Overreaction about glue gun incident at school

[backinthestoneage]

https://www-thesun-ie.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.thesun.ie/news/8810155/furious-mum-school-son-burn-glue-gun/amp/?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIUAKwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16912722078861&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesun.ie%2Fnews%2F8810155%2Ffurious-mum-school-son-burn-glue-gun%2F

Resulting in a teacher misconduct hearing
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-misconduct-panel-outcome-ms-sarah-mead

No wonder more and more staff are unwilling to do activities and trips. If the slightest thing goes wrong there will be a petition at the school gates and a public hounding

I think it was an over reaction if the mother to take him to hospital for what looks like a very small burn.

I saw this shared on a teacher Facebook group earlier. The teachers were discussing limiting the activities and equipment children are allowed to use. I fully believe this mother is absolutely unreasonable. What an overreaction. If the teacher finds this thread, know that not all parents are ridiculous.

There's already a thread on this. I CBA to link it. 🤷‍♀️

Can't say I've ever worked anywhere that allows children to use glue guns, but this is probably why - parents' reactions to things going wrong. Not ideal but far from newsworthy.

I'm a teacher and have used glue guns in lessons before and whilst you cannot always avoid a (tiny) burn, I really do think the teacher should have informed the parent.

The mother should be ashamed of herself. Posting online and contacting the media before the school to complain speaks volumes of her character.
I hope the poor teacher involved is doing well

The story is over a year old. I know someone shared it on Twitter and it's blown up again but just as the DM was UR to go to the press and the HT was UR in advising the teacher to resign, I think it's UR to share an old article. It's going to turn into a witch hunt and that doesn't help teachers either.

The Teaching Regulation outcome report came out on 4 August 2023 and the Telegraph has got it in their latest edition.

This sort of thing is the reason why I don't run school trips or offer clubs.

The reason it has blown up again is that a it has been before the teacher misconduct panel.
There are many issues in this story.

Teacher was also working as a safeguarding lead and had a heavy workload - went to a meeting after school regarding safeguarding of another child.
Parent didn’t complain to head teacher but escalated the situation

If you want to know why staff are leaving the profession in droves - read the document from the panel - minor., tiny burn and the whole world goes up

No chance for taking risks or learning to deal with anything because parents will kick off - is it any wonder that events etc get cancelled and teachers won’t do stuff because the risk of parental backlash is too high

Here

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/primary/4865217-the-saddest-thing-is-that-lm-not-surprised-to-hear-how-badly-this-poor-teacher-has-been-treated

Absolutely but if you read the report you can see why she forgot. She was on gate duty straight after school and then dealing with safeguarding incident as DSL.

@BiscuitsandPuffin This is exactly the kind of insightful post I am here for

That is a small but very deep 3rd degree burn, it isn’t minor in its severity. It should have been first aided and his parents contacted in regards to getting him to be seen. I think the mum was right to complain about her DC just being left untreated.

@MillicentBystandr the report describes it as superficial..

The teacher didnt say she had no intention of contacting parent but forgot that evening to do it after dealing with everything else she did.

We all make mistakes and get things wrong but she lost her job over it.

@MillicentBystandr where does it say deep 3rd degree?

I see all sides of this.

I wouldn’t go to the Sun but I’d be really unimpressed if my child burned themselves and didn’t get medical care. Clearly the hospital didn’t think it was nothing since they advised him to go back for a check up three days later.

From a teacher perspective, accidents happen and sometimes children don’t tell you they’ve hurt themselves (often because they think they or someone else will get in trouble for doing something you asked them not to!)

I have taught for a decade and never thought to use hot glue guns with my class, so I’m not too worried about those being curtailed. I doubt they are in much use in a primary school!

A fulsome apology and promise to review the risk assessment should be the consequence if it’s a one off thing. No one should be losing their job.

the school was negligent by, not informing the parent
the boy was in pain and wasn't sent to the medical room ,
the burn was blistered and weeping , they should have covered it to prevent an infection
the mother is not over reacting

My DS also came home with a similar burn that could have needed plastic surgery.

But didn't @arghtriffid

I think the worst thing about this story is the lack of the school's support for that poor teacher

I can see from the photo that it is a deep 3rd degree burn as I have experience with burns.

That makes it sound worse. Why would you deliberately wait until the evening to call? He should have been sent to the nurse or office and his parents called, treatment arranged immediately.

think the worst thing about this story is the lack of the school's support for that poor teacher

Well actually a child possibly having to have multiple operations on their dominant hand maybe trumps a job or at least counts a lot higher than you think.

Glue guns should be banned in primary schools.

@MillicentBystandr have you actually read the report? He was told to go, refused. Told to run it under cold water, refused. It was the afternoon, teacher had to go on gate duty and then had a safeguarding issue to deal with until 4.30pm which is on its way to evening time.

Section of the report talking about the hospital assessment: