 20:39

PE teachers are not only dim, but also have sadistic tendencies,

They all had something of the Sergeant Major Orrible about them at the schools I attended.

Gerrataere · 12/07/2023 16:46

TomorrowToday · 12/07/2023 16:23

People go to a and e for accidents.... why didn't you keep him of school at the start of the week to check of concussion etc?

If your son has a big noticeable injury on his head I'm not sure why the teachers didn't spot it and tell him to sit down.... and the PE teacher,

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Flipping ‘eck who invited the Spanish Inquisition? 48 hours after a head injury is fine to send to school as long as there’s no signs of concussions. Not partaking in pe is common sense on top, any decent school wouldn’t have even considered having him in activities. Also he’s 10 and the OP couldn’t helicopter around him in school making sure he wasn’t behaving like, oh I don’t know a typical 10 year old on the playground. That was the school’s job.