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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Teen injured by classmate in lesson

119 replies

ImStillMe · 18/03/2022 18:18

If a classmate seriously injured a fellow student during a lesson , whilst the teacher went to get a resource, what process should the school follow after the incident?

OP posts:
MichelleScarn · 18/03/2022 18:20

Intentionally and maliciously injured?
First step would be medical care so ambulance, then parents of injured child then police once injured party is in care of hospital.

lljkk · 18/03/2022 18:21

need more context -- how severe was injury, accident, boisterous, self-defence or malice?

LightSpeeds · 18/03/2022 18:21

Inform parents immediately if serious
First aid
Ambulance if neccessary
Police if necessary
Full incident report
Any necessary sanctions

LightSpeeds · 18/03/2022 18:22

What actually happened?

TheHoleNineYards · 18/03/2022 18:27

This is one of those questions that definitely needs more context.

DetailMouse · 18/03/2022 18:30

How old are the children?
What was the lesson?
What actually happened?

Original poster
ImStillMe · 18/03/2022 18:34

Perpetrator will say it's an accident although the act which caused the serious injury certainly wasn't a sensible action.

OP posts:
LightSpeeds · 18/03/2022 18:38

What's the issue here? How the school dealt with it (or didn't)?

Was there a lack of duty of care?

noblegiraffe · 18/03/2022 18:43

Witness statements should be taken from those in the room.

Original poster
ImStillMe · 18/03/2022 18:53

Trying not to be outing, but is it acceptable for the teacher to be absent to get something?

OP posts:
noblegiraffe · 18/03/2022 18:56

It happens.

Teens aren't always supervised at secondary.

Whattodo121 · 18/03/2022 18:59

At secondary yes it’s certainly acceptable to nip to another close classroom to get something. I teach music and the kids go into practice rooms and I spread them out between the hall and the other department classroom when doing noisy activities. There are always plenty of staff around in close proximity, but kids should be able to be a room together for 2 minutes without hurting themselves or each other.

Incognito32 · 18/03/2022 19:08

@ImStillMe

Trying not to be outing, but is it acceptable for the teacher to be absent to get something?
Yes of course. Teenagers aren't babies or inmates.

Can you just make up something vaguely similar so we can attempt to give an answer?

Clymene · 18/03/2022 19:10

@ImStillMe

Trying not to be outing, but is it acceptable for the teacher to be absent to get something?
In secondary school? Absolutely.
Butitsnotfunnyisititsserious · 18/03/2022 19:11

@ImStillMe

Perpetrator will say it's an accident although the act which caused the serious injury certainly wasn't a sensible action.
Not Sensible doesn't mean it wasn't an accident.
LIZS · 18/03/2022 19:15

@ImStillMe

Trying not to be outing, but is it acceptable for the teacher to be absent to get something?
With teenagers yes. You could ask for the risk assessment for the class.
NerrSnerr · 18/03/2022 19:16

How serious is serious? A black eye? Broken bone? Needing stitches?

I'd expect the child to be punished appropriately and for them to have acted accordingly at the time (ambulance, first aid etc)

fallfallfall · 18/03/2022 19:18

a classmate was struck by an arrow during archery practice (thankfully to the calf) while the teacher was there...
accidents happen.

Sirzy · 18/03/2022 19:18

Yes teachers are allowed to leave the room if they need to. Sometimes it’s unavoidable.

Those involved need to be punished appropriately for their actions and everything needs to be corrected treated and recorded.

TheBigDilemma · 18/03/2022 19:18

Of course the teacher can leave the room, they are not babies. If it was an accident I think you need to take it as such.

thewineisout · 18/03/2022 19:20

Long time secondary school teacher. It is NOT acceptable to leave a class alone. Anyone who says this is is wrong. It is not OK to leave to retrieve a resource from somewhere else. The teacher should not have left the room. It is a safeguarding risk. Anything that happened afterwards needs to be investigated. I cannot believe the posters on here saying it is ever ok to leave a class unattended. Unless a student, or yourself, is very unwell, you never the room.

HalloHello · 18/03/2022 19:21

The incident could have happened at lunchtime, no teachers there!

Galaxyrippleforever · 18/03/2022 19:22

How is it a safeguarding risk if they're allowed to be alone at other times of the day? Please explain your thoughts as I am really interested by that.

mrkb · 18/03/2022 19:32

The idea that a member of staff is never allowed to leave the room at secondary is ridiculous and this certainly isn't a policy at my school. Students are often alone at the start of lessons/tutor time etc whilst teachers are travelling between classrooms, and are allowed to be in classrooms unsupervised 100% of the time at break/lunch.

Op it sounds like you're trying to shift blame to a teacher for not being in the room when really the issue lies with the child that perpetrated the action - they need to be followed up with according to the school's behaviour policy but I can't fathom why anyone would try to get a teacher into trouble for popping out the room to get a resource. As a pp said, accidents happen even with a teacher in the room.

springtimeishereagain · 18/03/2022 19:35

Of course teachers can leave the room! Teens are not babies; you should be able to leave them without stupid behaviour taking place.

I hope your dc is alright.