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

Your expectations of the behaviour of 10 year olds in general is incredibly low. Also, your assumption that the incident would not have happened if the teacher had 'complied' with school procedures. Do you know what that particular school's procedures are for using glue guns?

I don't. Nor do I in any school I have ever worked in. I don't actually think there is a 'glue gun policy' or hasn't been before now. I have always used common sense, demonstrating my internal risk assessment: carried out a safety talk and demonstration and supervised adequately, but never completed any paperwork or followed any set of guidance provided to me.

Not by anyone working in a school

I agree. Glue guns are used under TA supervision in my school only in UKS2 but without TAs as increasingly is the case we will need to stop using them it seems.

Even on MN, I don't anyone would be suggesting contacting The Sun before the school.

It reads as the boy is at fault.
whether that is sen or just behavioural issues. But presumably the teacher knew what he was like.
i was at an out of school club and the 11yo was throwing the mallet in the air (NT as far as i know).
not sure when this case was but presumably the child missed some of years 4 or 5 etc due to covid issues. Reducing art activities in and out of school. And other extra curricular requiring compliance.
the brownies did fires etc for 7yo up and unsupervised with the fires.
it all does rely on the kids not having adhd type behaviour.

A friend was supervising a party where kids got burns from play equipment. Looking back they should have told the kids to avoid the particular equipment. But a lot going on and delayed reaction of kids. And yes tricky to inform any parents (1 kid had been brought by another parent). Also interesting the kids didnt avoid the equipment.

A risk assessment (nor telling the parent) isnt what stops accidents. That is supervision /first aid./ Well behaved kids/having activities that fit with the sen etc of the group.
With a 2 year wait on assessments there is a lot of schools not taking things seriously.
People saying they did xyz with d&t at school. Presumably the behaviour inschools was better and fewer sen kids.

in transition day to secondary one of the kids (sen) aimed a catapult at a classmate. He then swore at classmate when back in primary. i would say the activity was badly judged. -for that child. He had to 1-2-1 and a huge routine change. Whether that was primary not giving enough info or the secondary not listening?

Accidents happen but kee parents informed so they can decide thier own course of action for medical treatments.

@Callyem Yes totally agree with your point about schools not having 'glue gun policies' etc. Loads of posters saying teacher didn't follow policy and guidance. Do you expect there to be a clear set of rules for every activity with a bit of risk for every age range? Common sense must prevail yet it never does.

Can I also add that the children demonstrating that glue sticks didn't work and suggesting glue guns as a solution is good DT and often a typical curriculum objective in many DT schemes. I would have said yes too.

I've been reflecting on my own DT teaching. We use saws in yr4 to create wheeled carts. Kids love it. We do it 1-1 but often with parent helper. Risk involved obviously. Not sure whether to rethink.

Please continue to do it, your pupils will benefit greatly from it, and any risk is far less than the risk of injury on their journey to school.

I think that you have to risk assess based on the class and support that you have, rather than ‘in Y4 we always do this so we will do it this year too’.

This year, I looked at the standard lesson, the standard risk assessment and mitigations and went ‘with the lack of support this year, and the behaviour of the class this year, I cannot reduce the risks to an acceptable level’. So we didn’t do tge activity. Next year may be different.