my son was injured by teacher at school - advice needed

[mrcerec]

Hi

A dad here

Yesterday my 12 year old son was playing football in the playground of his prep school. The music teaching assistant (22 yrs old) joined in the game without being invited. At close range he blasted the ball at my son (with no malicious intent) and succeeded in causing him to fall over and (as we later found out) tear a ligament. He then proceeded to tell my son that he was exaggerating his injury and left him to make his own way to matron. We spent 3 hours at a&e last night - a severe sprain and 4 weeks of no sport. I told the head this morning who basically poo-pooed the whole thing, despite a photograph of my son's extremely swollen ankle.

My questions are

1. Am I right to be cross about this.

1. What would you do - particularly when faced by the school's in difference

1. Would this happen in the state system?

TIA

Mrcerec

Not sure if this is for real - seems rather pat ,and and why mention 'prep school ' if not to rile up MNetters. If it is for real I would say - yes of course this could happen in a state school, or cub group or church socal or family outing. Yes some people will sue - saddos - the only outcome of which would be in any of those settings that fewer people would bother to kick a ball around with kids.
Get the kid sorted and move on.

well there you go

the admission that it's a prep school does indeed rile mnetters

I would go elsewhere for advice op

are mrcerec and mmrsceptic the same person??

It wasn't actually the teacher that injured him though. He threw the ball 'with no malicious intent'. Your son failed to catch it and fell over.

catch it? It was football.

who has been riled by prep school? We are women of the world here

no

I thought that! They look a bit anagrammish

The fact it is a prep school makes no difference to me. I am neither anti state school nor anti independent school.

I also have even experience of education in general, and of both sectors both indirectly and directly, to know that such incidents ca indeed happen in both sectors. And yes, even in a state school, some would react this way too.

ahem i am a woman of the world I am not the dad

is it so hard to accept that as many as two people can hold a different point of view from everyone else? heaven forfend

mrcerec, as a complete aside, I presume your son will be going for physio to rehab ankle?

fgs what a ridiculous thread

I am quite sure it was an accident and your son is going to recover no? It could quite easily have been another child that kicked the ball just as hard

He didn't whack him with a cricket bat, he kicked a football um during a game of football

I don't see the problem

And why would it be any different at a state school?

oh yes, I forgot op was a man. Men and women of the world (although the men don't really count)

I agree with sherby How ridicuous. Accidents happen. Making such a big deal of it might make it worse for the DC in question. I'm quite sure the music teacher is a decent person, and would be happy to say "how's the ankle coming along? I'm so sorry - I never intended to hurt you - perhaps I could do with some tips on my football skills!" or something. A written apology? Please. Suing? Honestly.

I don't think it makes a jot of difference whether it's state or private either. How lovely that the teachers are that involved with the kids. In lots of schools, the teachers would have no inclination to join in at all.

"Making such a big deal of it might make it worse for the DC in question."

That's awful. Do nothing because they might be mean to your child?

but I like your thought about the teachers being involved

(makes no difference to the principle though)

I just meant that the other kids might well take the piss if it comes out that the child's parents made such a fuss over what I think is a trivial matter. If it was another student - a sixth former maybe, who'd kicked the football, would a written apology be demanded? I think not.

Surely this is a wind up?

I'd be cross that the teacher didn't take your ds's injury seriously or summon help. And I would expect an apology (to ds).

not invited

snort

well no, if it was another child, but then it wasn't, was it?

it's the sort of thing over-enthusiastic dads do all the time but it wasn't one of them either

it was a teacher with a legal duty of care

bad luck him but this is a nasty injury and he caused it

Do you have personal injury insurance for your son...

One of the things that shocked me when we started our children at prep school was the huge pile of leaflets we were sent with the welcome form for:

• personal injury insurance (for if your child gets hurt at school and cannot attend, a payment of monies in lieu of fees 'lost' may be made)
• public injury liability (for this kind of situation... your child whacks another child in rugby, knocks out an adult tooth - other child's family sue for dental costs, and you have to pay - so insurance covers it)

• school fees insurance (loss of job etc)
• child life insurance!

Seriously!

DH said it was because so many people with kids in prep schools are insurance brokers and lawyers....

I would write and ask for an apology from the ta. Not for the accident perhaps but definately for the comments afterwards.

yes this is for real - and no I'm not mmrsceptic. I'll post the photo of it if anyone can tell me how to do it.

And anyone who is offended by prep school is an inverted snob

mrcerec (not an anagram of mmrsceptic)

it makes me so cross when parents expect their little angels[hardly at 12 years old] go through life without accidents! he will be ok in just 4 weeks! we have created a nanny state get over it! If your child falls from a tree do you blame the tree?

mrcerec

What is it that YOU want fromt he school?