AIBU to complain after my child ate poisonous items at school twice?

[LOTR21]

My child has autism and attends an SEN school. Last year and this year it has been the same layout - 4 adults to the class, 6 children (including mine).

Earlier on in the year, school called and said she had eaten something poisonous at school. She has been back a day, and they rang again to say the same thing had happened again. Last time we had to sit in hospital for 6 hours for observations, looking like it’s going the same way again today.

They know my child has a tendency to do this, but they are clearly not being watched closely enough when outside and these things are around.

AIBU to put in a complaint to school, and who to - the headteacher or head of year?

Just want to add, that if I had taken my child to hospital with two cases of poisoning over a few months that had happened at home, they would have been reporting me to social services, yet there seems to be no consequences because it’s happening at school instead and the school aren’t being reprimanded for it.

4 adults and 6 children?!?!?‘ wtf were they doing?!

Not knowing what the bulbs are is insane. Many bulbs (eg daffodils, prepared hyacinths) cause skin reactions in a high percentage of people. Sounds like they didn't do a proper risk assessment of the activity for all the children - and the adults.

An SEN school shoukd be taking care that garden items are non toxic. So dont plant poisonous bulbs. Etc. Raise it with the governors. They can create edible garden
Creating an edible sensory garden for our students | by Henshaws | Medium share.google/3DEl12UHc6F8qqrRy

Risk assess
Bulb planting / RHS Gardening https://share.google/eMCXn99MymYypFwEP

Safe Bulb Options

• Muscari (Grape Hyacinth): Produces lovely blue spikes in spring and is great for naturalising.
• Crocosmia: Features bright orange-red summer blooms and sword-like leaves.
• Edible Alliums: While ornamental varieties should be handled with care, true edible allium bulbs like garlic, chives, and onions are safe to grow

Surely it would take more than one mouthful for a child to eat a bulb? Or was it a really small one / did your child just ram it down before anyone could stop them? Just wondering how no one stopped them mid-eating! Surely no one should be eating during a gardening activity and proper supervision would identify eating (even if it couldn't prevent it first).

Did you miss the fact its a special school?
If its anything like my sons specisl school loads of kids will have pica and be trying to eat inedible things.

You really have no idea. It's a SEN school they should be very aware that eating non food items is very common with SEN kids. There is no excuse for the incidents happening. The fungus should have been removed, repeatedly if need be and there are various non toxic bulbs that can be used for gardening activities with the kids.

No, but it is the school’s legal and moral responsibility to take reasonable steps to prevent it.

if all the children are 1:1, then the staff will be stretched. Often there are a couple of violent children in such a class and when heightened the focus will be on keeping the whole class and adults safe, which can be complicated.

Surely the child would just spit it out? How old are they?

If they’re prone to picking things up and eating them then tbh I don’t think any sort of school environment is right for them.

Wtf?
Why do posters like yourself who havent a clue bother to reply?

Because they're ignorant arseholes!

Oh everyone has the right to an opinion whether they have a clue or not. Just say anything, about anything.
Just make it up.

It is a school for kids with SEN who are likely to eat stuff
They should not be planting toxic bulbs when alternatives exist

I would request an early review of the EHCP and use these two incidents to push for 1:1 when DD is outside, and when doing tasks inside that use potentially toxic materials.

The schoolteachers are being totally idiotic. They shouldn’t have 4 year old SEN kids planting bulbs fgs

Yes complain - ask to see the activity risk assessment. Four adult brains should have been able to anticipate that.

I don’t even know where to start with the poisonous fungi. Our Reception class has an outdoor area fenced off from the playground - none of the kids have “access to nature”. The school needs to rethink.

Yes, ask for better supervision.
Can you investigate whether there are comfortable, decorative and fun face masks that allow for great vision and hearing but are designed to block eating?
Would they be a useful item to invent?