Dog bite while my child was on a school visit to the park next to the school.

[Bigmom04]

Can anyone help me, my 6 year old daughter was bitten by a dog today after the school decided to take the class out to the local woods/park. There was 3 adults supervising 24 children, ages 6-7 years old. In the group there were also 3 children with extra support needs. Is this ratio legal? Thankfully the dog just broke the skin on my child's arm but it has left both my child and I traumatised. Also, I was not even made aware that they go on these regular outing were dog walkers tend to exercise the dogs off leads. Apparently there was about 10 dogs off the leads today when this incident happened.
As I'm writing this I'm in shock and extremely emotional and only joined mumsnet just a minute ago, as I really don't know what to do. Over the last 18 months I have raised a number of concerns around child safe guard issues. I currently have a complaint in the process of being looked at by the educational funding agency as the school didn't have a complaints procedure and they had my child and 4 other children cleaning the toilets of the school! ( I know you really couldn't make this up!) To date despite almost 7 weeks passing I still haven't received a response to my complaint from the head teacher. It's probably no surprise that the school is already on special measures and is being monitored by Ofsted. I feel powerless as to what to do, this latest event could have meant that I lost my child today or she could of been badly mauled. They lost complete control of the class I understand another child in the group was chased by two bigger dogs crying and screaming. No doubt he will be mentally scared for life. The school is a academy so the local authority are saying that they have no jurisdiction but I don't think I am exaggerating when I say they are putting not just my child but other children's lives at risk. Im not an advocate of people losing their jobs but the head really isn't 'fit for purpose', and he needs to go. Does anyone have advice about what else I can do or other authorities that I can go to? Please help....

They were given sponges and left unsupervised to clean the toilet! This fact has been acknowledged by the HT and we have since been told it should not have happened and will not happen again. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE to me.

So what would be acceptable? They don't have a time machine. You have been told it shouldn't have happened and won't happen again. What else do you want?

You clearly don't trust the school. What are the options to move schools?

I'm surprised you've left your DCs for so long at a school that you have so little trust in tbh.

Have you been to the Police yet to log the biting incident? Or to a Doctor for a tetanus injection?

Why on earth haven't you moved schools?

Poor OP!

Half the people on this thread are telling her that it's not in any way the school's fault her dd has been bitten (despite lack of proper risk asessment), and the other half are castigating her for leaving her child in such an awful school.

I hope your dd is OK OP, and I think in your position a new school would be an excellent idea.

Just to put the other side forward.....
I (and other dog owners at our local parkland which is one of the few remaining places dogs can legally be off the lead) are very careful to go out early (like 7 am!)during school holidays to avoid problems with small children or people having picnics. Recently, I encountered a group from a local primary who were in the park at 9am on a very gray day- not where or when we dog walkers would expect to find them. They had brought packed lunches in plastic bags and left them in a pile, unsupervised and quite some way away from where they were doing their activity. There were screaming teachers and screaming children because- surprise, surprise!- they'd left a tasty buffet for the dogs who were very excited at their find. All of us owners grabbed our dogs as fast as possible but not before some sandwiches were eaten. No children were bitten but a few clearly had cultural issues with dogs and were alarmed. All the doggy people apologised for causing distress and suggested that either the group used the fenced, dog-free section of the park or , in future, bring a closable plastic bin for lunches or zipped back packs. We also told them that taking a group of non-dog savvy small children to the most popular dog walking spot in London would always produce the same outcome.
There are, these days, very few places where dogs can have off-lead exersise and most owners are very considerate but remember, such places are shared space and EVERYONE needs to use common sense.
I hope your DD is recovering from her bite and won't be afraid of dogs in future. PM me if she'd like to meet a well trained floppy, soppy (but very food motivated) retriever who loves children and has never even growled at much less bitten anyone ever.

You know that dogs shouldn't be off the lead if they can't be controlled, don't you horse?

Whose fault would it have been if the child had been bitten while out with mum or dad? ... Unfortunately it's one of those terrible events that you can't foresee no matter how much you assess the risk.

Gosh joining this site has been a mixed experience but thank you for your comments all the same. Previous to this incident my daughter loves dogs so I am going to do my best to ensure that this incident doesn't spoil her love of dogs. I have applied for a transfer but the only place that has vacancies is the school she currently goes to and the other school that the same head teacher manages, so I don't want her going there. To all those people who have left less than sympathetic comments. I hope that you never get a call to inform you that your 6 year old child has bitten by a dog! I wouldn't wish that on anyone. She goes to school to recieve an education, not to be a cleaner or to be put at risk. She still goes to this school as I have no other alternive, something that I feel extremely guilty about each day. If I didn't have to work I would home school her but the state won't pay my mortgage.

I would go to the police - 15 dogs and 3 owners, 1 chased child, 1 bitten child..that's anti social behaviour. The park is for everyone- why should the children be stopped from going?