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Primary education

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Original poster

Bruise on forehead

33 replies

Anners1 · 14/07/2010 18:35

Hi all, just after some advice.

My ds currently in reception came out of school today with a red mark along the length of his eyebrow and above. I noticed it immediately as he came out of the door. I asked him how he got it and gave me story about falling on a bench during playtime and he was 'brave' and didn't say anything.

The thing I'm having trouble getting my head around is that although he didn't have his usual teacher this afternoon, it was another who he's had numerous times before, but she never noticed it. Even now 3.5 hours later it's still red and going darker, so will eventually become a bruise by tomorrow or day after.

I feel I need to say something to let them know, it has not happened at home and actually occurred whilst in their care and they didn't notice it as I'm concerned that whilst school can easily point the finger at a parent, who can the parent point the finger at? Previous experience with schools tell me they're only too ready to cover their backs. What would you do?

OP posts:
mummytime · 15/07/2010 19:41

I agree, in primary school a teacher should spot a child with a bruise to the head. Just as a teacher or someone should have noticed when my son (in shorts) had a huge cut on his leg dripping blood. Equally the kids should have told a teacher, but people make mistakes.

I would talk to the school (as I did with my sons leg, especially as he had no real story of how it happened and I suspected bullying). Hopefully the school will give a little talk about needing to tell a teacher. After all if your son had concussion you could sue the school.

colditz · 15/07/2010 20:09

I'm a mother of two. One aged seven and one aged four.

And strangely, ds1 finished school with a black eye today, caused, indirectly, by the teacher.

It was an accident, and probably couldn't have been prevented.

Why on Earth would you assume I'm not a parent just because I'm not a hysterical parent? I'm a very loving parent, Ds1 has had much tea and sympathy. I'm certainly not going to go and whine at the school though.

colditz · 15/07/2010 20:12

oh yes, suing the school. Someone suggested that I do that.

because that's just what my son's already chronically underfunded school(thanks to the Toy Tories) would really need. To be sued.

Bloody hell, don't people ever step back from themselves and what they want right now and look at the bigger picture? yes, you could complain, where would it get you? Yes, you could sue, and then you'll be wondering why the school don't seem to have reading books any more in three years time, as they will have run out of money.

Think for a second before pointing an angry finger.

julybutterfly · 15/07/2010 20:15

Can you see the mark if you're looking down on your DS? If the teacher hadn't actually got down to his height then maybe she didn't see it from above?

It wouldn't bother me so much but I would probably ask at school tomorrow...if I remembered

redskyatnight · 15/07/2010 20:17

The trouble is that it's not just a question of a member of staff noticing that he had a red mark on his face, but that same member of staff also remembering that he didn't have it earlier on. You notice, because you're his mum and you "know" he didn't have it that morning. A member of staff is not going to question every single child about every single bruise and mark on the off chance that they may have done it earlier on at school (and that it hadn't already been recorded by a different member of staff). It's just impractical. So staff can really only record incidents that they witness, that they have drawn to their attention (by the child crying or someone else telling them about it) or that require immediate attention (blood gushing out).

mrz · 15/07/2010 20:36

Today at playtime a child came and said he had bumped heads with another child. He was holding the right hand side of his brow whereas I could clearly see a small bruise on the left. I asked him to show where he'd hurt it ... again he pointed to the right. Not being this child's teacher I spoke to a member of staff in his class who examined him and said she hadn't noticed the bruise earlier ... now did he come to school with a bruise or not ...
Only because he told me about another bump was the bruise noticed. It turns out he'd done it earlier in the week at home

woahwoah · 16/07/2010 16:52

Well said, redskyatnight.

cory · 16/07/2010 17:06

redsky makes a very good point. My ds has always been covered in marks and bruises, not because he is bullied at school or abused at home, but simply because he is a very active little boy

I couldn't remember the exact details of which mark was new when, so I certainly wouldn't expect a teacher to do so either

the result of any finger pointing in case of minor accidents would be that my boy and countless other little boys would be banned from running around and playing at playtime for fear of minor injuries, so certainly not an outcome that would be in their best interests at all

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