Advice needed

[Nummynums]

Hi everyone just need some urgent advice
My dd has started reception at an independent school. She has reported two incidents to me today where during one she was being helped to ride a bike 'without stabilisers' without a helmet, she obviously fell and 'hurt her tummy' I don't understand why she is put on such a bike, she's only got her first bike this summer and is wearing stabilisers and she wears a helmet. Of course this is her side of the story

Today's incident involved two members of staff who allowed by dd to sit behind another girl on a bike (!) as the girl did not get off bike at 'swap time' the girl was told to go slowly, she went fast and my ds fell and hurt her forehead and head, it was 'very painful and she was crying' the two staff put something cold/wet on her

None of this was reported to me by anyone. Obviously the head injury thing more concerning than the tummy fall
Because it's a private school how much can I expect to be done? I feel I don't trust them as they are likely to sweep it under but I really don't know if I can expect it if it isn't written down clear cut. I really don't have a clue what to do. I am fuming that nobody has told me and want the staff members investigated but dont know my options as its a private school. Wondering if I can threaten to tell department of education over ISi as I don't feel they will do anything

Thanks for any advice

Surely you need to start by talking to the school, calmly, and asking what happened. Storming in making threats at this point is far too extreme.

If you don't trust the school already, are you sure it's the best place for her?

I will follow the complaints procedure calmly, when I say 'threaten' I mean that calmly too I didn't say anything about storming in and raising my voice etc
An incident happened whilst dd was at the nursery but staff assured me not to worry so was not worried but now taking into account what happened in the past I'm not sure I should trust them

As for it being the best place, the school my dd got a place at wasn't right for her so this school was our only choice not sure it's the best place but i think she will get w better education here than the other school but now I'm not sure what my options are

They should have reported both accidents to you, but using bikes/trikes that take two children in pretty normal as is not wearing helmets in the playground.

At our primary school and previously at nursery (daycare) if there was an injury we were given a note to explain the accident, the action taken and if monitoring is required. Why don't they operate the same system? Do you know what their safeguarding policy is?

Thanks for the responses by the way

Tricot my dd daycare nursery did the same. Their first aid policy states that after 'significant' head injury should be reported to parents, logged etc doesn't say what significant is as with head injuries you just don't know I'll check to see if there's anything in safeguarding but their policies seem so vague

I'm wondering if they risk assess these bikes? Do they need risk assessments? I mean a child is bound to fall off a bike without stabilisers, a trike is a different thing as a child would have to be doing something clumsy to fall off a trike but if they know a child can't ride a bike without stabilisers why put them on it as if dd was left to it she wouldn't attempt to sit on a bike without stabilisers nor would she attempt to sit behind somebody and let them take control. I feel the staff have put her at risk rather than the usual scrapes kids have (that I would expect to be told about at some point in the day)

Our nursery had loads of trikes and balance bikes, special ones designed for nurseries so they suit children of different heights. I can't remember if they had pedal bikes too, but eitherway, as long as thechild can put both feet on the floor it shouldn't be putting them at risk.

Balance bikes are fab. Way way easier as a route to riding a pedal bike than stabilisers.

Anyway go and talk to them, see the bikes for yourself if you need to and then see what you think.

Thanks I do want to see ether bikes so I can see if what dd is telling me fits and if there are any safety concerns as if I took the stabilisers off the bike at home I would expect her to fall and in a work type of environment ie school I expect that to be risk assessed as at home I know my dd isn't ready for stabilisers off yet but when she's ready shed wear a helmet as I know she'll keep falling iykwim? Sorry to ramble I just want to get to the bottom of why they didn't tell me about the falls

You need to find out if this even happened, and what may have actually occurred. A young saying 'bike' could be anything from a balance bike, trike, anything really.