I need help. I’m utterly distraught and upset with my sons school, does anyone have any advice?

[mummytorands]

So I’ve been awake all night with keeping my 8 year old as comfortable as possible and yesterday’s events and I wanted to go to the school today and complain about how they handled things but I think I’m going to write to the chair of governors instead so I want to box clever.

So, I leave work yesterday (I work 10 minutes from the school by car) at 2:45 my children are usually let out at 3:10-3:20. School call at 2:50 telling me my son (8) has had a fall during playtime she explained he hurt his arm, elbow hip and knee. He was grazed seen by first aid but very upset and could I get him early of course I said yes I’ll be 5 minutes. Asked then as it’s unusual for him to be as upset as she was saying as he’s quite a tough cookie has he done any damage. No she said first aid moved his arm but seems ok but he’s very upset and think it’s best you came early and that she would get my daughter for me too (5). I pull up to school a TA is bringing them both out and it was quite evident to me we needed to get to hospital. I could clearly see my son was in pain, he was holding his arm, his wrist and hand were limp. I was given no accident form but didn’t think about that until later as my main concern was to get him medical attention. I called minor injuries they said they had a 3 hour wait and they wouldn’t be able to xray today so off to a&e I went which was heaving but we were dealt with pretty swiftly. Xray and he’s broken both radius and ulna and one of the fractures is going into the growth plate. I won’t know the full extent until we see the fracture clinic in 24 hours however we were sent home in a plaster cast and sling and I’ve kept him comfortable with calpol alternating nurofen. My plan is to go into school tomorrow asking for the accident book copy but I want to see it and not have it done and back dated. I will tell them he won’t be in for the next couple of days until I know more but I’m not disclosing the damage he’s done until I know for definite.

I am furious. He very clearly to me had broken his arm the moment I seen him. She played it down to me on the phone and his arm had been manipulated and it should not have been. They did not contact me fast enough and no accident from was given. Does anyone have advice? I want to complain because I’m just so unhappy about the handling and I don’t want it to happen again but I want the first aid training to be looked into also. My poor boy.

They called 25 minutes before going home time. It's incredibly unlikely that they have the afternoon break that late, so they do seem to have delayed.

Is this still going on?! The OP posted twice and then seems to have buggered off.
Like I said earlier, light the touch paper and watch it burn .......

@AuntAgathaGregson
Afternoon break at my school is 215 -230 . So calling a parent at 250 would be a quick response , taking into account having the accident, being taken to first aid , being assessed and the call made .

Where are you reading that nobody was watching him?

Why is that incredibly unlikely? My school have a break around that time. Why is it more likely they left it for hours and then decided to call 25 mins before OP was coming anyway? And If that were the case surely OP would have mentioned it in her OP?

If it is the case that they left him all day with a broken arm, I’d be upset as a parent too, but again, it’s not always obvious/ easy to tell when a bone is broken.

Were you there? If so, please fill us in with all the missing information which will enable us to have an informed opinion as to whether someone cocked up or not. I would safely assume that the child did have someone watching him pretty continuously - why do you assume there wasn’t?

I'm currently nursing a broken wrist,( 3rd time for same wrist) so I feel his pain, it's like no pain I've ever experienced. A suspected fracture should be held as still as possible to prevent bones moving out of alignment. I agree with questioning first aid training, particularly if you feel the arm.was obviously damaged, no wonder he was upset, he must have been in significant pain bless him🥰

You're right to be annoyed. The accident happened at school so of course they need to look after him properly until you get to him which includes taking him to hospital if necessary (not in this case as you could get to him relatively quickly) and explain exactly what happened and what has been done.

Manipulated?? Do you mean the first aider moved his arm/ wrist?
I work in Urgent care and we move limbs all the time to see if it can move/ cause pain etc. they will not have caused any additional problems. I agree with other posters, the school did what I would have expected them to do

What would you have been appropriate of the school?

Wow. I can’t believe the number of people saying the school have handled this correct. Dear OP I would be horrified if this happened to me. It’s quite clear there was a time delay as they called you very near to pick up time. With a broken bone the child would have been pale, sweaty and quiet - all signs that something is not right! They did not give you an accident report and downplayed the incident. At the least the protocol of giving parent proper written details of the incident has not been followed. I would say you have every right to complain at how this was handled. Please keep us updated and don’t be scared to make a fuss.

Why do you need to direct anger at anyone?! Your priority is your son, you took him to hospital which is the right thing.

It sounds like the school followed their policy; they contacted you as his parent. It’s horrible when our children are hurt, but focus on helping him recover rather than being needlessly angry. Saying you’re distraught because of a childhood accident is a huge catastrophisation of the situation.

You’ll be neurotic if you carry on like this all through childhood, with the various bumps and scrapes children get themselves into!

Hope your son recovers quickly and is back out playing.

I don't think it should be if necessary.

Your response is understandable in that you are upset, but blaming the school for misdiagnosis is not going to help. I’m a CoG and if you complained to me (after following the full complaint process) I’d still be unlikely to rule that the school are negligent. The first aider did their job in administering first aid. They could not possibly have known the full extent of the injury. They called you and you did what you needed to do as the parent.
Id suggest you get your son fixed up, go home and have a sit down and reflect on what more could have been done? No ambulance was required. You can rightly be upset and they can be more empathetic but otherwise YABU to think there is a complaint here.
I wonder if you are cruising for a compensation claim. If you are, shame on you. Boys and girls fall over and that’s life.

Are you joking? An ambulance, really. Have you any idea of the pressure the ambulance service is under? A fractured limb is not a reason to call an ambulance
no wonder the BHS is struggling

My son had an accident at school a few weeks ago and broke a bone -it hasn’t occurred to me to be angry at the school. He fell over and hurt himself, they phoned and told me to come and pick him up. None of us knew it was broken until it was xrayed. They gave me an accident form the next day, as when it happened they were more concerned with phoning me and taking care of him rather than form-filling.

I can honestly say this is a bit of an overreaction. Yes you need to know how it happened but there is no need to go in there demanding things, the school will work with you if you work with them.
Trust me as a parent of a boy who was on first name terms with the local children’s hospital receptionists. It got to the point where I was pleased the accidents happened at school and not just at home because at one point I was scared social services would be called.
This could be a long ride with your son if you don’t keep things on good terms with the school.
My son is 20 now and working full time, last week he had an accident in work and broke 2 fingers. He doesn’t know the meaning of going careful

I'm afraid I disagree that a child with a broken limb would be sweaty, pale etc. We have had a couple of broken arms/wrists in the last few years where the child has cheerfully said ' I banged my arm' or ' my arm hurts' with no sign of tears or trauma! Yet another child insisted they were fine and didn't want anyone to even look at their arm- our first aider tried to insist but in the end had to admit defeat and call the parents for them to take a look.

Christ - who would be a teacher with parents like this!

”manipulated” as in moved the arm/ wrist to check for pain or mobility issues? Literally what they did when you got to A&E no doubt?

your kid had an accident and you got the phone call. My youngest had almost the exact same situation at school last sept and proved to be a broken wrist playing football.

accidents happen - be upset for your son, but asking on the internet for help picking a victim for your anger is pure bat shit.

The only thing I’d be annoyed about is the lack of accident form, as that can help if there is a social services referral

Nowhere. They have done nothing wrong. accident forms should be completed within a reasonable timeframe. They called you.

It’s upsetting but kids break bones.

I understand this is really upsetting but being “ distraught ” with the school is a bit misplaced . They followed procedure and would have obviously have looked at and touched your son’s arm when he fell. I wouldn’t waste another moment being angry at an accident .

Badly broken is not sent home. Badly broken - like my 6 year olds - is operated on immediately.

Sounds pretty standard from the school. My son broke his collarbone at school recently and I had a call to pick him up. I told them I was going to take him home to see how he was before deciding whether to take him to an and e. Another teacher told me a few weeks later they could see straight away he had broken his collarbone so why on earth didn’t they tell me. I think they want it to be your call rather than theirs.
can totally understand why you are upset though seeing your son in that much pain.

As many others have said you are clearly overreacting... largely, quite simply, because you're his mum. But how would you have felt if someone had been screaming down your phone saying he's broken his arm come quick. That wouldn't have worked either. They 'played it down' as you say for your sake because they know 'you are his mum'. Noone has done anything wrong here but you will have if you go in all guns blazing. Take care