Dog Bit My Child This Morning In The Playground!

[Mummatothreecubs]

Hi, sorry if it’s in the wrong category.

This morning my child was bitten by a dog in the school playground by a parents dog. I didn’t see this happen although he was playing near the climbing frame when he dog jumped and clenched his jaw around his arm. Although his skin is not broken he’s been left with bit marks on his skin.

I raised my concerns to the deputy who was In the playground at the time and she said she would have a quiet word with the parent or may put this in our weekly newsletter.

Several parents bring their dogs to school for drop off/pick up, can anything be done about this? The school also has 2 small pet dogs which roam around on a lead.

I’m actually very concerned now and worried this could have again, he already isn’t great with dogs and now this has happened it’s going to take us a while to work on the whole safety around dogs again.

What is the rule around dogs in the playground? If there is one. Who do I speak to about this?

Forget is others think "logically" or not!!

The fact remains a fact - your DC got bittne, thankfully there were no injuries - it is a massive warning. Another attack will certainly happen, its only a question of WHEN!!

99% of the schools are not stupid to ban parents dogs on school premises

there was a horrendous report re dog attack at an owners home the other day Just shows even nice dogs can turn.

As I said before, kids running around and kids that fear a dog, can even startle a well behaved dog - never save or sensible to have a dog in a school, school playground

People, adults/kids, fear dogs, many do - a dog in a primary scookl playground - you could not make it up!!

I think that, if you are not happy with the head’s response, then you make a complaint about the head. At the first stage, it will be investigated by a Governor. They may recommend that the policy is reviewed and then the head would need to reconsider it alongside the governors who would ratify changes to the H and S policy.

@Mummatothreecubs Unfortunately you’ve made the mistake of listening to advice on here most of which is misinformed. There are a few of us on here, who direct people to the correct policies but are often are shouted down with the contact Ofsted crowd.

You need to listen to those of us saying follow the complaints’s policy. I would double check with the chair that this is being investigated under which ever stage of the complaint’s policy you’ve got to. The chair of governors is right about the veiled threats. You need to be polite and persistent, the outcome you want is for the school to change the H&S policy because X, Y and Z. Has the accident been recorded? Is there a risk assessment for the teachers’ dogs? What training have the dogs had? Therapy dogs have certificates and teachers aren’t allowed to bring them in because the teacher has to be responsible for the class and not the children.

If the chair of governors doesn’t give you an outcome you are happy with, then it should go to governor panel, then a second one and the DfE panel. However it concerns me that you’re having meetings and nothing is being recorded and no letters or anything in writing to back it up. I would double check the complaints policy and see what you should expect. Usually the chair should do an investigation meeting with you and then outcome via letter. (Could be sent via email and there are clear timescales involved.)

I believe I have clearly not judged correctly when listening to certain posters on here.

So there is 2 dogs in the school, 1 has always been known as the ‘therapy dog’ & the other is one that a nursery assistant head (nursery is part of the school) brings in. From what we’ve always known is this dog is her personal dog, she takes him home etc. However I have noticed over the past 3 days he’s not been in the school with her, so now I’m wondering whether because we’ve questioned if there is a risk assessment for these dogs & the HT said there was. Although nothing was shown to us (I don’t know whether they are allowed to or not).

You asked if the accident has been recorded, where are we able to check this? Because again we mentioned this to the HT in the meeting & her reply was ‘yes yes’ again not sure if we can get proof of this?

HT also gave us a copy of the report written by the DHT on the day of the incident and many things in there are false. In person meeting something has been said and on paper something else has been written.

Risk assessment should be available on request, I can’t see any reason why you couldn’t see it. The only time you wouldn’t if it was related to a particular pupil.

If the accident was recorded then it should be in the accident book - ask to see your DC’s record. They can take a photo and anonymise anything you shouldn’t see if necessary.
If the accounts differ then challenge it, take a copy of the letter or what you have received from DH and Head and challenge the parts that are incorrect e.g. my DC was here instead of where is stated and this was witnessed by X. This needs to form part of your complaint. The chair of governors will need to go through your accounts and reports and then investigate it by talking to all parties.

I would contact the chair and apologise for veiled threats. Check that this is being dealt with under the complaints policy at stage X. It will vary from policy to policy for which stage. Make sure the complaints policy is being followed at this point - what does it say you should expect.

Explain you’d like to discuss the following:
copy of the report with inaccuracies pointed out (and include it)
No one has given you a risk assessment despite asking.
No proof that the accident was reported in the accident book
Are the dogs in school therapy dogs? If so do they have a relevant certificate and are the rules being followed? You can quote the guidance which says teachers should
not bring their own therapy dog into school. It’s on the charity’s website.

The outcome you wish to see is for the 1) H&S policy to be changed to ban dogs from the playground in line with other schools and in line with guidance from the RoSPA.
2) A full risk assessment on the animals in school which is available on request to parents and in line with best practice for therapy dogs as per the charity’s website.

Hope that is useful.

Some schools have an independent investigator if the complaint is about the GB. Complaints procedures vary but it’s vital the school one is followed.

This is awful OP - I’m a teacher and would be livid if a dog bit one our pupils, especially if it was on school grounds!

We don’t allow dogs on the premises as children’s safety is paramount.

Might be worth chasing the police up to see if the school have assisted them in providing the parent’s details.

Please listen to this wise and correct advice from Ionacat, and the things I have written.
This is the correct way to proceed - a calm and reasoned approach, using to
process in their complaints procedure, is the way to resolve this situation and to ensure nothing like this happens again.

This was a parent’s dog on the playground. Obviously the complaint can be widened to therapy dogs, but they haven’t bitten. I’d stick to the original complaint that has affected the OPs DC.

I’ve just had a email from the Chair to meet tomorrow, he said where would be convenient. Ideally where would you meet to discuss this matter? Do we invite him to come to our home?

Absolutely not!! Neutral territory.

@Mummatothreecubs Did you ever bother to read the complaints policy? Whst does it say about meeting a governor or a panel. You are making a mistake by not following the policy and getting notes taken of the meeting. There’s no helping you really.

No, do not meet them at home! Read the policy. It should be at school or neutral territory and it must all be minuted as per the policy. Remember that the purpose of the complaints policy is resolution and improvements moving forward. It’s not punitive.

It actually doesn’t say anything about where a meeting can take place, hence why I’m asking. If I had the answers I would not be wasting peoples time on here. Google suggests the school

At school. Confirm someone will be there to take minutes, and you should receive copies of them. Request copies of the incident report and any other reports/correspondence at school to you or between staff regarding the incident, to be sent to you and the chairman in advance.

@Mummatothreecubs If will not leave the venue up to you. It will be minuted. How will that happen in your house? Are you taking a friend with you? Have you had any info from the school regarding risk assessment or health and safety? This meeting almost certainly isn’t part of the official complaints policy and usually there are stages that must be complied with. I don’t think you have read the complaints policy. Plus the school isn’t following it. What evidence have you given them? Screen shot it and post it here. We can look at it and advise. Is this an investigation? If so, very late in the day. I do think you are being fobbed off. Have you actually completed the complaints form most schools have (well here anyway!)?

I would suggest at the school or online.

This is unlike any complaints procedure, I’ve ever seen and I’m not convinced at all that this is being handled as a formal complaint. Unless you’ve not said, there appears to be no written trail at all, there should be time scales, written responses. I can understand you not wanting to post it on here - but please feel free to PM me the name of the school and I’ll check it out for you.

Just to say for anyone reading, the complaints policy isn’t clear and doesn’t appear to being followed and I think the OP is being fobbed off as they’ll be no record of it - I have advised accordingly.

Any update, OP?