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?

Of course the school has a responsibility here. They're allowing admitedly adorable but potentially lethal animals on the school premises with seemingly no policies or risk assessments. They're now also dismissing and gaslighting OP for raising a concern about it.

Again OP are you in the UK? because this just seems an utterly bizarre reaction to quite a serious issue

Dogs are a menace, I cannot abide this culture the UK has become - they do not belong in schools, they do not belong in school playgrounds. It's totally unacceptable. I am so sorry your child got bitten. If the school don't ban dogs completely, there is nothing to say someone won't bring a bigger, more dangerous dog on site. There needs to be a complete ban on bringing dogs onto school premises, and I'd include having them clogging up the school gate too - it is a minefield trying to get past them all with my children, and is an accident waiting to happen.

Push this as far as you can. I am astounded at the slack response from your school.

Awful behaviour by the SLT.
Keep on complaining report to LA & Ofsted if not resolved. Escalate to governors too.
Good luck. Hope your child is ok. Sorry you are dealing with the bite firstly and then the response from school.

Plenty of schools have no dogs except therapy dogs. It isn't that difficult.

Have the school completed an incident form, getting them to think of potential insurance costs might sharpen the response. Because I would be looking for their insurance should my child need support or medical treatment.

They have really under reacted towards this situation & im absolutely fuming. Yes im in London. All the nearby schools don’t allow dogs in the playground, ours seems to be the only one apparently.

I emailed the governor on Friday and got a very crappy response today! This has further wound me up. I have a meeting with the Head Teacher on Wednesday morning & in my opinion she normally tends to take things on board & isn’t patronising like the deputy!

@Mummatothreecubs You will have to go through the complaints procedure. No individual governor has the authority to respond to you (other then say “noted”) let alone make changes. Governors make collective decisions and cannot overrule the complaints procedure. Therefore follow the procedure. It should go to the Head and you are seeing the head.

I’ve given you a strong argument to make with the Head. If you are not satisfied make sure you read the complaints policy so you know how to escalate the complaint. You have a very valid case but you need to spell out the health and safety and risk assessment argument. It’s a strong one.

Schools where we live and our grandkids go, don't allow dogs on site
OP - demand school bans dog and you have good grounds to seek this - get a pettiiton going and I bet you the school will oblige as there has already been an incident!!

Failing that, seek gusiance from the school governors/etc

IMO, the school will agree to ban dogs on site

TBH, I thought it was the norm, not to allow dogs on primary, junior school sites!!

@Mummatothreecubs Look at these web sites. RoSpa might help.

Sorry i posted before reading this
That is great.!!
Even seek advice/help from MP - failing headmasters meeting - I don't recall saying this before but go to the press!!

I'm glad you DC was not seriously hurt but the truam for your DC and you//family and other like minded people - the school must learn from the dangers of allowing dogs on site!!

I too was looking up dogs in playgrounds and schools and all of them say a big no!!

Where are you based OP, approx area if you can

we live in London, and I cant recall any school letting dogs on their site, never mind a primary school playground

Good luck!!

We’re also in London. Surrounding schools don’t allow dogs in school playground either, so ours seems to be the only one!
I’ll give the headteacher a chance tomorrow as she’s been away on a conference until yesterday, will take it from there. I just don’t see them banning dogs from the playgrounds from the Dhead’s attitude, like she said we’re a ‘animal loving school’ clearly for her that overrides child safety! 😡

The ethos of a school is 100% down to the governors. The SLT put that into practice but have a duty to ensure safety of dc when implementing the determined ethos. If it’s just a whim, and they have no clear guidance and haven’t considered risk, then SLT should do so. Most schools conclude the risk is too great. You have a lot of ammunition to explain this to them,

At the moment I’d avoid mp- election etc. I’d avoid the press too. See whet the head says first. Then use complaints policy appeal.

Morning
Yes, that is the best way forward!!
When meeting the head - if he is a really decent/understanding and caring head, they will change their policy

You may want to make and take in a small piece of paper with bullet points - ie the important points

Eg - you know of no other schools allowing dogs on to the school prpemsies never mind the playground

in a playground as kids play, a dog is more likely to attack just like a dog did to your DC

What makes you think its safe to allow dogs and the vast majority of other schools ban dogs

The above are blunt etc - so you will think of your own questions in a polite way but asertively

So, look up google why schools ban dogs

Worst case scenrio - head is like DH - tell him you will go to the local press (if you are up to it - if it was our child when at school or grandkid, we would take it all the way - ideally if you can get the support of a few parents, mention that with their consent or just say the parents you spoke to are in favour of a ban on dogs (at least playground - ideally the school)
NB: Just prepare a few bullet points

OP

a moments search on the net - found this - I forgot re dog mess on lkids shoes etc going into the classroom and allegeries et

quote from link below - good luck!!

Many schools have a ‘no dogs on school grounds’ policy meaning that dogs cannot go beyond the school gate and into the playground. Only assistance dogs and dogs being used for educational purposes are generally allowed onto school premises.

‘No dogs on school grounds’ policies are designed for the safety of children and to protect children with allergies. Plus, there’s nothing worse than dog poo in the playground…other than dog poo on children’s shoes!

https://www.puppyschool.co.uk/puppy-advice/dogs-on-school-grounds#:~:text=Only%20assistance%20dogs%20and%20dogs,dog%20poo%20in%20the%20playground%E2%80%A6

Agree about asking to see the risk assessment, but with the kind of place where staff's dogs are allowed to be brought into work you've got little chance of the incident being taken seriously

Though I like dogs I'm getting very tired of the obsession with them being allowed everywhere, and personally I'd be taking the whole issue up with the governors

@Puzzledandpissedoff Read the thread! She did!

The governors should not deal with individual parent complaints. A school complaints policy sets out the procedures. Usually head on this type of complaint, so op is seeing the head. Governors are responsible for ethos. This is ethos so it could be escalated to governors via complaints policy.

In addition to above, dog poo and wee is unhygienic and dangerous. . I’ve never seen a state school with dogs allowed on the premises. Anyone’s dog. Staff or parents. The risks aren’t worth it.

This advice is for school dogs but can equally apply to dogs on the playground. It’s union advice but it’s sensible. It’s useful for speaking to the head.

Stupidly, I posted before OP's latest update @TizerorFizz

You're quite right about the governors' role, but it's what she's had so far from the school that convinces me she'll have no option but to escalate this to them. Trouble is, I see OP's now had "a crappy response" from a governor too, so god knows where this will end up

As suggested, this obsession with having dogs just about everywhere fries my brain; much as they're (rightly) loved you'd hope common sense would prevail in a school of all places, but apparently not

My old dog was a reading dog and we took her into school to listen to the year 1 and 2s read, other dogs still do this so our rural primary school is pretty dog friendly.

They are not allowed in the playground at all. In fact the newsletter says to avoid bringing them as there isnt much space on the pavement outside the gates and they can get easily trodden on and react by biting.

Allowing dogs in the playground is madness.

My old dog was a reading dog and we took her into school to listen to the year 1 and 2s read

I hope this was optional

Out of control dog. Needs police involved

@Puzzledandpissedoff
We don’t know what the governor said but they have no mandate to sort out policy and issues on their own. They can only really say the issue is noted and please follow the complaints policy. As a result of a complaint with evidence the policy isn’t safe for all dc, governors can review the policy. And indeed should. Before its run its course on the complaint, the individual governor shouldn’t get involved.

There is also the strong possibility that the governors are “bullied” by the SLT and haven’t understood risk assessment and their duties in respect of health and safety: and then making a sensible policy. It baffles me but some governors are untrained and, frankly, should not be governors. I’ve seen some schools with “no dogs at the gate” policies to avoid unruly behaviour by dogs. So some governors do understand that safety matters and their role is to set the ethos and have policies that reflect this. Safety trumps being animal friendly. The latter is optional.

A reading dog! Thank goodness my dc read to a person who could help them!

@Pippippip2024 It’s been reported to the police. It’s not going to be high priority for them and ultimately it’s a school matter. The dog was on a lead. The problem is the school allows dogs into the playground . They shouldn’t.

Forget the school dealing with it

Call the local dog warden (Google their number), don't worry they will not put the dog down or anything but they will talk to the owner about keeping the dog muzzled

(I have had to do this once)

Good luck