My 5-Year-Old Broke His Arm at School – School Ignored My Warning. What Should I Do?

[Hannuda]

Hi everyone, I’d really appreciate some advice from other parents who may have experienced something similar.

My 5-year-old son is in Reception. At the beginning of June, he had an accident at home and came back to school with his left arm in a cast. I spoke directly with the headteacher and clearly asked that he not take part in any outdoor or physical activity, as I was concerned about the risk of further injury.

Despite that, on 11 June, during class time (not breaktime), he was outside in the play area with his class. He climbed onto a low block and fell, breaking his right arm — with multiple fractures. He was supervised by a teacher, but at the moment of the fall she was speaking to another child and did not see what happened. They claim he had been told not to climb, but honestly, he’s five — when you put kids in front of playground equipment, it’s predictable that they’ll want to use it, especially if they aren’t closely supervised.

What upset me most is that the school did not send me any written report until 21 days after the accident, and only after I repeatedly emailed them. When I finally received the report, it seemed to shift the blame onto my son rather than taking any real responsibility for what happened — even though they had agreed to keep him indoors for his safety.

My son has suffered a lot, physically and emotionally. He missed important football training sessions (he plays for a pre-academy), and it’s been hard for all of us to see him so down. I’m now considering making a formal complaint to the Council and possibly seeking legal advice — but before I take that step, I wanted to ask:

Has anyone experienced something similar with a school? How did you deal with it?

How was he going todo football training if he couldn't play out or do physical activities 🤔

Unreasonable. And if you are so unhappy, move the child.

And yes. I had a child with a serious illness. Sent back to school when medics gave the approval. No PE etc but I knew that the child would be running around anyway as they are a child.

By the way? Who was supervising child when original accident happened?

You should have had the accident report sooner, that’s a reasonable complaint.

In your child’s class there is probably one teacher and maybe a TA. There’s probably five kids with SEN, one with an EHCP or that needs one, one with serious child protection concerns, one whose still having toileting accidents, a couple with separation anxiety that cry every morning at drop off, a couple with EAL that barely understand English, one that feels sick and one whose dog died yesterday and Mum wants him to be kept an eye on. The chances of your son getting constant supervision were absolutely nil and I have no idea why a HT would ever have given you the impression that would be the case for a simple arm in a cast. I would understand you being cross if he’d been taking part in PE but if he can’t follow a simple instruction to stay on the ground while simply being outside in class time then that’s really not school’s fault. Accidents happen - how did he break his left arm?

As for it impacting his football… he’s five, he’s not David Beckham with his metatarsal.

You got a bone scan that quick? Kind of impressive.

Did You Notice The Subject Line Too?

Intrigued to know what legal case you think you have against the school

Hi, I know you said the doctors have done tests for any underlying medical conditions, but have they done genetic testing? Genetic testing (on the nhs) can take 6-9 months to get the results. Especially with the fracture from falling off a bench resulting in multiple fractures, I would be pushing for further tests (I’m a parent of a child with brittle bone disease)

I wonder if the hospital can give him a brace/support for your son's arm once they have their cast off? Ive broken my arm quite a few times and sometimes they do feel sore and weak after the cast is off. I never understand why they don't x-ray them again. Myam had to take me back to hospital once as I was in pain they they give me this velcro brace.

I remember once i broke my arm and then fell and broke it again less than 6 hours after getting my cast off. I literally fell over a toy car in the sitting room. My mam felt terrible but these things happen.

But I agree with your frustration on the school with the delay on their report. Surly they could have given you it within a few days.

The fact it was in class time, and what you say re the agreement by school to have him in, I agree with you OP.

the easy option would have been to say we cannot facilitate that, here is work for home.

I am sorry to hear that your boy has had such a nasty injury. He will, in time, be fit again, more aware of his vulnerability and mentally tougher.
Wherever it happens, missing football training at age 5 is not the end of the world, and is only temporary.
His mother's love will get him through this, not her (understandable) ire at the school. Take a deep breath and cut them some slack.

It all starts with his first 'accident' while he was in your obviously negligent care. As a responsible society, we should remove him from you immediately.

Alternatively — kids routinely hurt themselves as they learn and grow, and this should be expected.

Which is it?

Stop projecting and expecting the school to do what you clearly could not.

My DS broke his arm when he was 5.
He tripped over when going from his bedroom to the bathroom and put out his arm to break his fall.

That could easily have happened indoors at school.

Of course kids can be kept inside. My ds, his best friend and another acquaintance have all broken arms or wrists in the seven years of primary. Each injured child has been allowed to pick a friend and sit in the book corner or play board games. It’s a relatively normal backup plan at that age. I’m shocked so many people’s schools cannot accommodate this. They can’t stay off school entirely for the weeks it takes to be able to rerun to full physical activity.

The teacher should not have let him on the climbing frame in the first place and you’d be well within Your right to make a complaint.

Your poor kid! I can see why this has upset you, but as you know from the first break, accidents happen!

Asking him to be kept inside while others play outside is unreasonable - the poor lad will be miserable enough as it is without being excluded from his friends, if the school even had the resources to facilitate this in the first place. Besides, he could just as easily have broken his other arm indoors, climbing on a chair/desk that he was told not to.

Legal action against the school is a massive overreaction.

Formal written reports take a while to generate. They have to be drafted and checked, and probably checked by whichever legal service the school use too, I’d have thought.
I assume you’re moving your son to another school? What are you hoping to achieve by complaining? Financial compensation?

This was the first thing that struck me too. Multiple injuries from a couple of falls suggests an underlying problem. OP needs to be putting her energies into that rather than looking for a reason to blame a teacher in charge of 30 plus children for something she couldn’t prevent herself at home with just one child.

Assuming no one from the school broke his arm deliberately, then it was obviously an accident - and accidents do happen. Especially to young active children.
it’s good he’s not got brittle bones and you’ve had those tests.
I wouldn’t waste the school’s time personally @Hannuda and I hope your boy gets well soon x

What country are you —supposed to be— in? You talk of the ‘Council’. And refer to the head teacher in your first post then later on to the school principal.

Not really.
I started teaching 40 years ago and have never worked in a mainstream school with a School Nurse.
Nor did we have one in the 60s and 70s when I was a pupil.

Even when I worked in special school, we had a nurse visit for 1/2 a day a week, for a list of appointments. Even is you happened to feel ill on the 1/2 day she was there, you wouldn't have seen her if you felt unwell, let alone if you parents just didn't want you outside.

How I dealt with it.

Told my child that's what happens when you don't do as you are told and climb when your not supposed to.

Teachers don't have eyes in the back of their head and there isn't extra staff to sit with a child inside. Your child chose to climb on the block and then fell off. Its a accident. Not the schools fault and the fact you want to blame the school is ridiculous.

And school took so long with a written report request is that its bloody stupid you wanted one and they probably had to get legal advise as they knew you were looking to blame and sue them

And so what if he missed football. He is 5!

It was an accident. They happen & it SUCKS.
”Pre-academy” at 5… he’ll be fine once he’s out of his cast & can play again.
Asking school to not have him outside etc is unrealistic.

Strike through fail. Just spotted the new-fangled way. I’m not impressed.

Complain to your LEA (local education authority) The school should have completed an official accident report for something this serious, one which is done on a form from the LEA / county council.

Ask to see a copy of all reports and staff witness statements - do a subject access request if necessary, templates are free online.

Ask for the risk assessment, you reported his previous arm injury and said he couldn’t go on equipment / be physical, they should have had a RA in place.

The school has failed in its duty of care to your son.

And finally….where do they get off blaming a 5 year old? I’ve worked in schools that word things to place the blame on anyone but them and it’s disgusting, especially when they blame children.

100% agree