PE teacher at dds school.

[Chickencuddle]

DD is in first year of high school. Last winter she had pneumonia quite badly and is still recovering. We are still having doctors visits and she's still on an inhaler (no previous asthma) She gets out of breath quicker than she used to and hasn't been able to do much in the way of physical exercise other than walking so has lost some of her fitness.
I wrote about it on her medical form and at start of year sent a note in explaining to PE staff.
Since then she has had a throat infection and chest infection and each time she has these they tend to hit her hard. So she had a few weeks with notes for PE
The PE teacher has been really unsupportive over it and a bit mean imo. She rolled her eyes first time it happened.second time she made her walk outside while others who were off PE that day got to stay inside. She also wouldn't allow her to go to the toilet during the hour and a half class and dd came home in tears saying teacher had been mean and she'd been bursting for the toilet and not allowed to go.
I phoned in and spoke to head of year who spoke to dd and said if any teacher says she can't go to tell them she has authority from head of year. That was OK.
Since then she has been off PE once with same thing just recovering from chest thing and PE teacher shouted at her and said if she's off one more time she will get a behaviour point.
Today I sent her in with a note saying that dd was going to try her best in PE but still struggling with her chest and could they allow her breaks when needed.
She said teacher rolled her eyes and muttered "same old." Then was nudging other teachers and she felt like they were talking about her.

I'm annoyed tbh. This is a child of 11 who had a terrible time last year with this. It took months to be even well enough to go for a walk and she's still struggling. She doesn't enjoy this. She hates it. And they are just making her feel worse. She has been off PE this year probably 4 times in total. But was off school once sick too. So missed 5 lessons.
Aibu?

No, you’re not being unreasonable. Your poor daughter. I would ask for a meeting with her tutor.

I would ask for a meeting with the head of year and the PE member involved

You are not being unreasonable at all. I wonder if it’s the same school as my daughter, PE teacher is awful.

She is a bully.

Look on the school website for the school’s complaint procedure and follow it.

Would you be able to get a doctor's letter? I know that it's a hassle, but it might put the mean teacher in her place...For HoY, not the PE teacher. You need to deal with the organ grinder, not the monkey.

(I'm a retired secondary HoD...and I've had dealings with PE teachers, both as a teacher and as a pupil...I'm nearly 65 and still haven't forgiven one particular bully from my schooldays.)

No this isn’t ok.

I’d be calling the school and asking for a meeting with her head of year/tutor and the PE teacher.

I had a PE teacher like this, she assumed if you had a note for either an injury or being on your period so couldn’t shower, you were lying/lazy and she’d go out of her way to ‘get you back’ next lesson. She made me hate PE with a passion.

As above, meeting with head of year and or school head and pe teacher. I am a fully qualified athletics coach and would never let anyone with a chest infection train. It would appear that the pe teacher needs some further training related to how respiratory illnesses are managed within an exercise situation.

I'd be going absolutely nuclear with the PE teacher.

Yep request a meeting with HOY and for PE teacher to join the end of the meeting. This is an 11 year old child. Completely unacceptable

I'd definitely be taking this further. Your poor DD.
I was never a sporty kid and was bullied by a PE teacher. Fortunately my mum didn't take any nonsense and it was put to a stop pretty quickly.

Why have you let this go on this long? It’s outrageous. Get a meeting with head of year and PE teacher

I would be right in there like a shot demanding a face to face meeting.

Please arrange a meeting between the PE teacher & Year Head. The treatment of your DC is totally unacceptable.
I don’t know why PE teachers have the capacity to be bullies. I used to work in a school & there was always at least one.
In the meantime inform the Year Head your DC won’t be doing PE until the meeting.
If you are able to provide a Dr’s letter too, it would be helpful.
Good luck.

Really don't understand why some teachers are bullies. Who goes to work wanting to make a childs life miserable? I had one at my high school, she belittled me in front of an entire class of 17/18 year old boys (I was 13) and told me if I didn't participate in PE I would become obese and be a failure in life. I'm 30 and I still hate her 🤣

Yr7 children are really vulnerable because its a big change to high school and stuff like this really annoys me because its likely damaging your daughter's confidence and putting her off sport! I would go hard on this and speak to the head.

The first time was just an eye toll. The time she made her walk and wouldn't let her use toilet I phoned and it was dealt with. Since the comment about behaviour point. I said let her try and I'll be straight in to speak to them. Reassured dd that wouldn't happen. Now this and this is where I'm thinking I need to phone in. But after reading comments thinking a meeting?
I'm not a confrontational person and second guess myself so didn't know what to say tbh. I want to get it right. I've had to phone in about her being bullied too so feel like they might think I'm a neurotic mum. Sometimes I wonder if I am.

Thanks everyone for messages. Reassured me that I need to do something

I'd insist on a meeting with this teacher and the head, op. Not on x

No need to be confrontational. Act as if you think it's a misunderstanding (even if you're convinced she's a bully) and explain about your daughter's health problems. Is there a school nurse then maybe she can attend as well. But do it quickly because it's scary for a y7 to feel bullied by a teacher.

I'm a head teacher and I would submit a formal complaint about this.

The outcome you would like is an apology and a written undertaking that your child will not experience any negative consequences for being exempt from PE lessons again.

I don't know what to say. It's hard as most of the behaviour from PE teacher is subtle like eye rolls and huffs etc. Only a few instances like the toilet which has been sorted and behaviour point which she never gave her. Then muttering under her breath.

Is the PE teacher Tony Mammoth?

On a more serious note I would also ask for a meeting with HOY and the PE teacher

YANBU That's awful for your DD and for you. Pneumonia is a dreadful infection with a lengthy recovery time and a risk of lower immunity from other infections afterwards.
As other PPs have said you need to arrange a meeting with HOY and the PE teacher ASAP to discuss this - in my opinion the PE teacher is a bully and needs to be dealt with higher up in the school.

Additionally, if this isn't successful you should escalate this and seek a meeting with the headteacher/principal as action will have to be taken then.

Good luck and hope this gets resolved soon 💐

I would actually request a meeting with the head of department, not the HOY. You essentially need to be raising this with the teacher's manager, whereas the HOY is not line managing the staff, so it would slow you down. That or you need to be emailing in a complaint and ask for it to be sent to the head of department or SLT.

Gosh OP it makes my blood boil just reading this. I’d be down the school meeting the teacher and head of year and kicking up a stink. Sometimes you’ve got to bat for your kids.