Primary school playground supervision concerns

[feelingsickaboutit]

My child in KS2 has been involved in an incident where my child has been pushed to the ground and punched repeatedly by the child who was sitting on top of my child. In the meantime another child stood over mine kicking mine in the abdomen area. This has happened during the lunchtime break with 5 supervisors present but not watching. I am greatly concerned about quality of the supervision as almost identical incident happened a few weeks ago involving the same two perpetrators but another victim. I already spoke to the school but was told they are within numbers. I went round a few times to have a look through the gates to see what really happens in the playground and was shocked to see 3 members of staff chatting with one more circulating in one area. There were about 120 children running around during the break. The playground is very big with some potential blind spots if the adults are not spread round appropriately. I would like to do something about this as school just fobbed me off and disregarded my concerns. I want to stop this happening to another child. What else can I do?
Also ... I was very disappointed that the school didn't inform me straight away...I got a call after 4pm. My child came home very upset. When I asked school about the reason why they waited to tell me so long when I normally get a text message about my child being hit with the ball in the head within 10 minutes of the incident they explained that they were doing their investigations and my child seemed fine and my child wasn't hit in the head. To be honest that makes me sick to the stomach that my child was made to sit through the remainder of the school day when all my child wanted was to go home. Is this really how it goes and I'm overreacting?

Of be asking how they were going to safeguard my kid and the others from this sort of assault at school

Not over reacting

I think you are overreacting. As a teacher I would have called home sooner, but they also want to give you a full picture so I can understand why they didn’t. I’d say having 5 members of staff on duty for that number of children is really very good - my previous and current school would have 2 on duty for that number. The supervisors are only human, they can’t watch everyone all the time. They children will have been spoken to, and an investigation will have taken place. No one can stop it ever happening again but you need to trust that the teachers are professionals and know how to deal with situations like these. You’ve raised your concerns, I’d leave it at that

You're not overeacting.
That's appalling.
How is your DC doing?

Really comfysocks? Is being pushed to the ground, sat on and punched repeatedly just one of those things that happen to us sometimes?
Is that how you like to spend your lunchtime? Being punched repeatedly with no chance of help from anyone in authority because they're too busy chatting? If you wouldn't like it, why should a child be expected to suck it up?
Hope you don't teach at my DC's school.
Seems to me that the problem isn't with the number of supervisors, but the fact that they are not really supervising properly.

If its happening repeatedly, the investigations aren't really worth much and they are clearly not dealing with their bullying problem. while I do generally trust teachers, they would lose that trust in the situation op describes. Trust is not inexhaustible.

Oh sorry, not just punched but kicked repeatedly. While on the ground.

Of course I’m not saying it’s ok, but you can’t blame a supervisor for a child’s behaviour. Without a doubt the school will be reviewing its supervision policy following an incident like that, so there’s not a lot more that OP can do.

No need to be offensive SS

5 adults to 120 kids is excellent. So it's clearly not the ratio but the quality of the supervision.

That's awful, I hope your DC is ok.

I agree with PP who said that you can't control what the kids do, however the school should have been monitoring the situation better. 5 people supervising is a lot but it's no good if they are taking a break themselves.

School is meant to be a safe place and being held down, punched and kicked is a horrible thing for a child to go through and making them finish the school day is very bad form.

I would bring your concerns to the head.