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Primary education

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Original poster

Does schools have to tell you about a injury?

19 replies

LuLu123456 · 09/09/2017 10:08

My little girl has just started primary school. This is her first week.
Yesterday (Friday) grandma picked my daughter up and once she got home she noticed my little girls finger was wrapped in a paper towel, when question dd said she was stood on at school, she said her friend wrapped it for her but the teacher did know.
Grandma didn't tell me until I got home from work at 6pm and upon looking at it, it was very swollen, blue and very painful so ended up at A&E all night. They are unsure if it is broken or not so strapped it up and we have to go back Wednesday for another X-ray.
It's still painful but she is feeling ok with it but I am really annoyed that the school hadnt mentioned this to grandma at home time or even looked after her properly once she had done it. Isn't there policies about this type of thing??

OP posts:
Crazycatsandkids · 09/09/2017 10:13

Yes, I would go in and speak to the head.

TeenTimesTwo · 09/09/2017 10:17

I would expect a school to inform at pick up if they knew about the seriousness . Do you have any idea when it happened?

However
It sounds as if the girl wasn't complaining of being in pain when she was picked up?
Swelling probably wasn't immediate?
Grandma had her in her care for ~2.5hours and also didn't pick up that it was serious and needed further action.

In your situation I would mention it to the school, but in an informing / asking way, not complaining.

LooksLikeImStuckHere · 09/09/2017 10:17

Did she tell the teacher it still hurt after the initial incident?

BlondeB83 · 09/09/2017 10:18

It should have been recorded in the accident book and you should have been notified but if it didn't initially swell/discolour and she had movement then it's possible they felt there was no cause for concern. You should have been told though.

TeenTimesTwo · 09/09/2017 10:19

No point speaking to the head directly, bypassing the teacher. All the head would do is say have you spoken to the teacher / that they have to speak to the teacher.

Save speaking to head teachers for serious things that remain unaddressed. Not just on half a story from a 4yo.

Anasnake · 09/09/2017 10:22

Do you know for definite that the teacher knew or just the word of a 4 year old who's new to school, probably nervous of approaching staff, unsure of what to do and whose friend wrapped it up ?

user789653241 · 09/09/2017 10:23

No, I wouldn't go in and ask to speak to head. These things happen. I assume the teacher/Ta didn't know extent of injury.
Once my ds came home with huge bump on his head. No notes. I phoned up the school, they didn't know anything about it. He said he told the TA, but not articulate enough to tell properly, she must have looked at his head and thought it was ok. It happens.
One of my friend broke her bone in the playground in primary, and kept on playing. It was only found out next day it was broken.
School are normally good at these things, but cannot be 100% all the time.

Original poster
LuLu123456 · 09/09/2017 10:23

She said she cried and showed the teacher straightaway but another child actually wrapped it for her not the teacher!
As soon as grandma noticed (when they got home 5mins walk from school) she said it was swelled, bruised and daughter cried when it was touched) she just thought it was badly hurt but didn't actually think she could of broke it.
Surely even if it isn't broken they should mention it? At nursery we got told of anything rediculously minor so I'm just confused on the school policies?

OP posts:
Original poster
LuLu123456 · 09/09/2017 10:32

She also has a twin sister so I think that's why grandma didn't originally notice that DD1 was quiet on way home.

OP posts:
user789653241 · 09/09/2017 10:34

No, in primary, we wouldn't get told minor stuff. It's better that way.
It was unfortunate, but I wouldn't blame school. (Of course unless you really suspect the school has some safety issues.)

user789653241 · 09/09/2017 10:36

To be clear, my ds's school inform parents if something concerning, or any kind of head injury happens.

PelvicFloorClenchReminder · 09/09/2017 11:11

If the teacher did know, then you should have been given a copy of the accident slip if any first aid was given, or at the very least whoever picked her up should have been told. Something is not quite right here, so I would raise it with the teacher before involving the head.

RandomDent · 09/09/2017 11:15

At our school, anything serious or anything at all to their head would be relayed to you. A finger which didn't swell up, bruise or obviously cause problems till much later (and if the child didn't say anything later) probably wouldn't.

I hope she recovers soon. Smile

sparepantsandtoothbrush · 09/09/2017 11:57

Sorry but I think it's just "one of those things". It's so common for children's fingers to be stood on and usually a wet paper towel does the job to calm them down. I'd hazard a guess that your DD didn't tell the teacher it was still hurting.

That said, I imagine the teacher will be mortified when you tell her she needed a&e.

I hope she feels better soon Flowers

Copperbeech33 · 09/09/2017 12:01

It should have been seen b a first aider if it was known about, but the chances are it wasn't known about.

I've just tried a quick tally in my head of the number of little incidents like this that have cropped up this week, but i couldn't, it is probably around 50, including one child who was fine at the time of the trip up, but 2 hours later unable to walk.

PatriciaHolm · 09/09/2017 12:19

"At nursery we got told of anything rediculously minor so I'm just confused on the school policies?"

You'll find primary very different. You'll get told about head bumps and injuries that require medical attention, but not about a lot of other minor bumps. If your DD just cried briefly and said her finger hurt, but stopped crying quickly and it didn't look swollen/bruised at the time and didn't require medical attention, then it's unlikely to be mentioned. A primary reception of class of 30 are going to have loads of such incidents every day.

BitchyInnerMonologue · 09/09/2017 12:22

Our school advise you if any treatment has taken place.

A sore finger which, if when seen by staff, is mobile, not swollen, no marks etc would not be listed as no treatment would have taken place, especially if (as our kids do!) the child tells you that it's fine.

Some injuries only become apparent after time

Liadain · 09/09/2017 12:27

I remember when I was in secondary, a girl hurt her finger running into a fence. She was fine and could write etc no problem. A few days later she found out she'd broken it.

We don't tell parents about every minor bump on yard because there is no end to them. Having fingers stood on is common, crying when they get bumped is common. A finger which doesn't swell, bruise and that the child isn't complaining about isn't going to be on the radar for a teacher.

RandomDent · 09/09/2017 15:25

Nurseries also have very young children who might not yet have the language or memory to tell their parents that they fell over at lunchtime, so the adults need to do it.

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