Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

4 year old head injury school reaction

73 replies

Pencilltime · 03/12/2023 00:04

School called at 2.50 to say my 4 year old son had fallen and had a small graze on his head. He was fine no need to pick him up.

School finished at 3.15 and they carried him to after school care (private company on the same site who told me this) because he couldn’t walk.

At 3.30 I get a frantic call from after school club that they could not wake him. I got there minutes later and it took me a few minutes to rouse him. He clutched his head, screamed and fell over. He then started vomiting.

Went to A&E and he had severe concussion.
I am very cross but am trying to work out what to do next to make sure another child doesn’t go through this. What should I do?

OP posts:
PhoneChargerCable · 03/12/2023 02:27

When my dd was in reception I got a call to inform me that she had been “grazed by a stick on her forehead” and not to worry, pick her up at normal time.
I arrived at school to find her with an egg sized bump with a 1cm cut in the middle where a child had thrown a stick that had hit her pointy end on (accidentally). It was a very deep cut. I cleaned it out and took her to the GP to check it out. It has left a scar.

lunar1 · 03/12/2023 02:58

A child who has a head injury, to the extent that they cannot walk, needs to go to A&E immediately. I don't think I could ever trust those people with my child again.

chappoi · 03/12/2023 03:38

Parents don't get called for a graze. It was bad enough to be called. It can go downhill fast with head injury's. But you could have picked him up when called

autienotnaughty · 03/12/2023 04:42

You need to complain and there needs to be an investigation
Some questions to ask-

Did they know he had banged his head?
How did the accident happen?
Who treated him, did they check for concussion?
Did his teacher know?
Did the staff who sent him to after school club know what had happened?
Who carried him?
We're after school club told what happened?
When did he start to deteriorate?
Why wasn't an ambulance called?

I'd want a meeting Monday morning with the head. An I'd put in a formal complaint (procedure should be on line)

FarmGirl78 · 03/12/2023 06:51

Ambulance should have been called by school at 3.15, if not earlier.

I would ask the school who they would report up to, and then tell them you're going to do this yourself as you gave no faith in them to judge what is correct and adequate policy.

The people/body they report up to can ensure this doesn't happen again.

If the school show any hesitancy whatsoever in taking this seriously then remind them that their failure to act leading to a death would cause considerable more paperwork and investigation.

Jifmicroliquid · 03/12/2023 06:54

Could he physically not walk or was he being grumpy/upset and refusing to walk?
Because if he physically couldn’t walk, that should have raised huge alarm bells for the staff.

SutWytTi · 03/12/2023 07:03

Pencilltime · 03/12/2023 00:37

@Amybelle88 I am very cross but want to focus on making sure it never happens again to any child at the school. I just need to work out the best way to make that happen. A part of me wonders if they just wanted to go home on a Friday and that is why they didn’t help him.

You complain as aggressively and clearly as you can because your child clearly didn't receive appropriate care, which resulted in risk to his life.

If this has just happened you will still be in shock. Take a little time to let your feelings settle.

LolaSmiles · 03/12/2023 07:10

I'd not be concerned about the first phone call as they've contacted you about a head injury. It's fairly common for a child to bump their head and then need monitoring for 24 hours even if they seem ok.

You should have been called again at 3.15 if he had deteriorated and there needs to be some clarity on whether he couldn't physically walk, or was reluctant to as that would make a difference on whether they called for an ambulance at the same time.

To be honest I also think if the after school club were presented with a child who couldn't walk they should have called you at 3.15 as well, not at 3.30 when he's deteriorated further. It doesn't seem entirely on school this situation.

Ask for the school complaints procedures and put a formal complaint i to both organisations.

terriblyangryattimes · 03/12/2023 07:13

Any accident or injury resulting in someone needing a hospital visit should be reported under riddor - however I feel the school may say that as the ambulance was called when he was under care of after school club it isn't their (schools) responsibility to do so. As the actual accident happened on their time and premises I'd disagree.

Definitely take it higher and email school today asking for a full report of everything that happened, including why he was carried to after school club, why isn't their policy on this on their website and what actions they will take. Call it an official complaint so they must take it seriously and explain you will take it higher.

YouAndMeAndThem · 03/12/2023 07:27

Did no one call an ambulance when he was unconscious at after school club?? That is also a concern, on top of when he couldn't physically walk. I've never known a teacher to carry a child in any circumstance! My daughter had a head injury at school and even though it was bleeding every where, she wasn't picked up. She walked to the first aid room.

junebirthdaygirl · 03/12/2023 07:50

As a teacher we always asked parents to collect if there was a head injury of any kind. Then we knew the parent could monitor for the next 24 hours. All staff were fully aware of this.
If a child was about to be collected in half an hour we would call and say he is fine until hometime. But knowing a child was going to after school we would absolutely insist a child be collected as that would be too long to wait for a parent to see the injury.
It is very strange behaviour from the school as , to be honest, we would always err on the side of caution for the child's sake but also for our own.

KatherineofGaunt · 03/12/2023 08:04

This is shocking to read.

Following a head bump, members of staff should have been made aware so they could keep an eye (some schools have the child wear a sticker or a wristband). The initial phone call to you doesn't sound too bad. But finding a child was too unwell to walk? Definitely then time to call an ambulance and you again.

I would arrange a meeting with the head and chair of governors. You can give them both guns then and say they need to change their policies.

I taught at a school where a child got their fingers trapped in a door on the hinge side. The parents didn't take it further but told the school to put in safety measures, so after that the school fitted covers to all the hinges of doors. It ended up being safer for everyone.

Samesamesam · 03/12/2023 08:13

We had similar couple years ago. Terrible head injury but emailed and told he was fine to stay in school till he suddenly wasn’t - collected him he was grey and vomiting , went to an and e - concussion. At his next eye test a few months later they asked us did he have an injury as there were marks of some sort on the lens of his eye ? It’s something to do with having a head injury we have to keep an eye on them as have been told it could progress to cataracts ?

Dowhadiddydiddydum · 03/12/2023 08:18

Oh my god op I’m shocked. If they had to carry him to after school care then surely they realised that they needed to seek medical advice or at least get you to come in?

Im also shocked the after school care didn’t call an ambulance when he didn’t wake given they knew he had an injury.

All round terrible.

If I were you I’d make an appointment to see the head and ask to discuss what happened and why it was handled so poorly. Most educational and childcare settings have strong procedures around head injuries. I’d be wanting the school to recognise there was an issue and to look into staff training.

Onceuponaheartache · 03/12/2023 08:21

Initially the school didn't do wrong, they informed you and he appeared OK...as others have said the symptoms of concussion can cone on hours later.

Currently you are working on third hand info so first of all you need to calmly explain to the head that you are concerned that this is a potential sageguarding issue, tell them what you were told by the agter school club and then ask for it to be investigated. The outcome of that dictates what happens next.

There should be an accidents policy on their website and it should show you whether they followed policy for an accident. Based on their report to you it doesn't sound like they knew it was potentially a serious head injury.

I am a school governor so if I can help please dm me

Honolululu · 03/12/2023 08:22

junebirthdaygirl · 03/12/2023 07:50

As a teacher we always asked parents to collect if there was a head injury of any kind. Then we knew the parent could monitor for the next 24 hours. All staff were fully aware of this.
If a child was about to be collected in half an hour we would call and say he is fine until hometime. But knowing a child was going to after school we would absolutely insist a child be collected as that would be too long to wait for a parent to see the injury.
It is very strange behaviour from the school as , to be honest, we would always err on the side of caution for the child's sake but also for our own.

But as a teacher you know children have teeny tiny hand bangs all the time that have to be recorded. The way this school has acted is inexcusable but there is a girl in my class who'd literally be sent home every fortnight or so for a head bump. It's not feasible and hasn't been the norm anywhere I've worked or where my children have been taught.

Anisette · 03/12/2023 08:22

RandomButtons · 03/12/2023 00:15

the school said he had a graze when he’d actually banged his head? I’d complain. Did they inform the after school club?

However bangs to the head are really tough to tell if it’s serious or not. Concussion is hard to predict. You can have a minor looking whack and it be serious, or a nasty whack and it ends up fine.

If the child couldn't walk, they could tell that it was serious.

OP, you need to get a copy of the school's complaints policy and follow it - but I would suggest you take the approach that you are being constructive and want to help them improve rather than just moaning. This could have been pretty dangerous, and they need both better training on head injuries and a revisit of their policies.

Anisette · 03/12/2023 08:24

Pencilltime · 03/12/2023 00:37

@Amybelle88 I am very cross but want to focus on making sure it never happens again to any child at the school. I just need to work out the best way to make that happen. A part of me wonders if they just wanted to go home on a Friday and that is why they didn’t help him.

I doubt if that's the reason, to be fair. If they just didn't want to hang around, they could have told you you needed to get there immediately.

MadeForThis · 03/12/2023 08:31

You should have been informed that there was a bump to his head.

It's scandalous that once he was drowsy no one alerted you again. Serious lack of first aid training. And dangerous.

Sugargliderwombat · 03/12/2023 08:33

The graze to the head isn't the negligent part, it's the carrying him to afterschool club. To make sure it doesn't happen again you should raise a formal complaint with the governors. There will be health and safety governors and parent governors. I'd be very tempted to also report to ofsted.

Dontjudgeme101 · 03/12/2023 08:36

What about an accident report? I know they phoned you, you would still need to sign the accident book?

Whinge · 03/12/2023 08:42

One thing the OP needs to check is when the injury actually happened, being called at 2.50 doesn't mean the injury happened just before then.

@Pencilltime do you have a first aid letter or any information with what time the injury occurred? It seems odd that he was apparently fine at 2.50, but then deteriorated into not being able to walk / sleepy less than 30 minutes later.

I'm really worried that the injury happened much earlier than the call, and school have only called as they realised that he's going to ASC and they won't be able to tell you on collection.

LIZS · 03/12/2023 08:50

You need to make a complaint. Not only did they minimise/misjudge the extent if the head injury but he should have been picked up and care sought rather than taken to asc . Ask what happened , what the protocols are , were they followed, was it recorded in the accident book?

Familiaritybreedscontemptso · 03/12/2023 08:51

Honolululu · 03/12/2023 08:22

But as a teacher you know children have teeny tiny hand bangs all the time that have to be recorded. The way this school has acted is inexcusable but there is a girl in my class who'd literally be sent home every fortnight or so for a head bump. It's not feasible and hasn't been the norm anywhere I've worked or where my children have been taught.

Show quote history

There’s a child in my class who’d be sent home every day because he loves the head bump stickers!

The thing with head bumps and why it’s important parents are notified is that the symptoms of concussion are often delayed and can come on very suddenly.

I don’t think the initial phone call was wrong. At the point someone was carrying him to after school club they should have thought again and called you. After school club were definitely right to call you and possibly should have called an ambulance (though the recent times we’ve had to call one as a school or know families have at home for v serious things, they haven’t come).

The first thing to do is meet with the headteacher and outline the situation. They should be completely horrified and identify to you where things went wrong or where their policy needs improving. I think you are absolutely right OP that the focus needs to be on making sure something like this is dealt with much better in the future. If the HT is dismissive or doesn’t see a problem, that’s when I’d be looking at the next line of complaints (which is governors).

PictureFrameWindow · 03/12/2023 08:53

In our kids' school a minor bump would be treated with an ice pack and we as parents would be notified.

What's really good is that the children wear a sticker all day saying the time and nature of the head injury so if there's any deterioration it's clear why.

The schools behaviour is shocking in carrying to after school club, that's clearly unacceptable. I'd ask them to send you their policies and take it from there with governors if you have them and ofsted.