Would you say something to school

[Paigeyr]

On ClassDojo app my DS son show updates about what they are doing in reception. Todays one showed circle time and one child sat with everyone had hat, scarf and coat and gloves on during lesson and was sat with a sick bowl on their lap.

would you say something? I don’t get why this child was in school and sat closely with everyone else whilst clearly unwell

You clearly think schools have staff to spare to take off sick children and separately quarantine them. You are mistaken.

Yes my child is well today but I overheard teacher telling my DS friends mum that’s not been feeling himself this afternoon so I think it must be going round the class now

No, of course I wouldn't say anything. The other children would have already been exposed to it anyway!

Kids get ill at school. That's life. Years of it to come.

I’m actually with you OP. Children should go to the medical centre if they’re waiting to be picked up. Or sit in reception under the eye of the school secretary if there isn’t a medical centre.

We don't actually know if the kid had norovirus or if they actually vomited anywhere.

Our school has no medical centre and has a receptionist who is busy answering phones, dealing with parents etc. they wouldn't have the time to look after a poorly child.

Wouldn't say anything - purely as you don't know the situation.

When one of mine were unwell in reception, straight after covid times, her attendance was lower than they would have liked (plus no flu jab until late, went private and she had good attendance after) the school told me I have to send my child in to school and that they'd provide an area for her to nap during the day and that I could come give her calpol throughout the day. Tbh the school was really adamant and pushy for this option, threatening me with those letters for those attendance people.
I called my GP and he told me to not do that and if they had anything more to say, that I should pass his name for them to sort it between themselves.
Also heard many times that x had chickenpox and was in school and y was vomiting. Although saw the teacher reject a kid with suspected d&v as it hadn't been 24h? Or something.
This was in a London school.

I’m actually with you OP. Children should go to the medical centre if they’re waiting to be picked up. Or sit in reception under the eye of the school secretary if there isn’t a medical centre.

We have neither a medical centre (I have never taught in a school with a medical centre) and three afternoons a week, we have no school secretary.

Perhaps the OP’s school has a similar lack of staff.

When was the last time you were in a school?

Where are you that your primary school has a medical centre? Or a reception that’s manned the entire day? God forbid it’s the ops child that falls ill one day, and the teachers prioritise him with a bit of kindness. Imagine her response if he got shut away in a room on his own waiting for her to turn up

there is 3 reception staff in the school at all times. No medical centre though

Children say “I feel sick” all the time. Teachers plonk sick bowls in front of them. Kids go off school sick. Life continues.

Medical Center?? 😂 if you were in our school then your child would have conveniently fall sick between the hours of 7.30-9.00am, or 3-4pm, otherwise he’d be sitting in reception on his own

It must be a big school.

I think you should do what you feel best. If you feel like there is something to gain here then send your email.

Personally, I like to fly under the radar so if there is something that's important to complain about, then I don't have a reputation as someone who is never happy about anything.

@Mrgrinch I’ve been in school all day! With a medical centre!

in our previous smaller school there was no medical centre but the school
secretary would keep a close eye on anyone unwell in a small room next to hers. She would stay with them if they were young/wanted her to stay with them. This was a one form entry state school.

I have two dc in different schools. Large schools. Both have medical centres and any child who is unwell is quarantined there (with a school nurse) until they are collected.

Op if there are 3 office staff I’d really hope that anyone who needs a sick bowl could be kept away from other children. Tummy bugs spread so easily.

At DS school the sick child would be sat in Reception, its one of the admin roles to watch a sick child until someone comes to collect them, they wouldn't be sat in class like that.

If you want to know what was going on, ask, why not, nothing wrong with asking a question.......

I'm a teacher and I'm with the op. That is not a nice sight. If a child vomits or we feel they are going to vomit we would separate them from the other children. It might be in the classroom or at the main reception area depending on which adults can watch them. Schools have a duty of care to prevent infections.

As a teacher posting photos on class dojo, I also check to make sure they show the children in the best possible way (things like picking noses or when they're sitting cross legged there's no ones underwear showing) for the children's dignity, as it is being shared with 30 or so parents. I would feel it wasn't right posting a photo of an unwell child

I probably would mention it at pick up, maybe there is a back story or a comfort item.

I can't imagine caring enough about this to think about emailing. Kids vomit, sometimes they have bugs. He'd already been around the others that day.

What would you hope to achieve by emailing?

Actually, this,

Also
My son has speech and language issues and claims to feel sick tbh he was pale (he usually is quite pale though) they give him a sick bowl one time they called me turns out he had fallen over hurt his ankle and couldn't express this so he said he was sick he has no understanding of pain everything is "sick"

Don’t be the ‘I overheard your conversation and…’ parent. Or the ‘I assumed from the picture I saw on Class dojo…’

The school can’t tell you about another child’s issues. He might have had food poisoning, or an ongoing stomach condition or just be a kid who likes to pretend to be ill.

You’ve got a long road ahead with this school so maybe save the complaints for something you’re really concerned about to do with your actual child.

If it’s a case of preventing the spread of infection, then I don’t see how sitting a child in reception is going to improve the situation. In our primary every single class (apart from eyf) passes through reception multiple times a day, for drop offs and pick ups and play times and PE, plus daily mile and forest school etc. It’s where all the teachers pass through and where the parents go when they need to go in, the traffic is far heavier. Surely it’s better to contain in one classroom instead of the busiest area of the school??

My DD is sick constantly at school, no Illness, its anxiety/stress caused ( she has ADHD and gets really overwhelmed ) she often has a sick bag with her at school, when shes coming home as she is frequently sick at school but is absolutely fine within herself

If itwere my child pictured wearing outdoor clothes and holding a sick bowl, then Id be pretty unhappy!

I'd be annoyed if my DC was sat beside a child who was likely to vom due to a bug - at the very least he shouldve been in a quiet corner of the classroom with sympathetic staff keeping an eye....But, school wont discuss another child with you, and you dont actually know the child had a bug, so Id probably not contact school.

The child was off school today so was definitely unwell. The photo was taken yesterday

You need a new hobby. Birdwatching might play to your strengths?* *