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Primary education

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Original poster

The saddest thing is that l’m not surprised to hear how badly this poor teacher has been treated.

253 replies

HedgesNotFences · 05/08/2023 14:31

The teacher taught a Yr 6 boy how to use a glue gun. He didn’t follow the instructions and gave himself 2 “tiny” blisters from a glue gun burn.
The teacher was unable to tell the parent straight after school as she had to deal with a serious safeguarding issue.
The Yr6 parent took to social media then the newspapers. She then went to A&E (for 2 “tiny” blisters - recorded as such by A&E). She then went to the police. She then went to the Health and Safety executive. Then she contacted the school.
In the week after the incident she was outside the school gates setting up a petition to get the teacher sacked (the teacher had already been asked to resign by then and had left her position).
The teacher had to face a government tribunal where it was found she brought the profession into disrepute and wasn’t safe (because she didn’t have a TA to constantly watch over every single Yr6 who was using a glue gun).
Because of the shortage of teachers and the fact that she was actually pretty good, the tribe kindly allowed her to continue being a teacher. Though God knows why she would want to.

The parent gets to remain anonymous.

I hope the teacher has been supported through her ordeal - her mental health must have suffered terribly.

OP posts:
BoohooWoohoo · 05/08/2023 15:35

Icedlatteplease · 05/08/2023 15:09

I'm not sure why a primary school teacher should be using a glue gun.

There's no way in a class of 30 kids a teacher could ever possibly supervise effectively.

Seems like abject stupidity as opposed to blame culture

In year 7 (the following school year) they use bunsen burners and chemicals in science, hobs and knives in food tech, iirc soldering in DT... Listening to instructions and not touching or doing something until told is something that most kids should be able to cope with by age 10.
I welcome school lessons where they experience something a little more grown up and "risky" and hope that incidents like this don't force schools to be more risk adverse and having kids watch someone on YouTube do it instead because that would be a shame.

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 05/08/2023 15:35

Good grief we were using soldering irons at 10 to make circuit boards connect a battery to a led lamp. Dh was impressed I could solder. Couldn't get the soldering iron back in the case but you cant have it all.

You just know the mother was after compo and will be astonished when her dc is completely able to function in society and has "anxiety".

Icedlatteplease · 05/08/2023 15:36

sendismylife · 05/08/2023 15:29

@Icedlatteplease The children are also expected to use a junior hacksaw, hand drill, craft knives and so on. In many schools, this is expected in Years 3 and 4. It is all about learning the most effective ways of joining different materials for different purposes.
I am not saying that I would have let my classes use these tools unsupervised, but I am equally aware that I do not have magic powers and children can have these minor accidents whilst I am standing next to them if they don’t follow instructions.

I suppose the question here then is what level of supervision is usually required.

If its expected to be done, then the teacher isn't going be getting in trouble for doing it.

Doing in in spite of the necessary supervision being unavailable I'm guessing is the problem here.

Which is slightly different I think than the OP suggests maybe

toomuchlaundry · 05/08/2023 15:36

@Icedlatteplease at what point in a child's school life should they move on from blunt scissors to use sharper, hotter types of equipment, without an individual adult supervising them?

NotQuiteUsual · 05/08/2023 15:36

This is part of why I left education. I'm an experienced special needs TA, who was great at her job. Ten years ago I would of trained as a teacher and I'd of been good at it. Now I've left the whole sector. I get paid more as an apprentice(more hours admittedly) with none of the stress and pressure. My mental health was destroyed by being a TA. I had a psychotic breakdown because of it. Psychosis for a minimum wage, part time job.

Upwiththelark76 · 05/08/2023 15:37

I feel for the teacher . No wonder nobody wants to teach . Blame culture . Over worked. No support . Shameful state of our education system .

HeidioftheAlps · 05/08/2023 15:40

I remember making pancakes with guides at a similar age and getting a little burn on my finger. Just taught me to be more careful next time. No one would kick up a huge fuss about it back then.

sendismylife · 05/08/2023 15:41

The problem seems to have been that the teacher was so busy doing the vital work of their safeguarding lead responsibilities after school (let’s leave that to the imagination) that she didn’t manage to fill in a form or phone the parent. And let’s face it, if she had done so after a couple of hours spent doing the safeguarding work, a parent like this would probably have still gone to the newspapers because it wasn’t instantaneous.

Twillow · 05/08/2023 15:41

sendismylife · 05/08/2023 14:36

The entitlement of mother and child shines through in the report. The child was told not to use the glue gun but did it as soon as the teacher’s back was turned, forcing her to teach him to use it. Once he had burned himself, he then refused to follow instructions to put water on it. So glad I am no longer teaching. But, looking at so many threads on here, and the parents who will allow their children to take no responsibility for their behaviour, the reasons for the teacher recruitment crisis are painfully obvious. Oh, the bullying head teacher is a frequent part too.

100% agree

Bromptotoo · 05/08/2023 15:42

EmeraldDuck · 05/08/2023 14:41

That’s awful. I don’t understand why the teacher was asked to resign. School management and police should protect teachers from insane vindictive parents not facilitate them.

The current persecution of teachers for so many different things (glue guns, socalled misgendering, saying the wrong thing and what the wrong thing is may change from hour to hour) reminds me so much of thr way teachers were treated in communist regimes.

The asked, nay more or less instructed, to resign bit is probably as bad as the way she was treated by being dragged on front of a conduct tribunal.

Why was the Head and the Academy trust not supportive of what was, at worst, a misdemeanour over planning and risk assessment? I strongly suspect that's telling us a hell of a lot about how school 'management' works today.

These kids are 11. A minor injury of the sort you could get from a candle shouldn't have raised more than a mild flutter.

How much did all this cost FFS?

Icedlatteplease · 05/08/2023 15:42

toomuchlaundry · 05/08/2023 15:36

@Icedlatteplease at what point in a child's school life should they move on from blunt scissors to use sharper, hotter types of equipment, without an individual adult supervising them?

I think there are two different questions here.

Putting 2 and 2 together from subsequent posts, it appears maybe the teacher didn't have adequate supervision. Doing something against risk assessments, whatever that something I can well see as being a sackable offence.

Your question is a different one entirely. Having had one child who could have done all those things safely at year 6 and another who would have still struggled now at the equivalent of end of GSCE even when supervised on a one to one basis, im not sure how appropriate it is to say should.

elliejjtiny · 05/08/2023 15:43

A couple of my dc's teachers have made similar very minor mistakes over the years. I've always said don't worry about it, these things happen. That's the right think to do.

PuffyShirt · 05/08/2023 15:44

What a hateful parent - hellbent on destroying the teacher.

WasJuliaRight · 05/08/2023 15:47

Ultimately she’s responsible, the adult in the room. She made a decision to allow pupils to use glue guns without adequate supervision. She would have been aware of the rules. And as a result of using a glue gun in her class a child sustained an injury. Then she did not arrange for them to receive treatment for the injury, tell the parent, notify the Headteacher of the accident or complete an accident report until requested to do so by the Headteacher. She should be thankful that the child only sustained a minor injury.
Ms Mead herself admitted the allegations and that they amounted to unacceptable professional behaviour and conduct that might bring the profession into disrepute.
Of course the parent and as such the child should remain anonymous.

RattleRattle · 05/08/2023 15:50

This reply has been deleted

This user is a goady troll so we've removed their posts.

Bluevelvetsofa · 05/08/2023 15:53

The activity took place following SATs week and, from what I read, the boy wasn’t in the group doing the activity with the glue gun, but had finished what his task was and wanted to do that one. I imagine there were careful instructions for the group originally doing that task, but it had to be explained again to the boy.

It’s scarily easy for things to happen and blame to be attached. It’s going to get to a point where there’s no craft activity, no PE, no outside activity, just in case.

noblegiraffe · 05/08/2023 15:54

Of course the parent and as such the child should remain anonymous

The parent saw fit to name and have photos of her kid printed in the tabloid press.

Getupat8amnow · 05/08/2023 15:57

I was a primary teacher for over twenty years and very good at it. This case is a perfect example of the way teachers are treated and thought of by a sizeable portion of the general public.

I am no longer a teacher and would advise anyone thinking of becoming a teacher to think again. When I started teaching was a rewarding and satisfying career but now it is constant stress, unmanageable workload and having to be all things to all people.

I admire and at the same time feel sorry for those still teaching - many of whom are only doing so as they are trapped by their salaries.

BlessYourBlackCottonSocksOnTheRider · 05/08/2023 16:00

Wow! My DC primary class was taken to a private school for the day as pay of their charity to the serfs. She used a soldering iron and got burnt. I don’t know if you’ve ever had a soldering iron burn but they’re painful. The teacher told her to deal with it in the next session. That teacher ignored her. She didn’t get any first aid. No one from the school told us and I didn’t know till she told me that night as she was going to bed. It was very sore and has scared.

I wish I’d sued now!

HideTheCroissants · 05/08/2023 16:03

Of course the parent and as such the child should remain anonymous.

Well they aren’t anonymous as mum ran to the gutter press BEFORE speaking to the school!

The judgement should be read in full. The child (and others) disobeyed the teacher. The child tried to hide the (very minor) injury from the teacher (because he knew it was his fault). The child refused to comply with appropriate first aid.

Yes, the teacher should have filled in the accident book but as DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) she was called away to a serious incident (bare in mind this could have been a case of a child being at serious risk of harm - not a small blister) which DOES take priority.

My son came home from school once with sever bruising over his torso. He has SEN and was unable to tell me what had happened. We did take him to get checked over but it was just bruising, no other damage. I spoke to his teacher the next day and she was mortified, she had no idea how it had happened as she hadn’t seen anything. She asked if I wanted to speak to the head. Of course I didn’t! My son clearly had some sort of accident but accidents happen. I didn’t make any complaints and didn’t run to the press. I just asked them to keep an eye on him and excuse him from PE for a few days.

Hayliebells · 05/08/2023 16:03

One of the worst aspects of this whole thing is that the Headteacher asked her to resign. Spineless weasel, I suspect their staff body aren't exactly thrilled to be working for them, and given the school name is all over the media, a quick Google would put any prospective teachers right off.

Paul2023 · 05/08/2023 16:04

Can the teacher sue the parent for bad mouthing them on social media? For instance defamation of character? Why can’t the parent be named? Surely anyone could just name them on social media? I hope the teacher goes long term sick with stress and moves to a better school.

ILookAtTheFloor · 05/08/2023 16:05

This is insanity. I read all the TRA reports (need a new hobby haha!) And the way it is worded is very sympathetic to the teacher. It's an unusual report compared to the many I have read. Quite rightly, the teacher wasn't banned. I can't believe it even went to the panel!

It reminded me of when my now 12yo burned her finger with a glue gun in year 2, the school did call me, I barely gave it a second thought, let alone all the nonsense this mother went to? A year 6 child as well, likely messing around with the glue gun as 11yo children do!

Motorcycleemptyness · 05/08/2023 16:05

The sun newspaper is utter scum, isn’t it? It absolutely lives for stirring up idiots into a frothing social media frenzy. Horrible newspaper. Really hope it’s brought down soon by some awful scandal.

ladyvivienne · 05/08/2023 16:05

Back in the day, a child in my class swallowed two split pins which I had sent home as part of homework finishing off their art. This was upper KS2. Deliberately swallowed I might add. Luckily I had added in the paperwork to please be careful with the split pins.

It's just one of a whole host of reasons I don't teach in the classroom any more.