Would you have complained about this?

[timeandtimeagain42]

Just after opinions really about this disagreement between two friends. Let's call them Tara and Poppy.
Tara's ds was in Reception, he spat on the floor during a PE lesson and drew pictures in the spit on the floor.
The PE coach shouted/told him off.
Then reported to the class teacher who again shouted/told him off. Then moved his name to red on the traffic lights, made him sit on the naughty spot for 20 mins and miss two playtimes. (Her ds is a well behaved compliant boy and was in floods of tears by the end of the day)
Tara didn't complain as she says "spitting in the floor is disgusting so best he learns"
Poppy, a Reception teacher in another school says she would have had him clean it up (miss a bit of PE whilst doing so) and had a chat about spitting and germs. She thinks the school was harsh and that Tara should have spoken to the teacher. I'm curious, what would you have done?

I think I'd tell Poppy to mind her own business

Assuming I'm Poppy in this scenario, mind my own business.

I think the PE coach needs to know the discipline policy and should have asked him to wipe it up, sit out and apologise after.

It does seem a bit harsh to be told off twice. And with a time lapse in between to get further punishment, surely the PE teacher should be able to deal with it there and then it's done.

While I think it's harsh, I'm not sure I would complain.

Sounds like a bit over over punishment, but equally, I think Tara is doing the right thing just letting it go.

Looking at it from Tara's point of view, I agree with her, better that son learn lessons early on.
However there is another side to this and that is what does the school behaviour policy say in terms of a graduated approach to poor behaviour. Should the PE teacher have shouted at son firstly and then should the class teacher have shouted at son and then issued a further punishment in terms of a visit to the naughty spot and missing play times. If that escalation is within the behaviour policy then good, if it is not then there is a training issue for the school so that all staff understand the policy and do not do "their own thing".

I agree with most. Probably a bit OTT for the coach to report it back to the teacher, after (s)he has already dealt with it, but, as a parent, my reaction would be - 'well, you shouldn't have spat on the floor'. I wouldn't be saying anything to the school about it, no, even if, in a perfect world, Poppy's "theoretical" dealing with the situation would probably have been slightly better.

I think I'd tell Poppy to mind her own business

Well yes, there is that. . It did all get a bit heated to be fair. Just asking out of curiosity by the way. The situation is long finished.

I'm sure the PE teacher followed the school disciplinary policy - why the assumption that the policy is for the child to clear it up, given that they would need to be supervised while doing it and there may not be the time for that.

I'm not sure how a "well behaved compliant boy" was spitting and drawing pictures in it when they should have been doing PE, it sounds like the floods of tears came from realisation that messing around has consequences that perhaps he hadn't realised before.

Overall it does seem a little extreme for a single incident, essentially 3 punishments for a single act, however we don't know the schools behaviour policy, we don't actually know that there weren't other warnings. A child that has been in the school a year will know those things though, so like Tara, I'll give the teacher the benefit of the doubt.

'm not sure how a "well behaved compliant boy" was spitting and drawing pictures in it when they should have been doing PE,

I think even well behaved, compliant children can have their moments though? Yes I'm pretty sure his tears came from being upset about the telling off and the consequences.

Slip hazards need to be dealt with at the time, sirfredfredgeorge. That’s not the disciplinary policy, that’s common sense.

I think even well behaved, compliant children can have their moments though?

Yes, and after a year at school, they know that it's wrong - but it's okay to be wrong sometimes (compliant is not a positive trait)

saucery Even if it was a slip hazard, which it might not have been depending on where and the floor - then supervising a reception kid to clean it up is significantly slower and more disruptive to the rest of the class than simply doing it.

How sure are you that Tara's ds is a well behaved compliant boy at school? I've known a few children who are beautifully behaved at home but act up once away from their parents watchful eye and being egged on by other children. The punishment sounds very extreme for a single out of character incident, but possibly not for something he has already been told about before.

I know him fairly well and he's a bit of an anxious rule follower "but mummy said we can only have one biscuit" type child, have also been told by Tara on different occasions that his school reports/parents evening's praise his behaviour. She could be lying or not telling the whole truth I suppose but I'd be a bit surprised. TBH I think knowing that he is a gentle soul who wants to please people (with us anyway) is what was fuelling Poppy's annoyance with the punishment.

However, I've noticed that he has quite a few sensory type behaviours including laying with his spit inside his mouth (sorry that's gross but you know the type of thing? Sort of squishing a spit bubble noisily from side to side) so I wonder if he's good but has irritating sensory type behaviours that the school are trying to clamp down on.

Good god, what do they do at that school if one child pushes another, behead them? As the mother of two over-anxious rule followers I'd complain like mad about such an OTT punishment for silly behaviour.

I wonder if he's good but has irritating sensory type behaviours that the school are trying to clamp down on.

That could make sense, but I would have spoken to the parent about it before clamping down.

I'm a teacher (have taught reception) and agree with Poppy.