P E teacher. Please help.

[Chickencuddle]

I phoned in today about my daughter being denied her inhaler during PE. I asked to speak to head of pastoral care. But I got a phone call back from PEt teacher who flat out denied and basically said my dd is lying. She also said she wasn't working hard enough to be out of breath or even breaking a sweat. I said this didn't matter and she needs her inhaler. She said she didn't say she needed her inhaler.
I felt so bad and actually considered if my dd had lied although would be so so out of character for her. I spoke to dd who was shocked and upset about what the PE teacher had said. She insured me she was telling the truth and said her friend had been with her and also she had spoken to a classroom assistant after teacher told her she couldn't get it telling her what teacher had said and classroom assistant said if she didn't feel better soon she had her permission to go get it. But she told me she jyst dealt with the breathlessness and got her inhaler after PE.

Teacher mentioned that changing rooms are 10 minutes away from hall and that dd has never brought her inhaler. I said maybe that could be mentioned that next time she brings it with her. She said that needs to be something I tell her as she has enough kids to deal with. I said that's fine but I wasn't to know it was so far away. I'm only just hearing that now. Also why is she telling me this if dd actually didn't ask?

She has said mean things to dd before denied her toilet which I had to phone for. I didn't want this to be a big thing just wanted PE teacher to let dd use inhaler. But now feels like a big thing and feel like I have to clear dds name as head of year bas spoken to PE reacher and obviouslt believes this as she told her to ohone me i assume.. I believe dd. the details and things she was saying and way she was saying it. Plus I phoned friends mum and explained and asked to speak to her dd. Her dd said exactly what mine said.

What do I do now?

I think the truth lies somewhere in The middle with this one
your daughter has learnt a lesson about being responsible for her medication
the teacher is now aware of medication

draw a line under it and move on
the teacher is ether being a twat or your daughter has form for taking the piss

No child who regularly needs an inhaler should ever be a 10 minute walk away from their inhaler. Your dd needs to understand this properly - her inhaler needs to be within arms reach at all times. Exception during swimming, where on the pool side is ok. If a child with severe asthma was having a full-blown asthma attack then a 10 minute walk to fetch an inhaler could kill them.

The PE teachers have heard every excuse in the book from children wanting to escape PE. I don't think the teacher perceived a noticeable difference between this situation and the other 6 kids who were simultaneously pleading unrealistic special circumstances to not have to exercise, and she may well have conflated two students in her memory rather than be deliberately lying

I appreciate PE teachers have a hard job and I remember all the excuses kids had to try and get out of PE but I think this is formal complaint territory. Because what the PE teachers did is dangerous. A reminder about it would be enough if she had accepted it was a mistake she shouldn’t have made, but denying it makes it sound like she does whatever she wants and thinks she can just get away with it because her word will be accepted over a child’s. This needs formally recording somewhere so that she is aware she hasn’t got away with it and is more likely to take greater care over children’s medical needs.

Op does your child have asthma?

Ah good old Mumsnet. All teachers are saints who never do anything wrong and all children are liars.

You don't mess around with asthma. The moment your DD said she needed her inhaler, is the moment the PE teacher should have made arrangements for DD to get one, whether that be sending DD or requesting an emergency one from elsewhere.

It doesn't matter if DD forgot to bring it with her. The school should be prepared for that type of situation.

It is absolutely ridiculous for anyone to try and defend the teacher's actions. The fact that the teacher told OP that DD was not working hard enough to become breathless just goes to show how ignorant this fool is.

Make a formal complaint OP. You've tried the informal route and the response is not satisfactory. There are serious safeguarding concerns here that need to be addressed.

I’d of forgotten my own head at 11 if it wasn’t screwed on, that’s what children that age are frequently like. An asthma attack is a medical emergency, not a time for learning lessons. It doesn’t matter if the teacher has heard a million excuses for getting out of PE already.

This is not good. Changing rooms would be locked. Was there another member of staff to accompany your daughter?

PE teachers usually have first aid training so while you want to believe your DD I don't think it was as serious as she was saying as otherwise the teacher would have known she needed her inhaler and made sure she got it. As you have noted yourself asthma can be serious and it is the teacher who is responsible for medical care.
Also you mention the classroom assistant saying she could have had it - in secondary any assistants are usually for a specific child, it is not like primary school, so while they might have meant well it wasn't really their call to say to DD they would have let her get it (unless she is their 1:1 child in which case they could have dealt with this).
I think the transition from primary to secondary is hard for children but more so for parents. You need to encourage them to be independent which does mean biting your tongue and stepping back a bit. You have already fussed over the toilet (where you said she needed a drink) and made a thing about basic human rights so are already becoming that parent. If your daughter has specific needs and has an EHCP then you need to speak to the senco and have everything written down in black and white. If she needs a medical card then this can be part of the care plan for use of the toilet, however these are given out only to those in genuine need as otherwise everyone wants one.

In my experience there is something wrong with a lot of pe teachers and they enjoy seeing children suffer. I'm slightly joking of course 🙃

A boy in my DS's class has a "mini" backpack for his inhalator that he brings everywhere including PE. This is what DD needs.
The PE teacher doesn't sound very nice but what do you hope to achieve in calling her a liar? You weren't there so you got two sides of a story. Focus on reminding your DD to always bring her little backpack.

I would write a formal letter to the head teacher raising a concern that there is a training need around asthma and this member of staff and querying if it’s a whole school training need. I would also ask to see their policy on inhalers. Then both you, your daughter and the teacher can move forward and understand what you should all be doing. I would be framing it as a how do we make sure this doesn’t happen again, both with your daughter and any other child.

however I would great exception to the teacher seemingly lying. I’d keep an eye on that

This is all very new to your daughter has she learnt the difference between her having an asthma attack and being out of breath? If she were having an attack it would have been really irresponsible for her teacher to send her off on her own.

I hate to say it as I will probably get flamed but there is a pattern here with your daughter telling you something that seems really unlikely and you then kick up a stink. Is she telling tales because she likes your reaction and wants to cause a little trouble.

if this is not the case and the school is so bad that they are stopping genuine needs to go to the toilet and not providing assistance during medical emergencies it is time for her to move. If there are no other schools around there are more and more virtual schools cropping up. It may seem unfair that your daughter has to move but it is a safety issue.

Not really a pattern I've phoned about two things.
First time she was desperate for toilet cried at home saying that PE teacher qouldnt let her go despite asking 3 times and she felt she was going to wet herself in front of her classmates. It was a long lesson and she had been drinking alot of water due to sore throat. She has PE first thing in morning and has to rush straight off bus to get there as the bus gets in quite late.

Next thing she forgot her inhaler and when she told the teacher she was breathless nd needed it she was told she couldn't get it.

If I listened to what dd said and did nothing I think that would make me an irresponsible parent as these two incidents should not have happened.

She has complaints about other things like the teacher making snide comments about her having a sick note for PE etc and I haven't mentioned them and just told her ignore.

She told the assistant that the teacher wasn't letting her get inhaler and rhe assistant doesn't have authority but told her if she didn't get better to ask again and if she says no just go and she had her permission.

However dd is a nervous thing and would never even ask a teacher for something if not really needed. If she's been told no she wouldn't go unless desperate. Which could then be dangerous.

She needed her inhaler in school the day after she got the inhaler and had forgotten it.
I had to go in to gove it her but she said on phone to me "it's ok mum don't worry I'll be fine I can get it after school."
I brought it anyway and when I got there she was bright red from struggling to breath and very short on breath. So she really doesn't kick up a fuss.

I thought the same - I played up with my asthma - but if I genuinely had a wheeze walking for 10mins would have been a struggle.
OP it’s not unusual for teachers to accuse dc of not being honest, they struggle to admit they are wrong - saving face I suspect. But you’ll have more to come and it’s not a battle worth fighting.
Get your dad to carry her inhaler and move on - this isn’t a big courtroom drama, you’ll gain nothing. Teach your child to let things go.

Clearly wasn't life threatening at this time.

I bet there would be a thread on mumsnet about phones being nicked.

How big is this school that anything is a ten minute walk away?

Op yanbu. I would call back/ email back and ask to speak to assistant head in charge of pastoral . The only reason that you've been called by the PE teacher is that they think it can be solved at that level - but you're not happy with the response, so you need to escalate it. I totally agree you don't mess with asthma, whether or not a child is trying to get out of PE etc - they need to have a system where the children's inhalers are nearby, or on them. This time it was ok, next time , a different child, it might not be.

The changing rooms are half a mile away, either the PE teacher isn’t very bright, or is somewhat flexible with the truth.

All children with asthma should have a school care plan, all staff are required to follow it, the teacher doesn’t get to opt out, so I would be questioning why the teacher chose to opt out of following it.

Sorry but I think you are just spoiling for a fight here.

You make the argument that the teacher has put your daughter’s life in danger.

Yet you say your aim in taking this further is to ‘clear your daughter’s name’ which is a total side issue (and I think is totally unnecessary, everyone will have forgotten about this by the day after tomorrow).

IF your main concern is your daughter’s life, then the next step is to write a letter to the Headteacher formally requesting / seeking confirmation that your daughter is allowed to take her inhaler with her to P.E. You should also impress upon your daughter the importance to taking it with her.

Nothing else needs to happen.

You’re being needlessly dramatic: “clear DD’s name” “branded a liar” etc. Fgs. The Head of Year will have had 1000 other incidents to deal with this week - your DD will be the least of it. The other teachers are not going to know or care. Here’s a fact: teachers know that kids get things wrong and occasionally lie. So do adults. It’s only if it’s persistent that she’d get a rep as a liar. The world doesn’t revolve around your DD - the teachers will have moved on about 2 seconds after the phone call, unless you keep banging on about it.

Also when I took dd to doctors it was due to her having sore chest and feeling breathless. (This is after pneumonia) there was absolutely no wheeze. I wouldn't have known she was in difficulty unless she said.
Doctor told me when she listened she could hear that she wasn't getting fully breath. Airways inflamed etc.
Had tests done at hospital which showed reduced lung capacity and inflammation.
Her chest was sore as she was straining so much to breath. I wouldn't have known.

Nah maybe we are just sick of seeing young people who have absolutely no resilience because mummy steps in at every possible turn.

You have deliberately chosen to miss the point that the PE teacher says that is not what happened, the fact that she was not having an asthma attack, and the fact that the TA told her she could get it - but DD CBA?

Should op raise a safeguarding concern about her dd not being allowed to use the loo too?

They can’t go back in time now. As long as she satires it at all times, this won’t happen again will it?

Completely agree.
Make a formal complaint OP to the head or head of year and the incident will be fully investigated. I had to do the same last year in similar circumstances when my dd was refused inhaler and ended up in A&E. There was a formal investigation and measures put in place to ensure it didn't happen again. The PE teacher probably realises how serious it could have been and that she royally fucked up which is why she's accusing your dd of lying.

Bollocks.

The school has a duty of care to the OPs daughter and every other pupil.

OP Ask what risk assessment they have made about children leaving things in the changing room that they need for PE?

An inhaler being 10 mins away is a risk the school should not be taking with children's health. That can be the difference between life and death.

I did supply for a long time and as @bardosya says you hear all sorts of excuses and you are not supposed to have children out of your sight in case of a fire or other alarm.

In the PE teacher's situation I would have sent her with the TA to get the inhaler (unless the TA is 1-1 for another child).

In future I would be reminding students at the start, "has everyone got everything they need? Inhalers, blood glucose meter and snack, knee supports? Epi pen XYZ. OK go get it now". And then give them the minimum sanction because if you don't then you will have everyone forgetting their ... whatever they need.

I'd go back to the school, copy in the head, and explain that DD needs her inhaler with her at all times, ask that the teacher reminds the class at the start of the lesson and you are happy for DD to have a sanction for not taking it with her initially.

Alternatively would you be happy for the school to keep a spare inhaler with the teacher / in the gym? I know some schools have spare epi pens.

@Chickencuddle honestly the P E teacher is a dick.
Id call back to speak to the head. .Make it known you are not asking to speak to the pe teacher. .
Tell the head you don’t want your kid taught by this teacher anymore . You will not have your Dd accused of lying and you won’t have her health/life at risk .

The P E teacher is on a power trip .