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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

Original poster

Pencilltime · 03/12/2023 08:57

@Whinge He had a sticker on his jumper that said he had bumped his head at 2.30pm

OP posts:

Original poster

Pencilltime · 03/12/2023 08:58

@Samesamesam I had no idea about possible cataracts. Thanks for letting me know.

OP posts:

Original poster

Pencilltime · 03/12/2023 09:00

@Dontjudgeme101 I have 2 other children at this school and I have never had to sign an accidents book when they have hurt themselves. Is that a standard thing?

OP posts:

Original poster

Pencilltime · 03/12/2023 09:03

To the two posters who stated that I should have picked him up when the school rang. They told me that I didn’t need to pick him up, they said he was fine. I trusted their judgement. Where I work I have to get someone to cover me. I cannot just leave. The school said he was fine, why would I have not believed them?

OP posts:

gettagripp · 03/12/2023 09:03

@Pencilltime find the school complaints policy on the website, and follow it. (You can only complain to Ofsted if you've gone through the school's procedures first).

I expect they will be investigating internally too - the wraparound-care manager will probably raise it with them.

2chocolateoranges · 03/12/2023 09:04

I work in early years a head bang would not warrant an ambulance unless the child was unconscious or the cut to the head was severe. However we would phone home and update the parent and keep in contact throughout the day if things changed.

if a child became distressed or wouldn’t walk then we would phone parent to come and collect them.

ypu say that he had grazed his head, that doesn’t necessarily mean he banged his head. Did he voice he had banged his head or did anyone witness it?

I would be annoyed that hey hadn’t phoned when they had to carry him to after school,

I would ask them to review their head bump policy.

2chocolateoranges · 03/12/2023 09:05

Pencilltime · 03/12/2023 09:00

@Dontjudgeme101 I have 2 other children at this school and I have never had to sign an accidents book when they have hurt themselves. Is that a standard thing?

At our early years centre we have accident forms for parents to sign, I have never signed anything when my child was at school.

shams05 · 03/12/2023 09:05

You need to find out what the complaints procedure is but you also need to go in and ask to see the record they've made of his accident.
Why did they tell you it was a graze instead of a bang? Who was present at the time ? How did it happen and have they recorded it down accurately.
If they've downgraded a head bump to a graze over the phone to you, most likely they've been dishonest in the paperwork as well.

Hermanfromguesswho · 03/12/2023 09:07

One thing you could recommend is that they implement a policy of visible stickers for ks1 children that have had head bumps.
what I imagine has happened here is that child has bumped his head and playground staff have dealt with it and office staff have phoned you. Then at end of day a teacher or teaching assistant have seen a sleepy 4 year old that needs to go to after school club and carried him over thinking he’s tired (Friday afternoon and he’s 4!) not knowing he’s had a head bump.
stickers are a good visible sign to be alert for any unusual behaviour or signs of concussion

Sugargliderwombat · 03/12/2023 09:09

Pencilltime · 03/12/2023 09:00

@Dontjudgeme101 I have 2 other children at this school and I have never had to sign an accidents book when they have hurt themselves. Is that a standard thing?

No. I've worked in 4 schools and never had this.

rainbowstardrops · 03/12/2023 09:57

The school did the right thing by initially ringing you and if he seemed absolutely fine then it was perfectly ok to say you didn't need to come and collect him but as soon as he deteriorated and couldn't walk, you absolutely should have been called as a matter of emergency!
I'd be contacting the head teacher to ask what on earth had gone wrong.

Ofa · 03/12/2023 10:22

Formal complaint to school and also to Ofsted. It’s schools like this that need Ofsted intervention.

Dontjudgeme101 · 03/12/2023 11:27

@Pencilltime Sorry l thought it would be the same procedure as it is for playgroup/nursery.

Cally102 · 03/12/2023 11:41

I would insist on meeting the Head tomorrow and if they don't respond with full investigation and response by end of day go to govs. Don't be afraid to refer to Ofsted. As a teacher I'm shocked that your child was carried to after school club - this sounds negligent to me.

LuvSmallDogs · 03/12/2023 11:43

DS1 is a magnet for head injuries at school.

One time they called me to pick him up and monitor him (I think Year 1) and he had a massive graze and lump after face planting into tarmac. They gave me a little sheet with a "When to go to A&E" list but luckily he was fine.

I think it's awful that your child started showing actual symptoms of concussion on their watch and they didn't notify you of these changes.

AllWeWantToDo · 03/12/2023 11:55

Pencilltime · 03/12/2023 09:00

@Dontjudgeme101 I have 2 other children at this school and I have never had to sign an accidents book when they have hurt themselves. Is that a standard thing?

I have 4 children and haven't had to sign an accident form since they were very little and at private nurseries and they all went to different schools

They should have phoned an ambulance as soon as he was unable to walk

SleepyRich · 03/12/2023 12:16

As someone who works in the ambulance service definitely not an ambulance call at that stage, only if completely unrousable or having a seizure really in something like this. Otherwise you'll just be waiting 1-2hours and then someone like me phoning up to find out if still required or can you make own way to a&e. I was on call backs last night and Judy too busy to get an ambulance for a child who fell of a bike without a helmet, 'knocked out' parents took him home and then called 999 to check him out, they had 2 welfare calls over about 5 hours encouraging to make own way (they refused insisting ambulance still required). We can't cancel that type of call due to the nature unless parents make own way or say no longer required, but often to busy to get to it. The mad thing is that if the child's walking and talking all the ambulance crew will probably do is walk onto the ambulance and then drop them off at a&e for a self handover.

That they carried to after school is odd, if he was too unwell to walk him self that's definitely a point things should have been escalated to calling you to collect and if he was that unwell and they didn't def worth a compliant.

I suppose its not impossible that they were monitoring him, felt he was just a bit upset and carried him over/gave a cuddle etc, handed over the details of inj to after school club where he deteriorated, it was recognised and then they called?

Hihosilver123 · 03/02/2024 12:17

I think the reason that he was carried is key here. Could he physically not walk, or was it that he was just needing a bit of reassurence/a cuddle? If the former, then that is a concern and you should’ve been called. If it were me, I’d calmly request a meeting with the school to get clarity about the details. Personally, I wouldn’t go mad and complain to OFSTED/givernors as I’m not sure what would be gained. Work with the school. A good school would take this opportunity to look into what happened, how the injury was misjudged and review their procedures. I’m glad your son is ok.

MesCroissants · 03/02/2024 12:21

I would be raging and after a scalp for this to be honest op. Your poor boy, I hope he is fully recovered quickly x

Smartiepants79 · 03/02/2024 12:28

You should have been called, they definitely should NOT have carried him to after school club and left him there.
BUT, children fall and hit their heads every day at school. A child who appears at the time of injury to be ok and alert would not warrant an ambulance. The ambulance people would simply say that as he’s conscious, alert and breathing they put us on the list but it’ll be 5 hours….. for the most part a head bump at school doesn’t even necessitate a phone call home.
School have clearly made a very bad judgement call in this case and somebody will be for the high jump. They need to review their procedures and training.

GHSP · 03/02/2024 12:31

I think the best way to stop this happening again is to go in with a non-blame attitude. I realise it’s easy for me to say, being detached from this. But if you go in looking for heads to roll, the school will be defensive and you may not get the truth, or the best outcome for the future.

Concussion is tricky - a child can seem fine at first and then deteriorate quickly

Daisybuttercup12345 · 03/02/2024 12:35

I would complain to Ofsted and the Governors. As well as the head and safeguarding lead. It's not good enough.
Hope your son is okay .

Hihosilver123 · 03/02/2024 14:40

Daisybuttercup12345 · 03/02/2024 12:35

I would complain to Ofsted and the Governors. As well as the head and safeguarding lead. It's not good enough.
Hope your son is okay .

What would you hope to achieve by doing that? What would you want the outcome to be?

I think OP has the right approach. Using this incident to help school review procedures to make sure it does happen again.

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