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Secondary education

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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:
Mummyoflittledragon · 18/03/2022 20:41

I am surprised at the teachers saying they must never leave a classroom.

DetailMouse · 18/03/2022 20:42

I'm not sure there are injuries I'd describe as "serious" that aren't on that list TBH @NeverDropYourMooncup

Blogblogblogblog · 18/03/2022 20:42

Witness statements need to be written up by those in the room asap before the persuasion to write something different ‘for their mate’ starts. Which will be happening now because of social media and it’s the weekend. The class will pick allegiances.

Leol · 18/03/2022 21:07

Children are alone with other children on the way to school, in corridors, in the toilets, when they are waiting for a teacher to turn up for homework help, when the cover teacher doesn’t turn up etc. I think some teachers on mumsnet work in utopian schools of their imagination.

Original poster
ImStillMe · 18/03/2022 21:48

It's not about blame, it is about doing better.

The victim has lost a significant amount of learning time due to the unsupervised incident.

OP posts:
willweevergetthere · 18/03/2022 21:56

@fallfallfall

a classmate was struck by an arrow during archery practice (thankfully to the calf) while the teacher was there... accidents happen.
As an archery instructor this is on whomever was in charge. It shouldn't happen if the rules are clear and enforced!
thewineisout · 18/03/2022 21:57

Nipping out for a resource doesn't change the questions you would need to be able to answer if a student was hurt whilst you are not there. Herisback - what would you tell me as parent? My child is hurt, but that's ok?

Supply staff and support, of course you must assist (because circumstances are exceptional).

Fights in the corridor (absolute priority)

A culture of nipping out isn't ok.

Leaving for a wee. What do you tell your class? Sanitary changes - I get it. I do also remind HR that enabling staff to have these breaks is essential. (50s and menopause - I get it)

Hercisback · 18/03/2022 22:03

I tell them I'm going for a wee because while they get a break every 2 hours, I don't.

A parent did ask once why I left the classroom. I was pregnant and needed to be sick. They were fine and understood.

I'd say I was very sorry your child was hurt. Id also say that I nipped put for 30 seconds to get something I'd forgotten because I am human and forget things. I didn't expect your child to be hurt in that time. It would be incredibly unlikely for a child to be so badly hurt in the max 30 seconds it took me to grab the sheets.

makingmiracles · 18/03/2022 22:06

No idea myself, but curious to hear the outcome of a incident this week at my dcs school where a stupid act by a student indoors resulted in a fairly bad injury to another student requiring 25+ stitches to the head

thewineisout · 18/03/2022 22:16

You are still responsible. Well done for saying you are sorry their child was hurt, Still on you. I assume you would tell an Ofsted Inspector the same? I wasn't here because ......

Hercisback · 18/03/2022 22:23

"well done". You are patronising and rude.

Children spend plenty of time unsupervised in school. Nipping out to grab a worksheet is not unreasonable. Why would I lie to an ofsted inspector?

Tee20x · 18/03/2022 22:31

Of course a teacher can leave the room to get something teaching in a secondary school. They're not 5 year olds.

The victim needs to report whatever happened & witness statements taken from those who are there and the matter would be dealt with internally.

If you're saying it's serious and an assault etc nothing to stop you going to the police.

Without details it's hard to know whether you're overreacting or if something serious actually did happen. Big difference between someone flinging something across a room and it hitting your kid to the child being stabbed with a pen on purpose.

TracyMosby · 18/03/2022 22:32

@thewineisout stop being a knobhead. Nobody asked for that.

thewineisout · 18/03/2022 22:34

Because you were not there?

Not patronising or rude. Read the thread and the responses from others. You are aware a student was hurt in the absence of a teacher?

Yes, students are left on their own, during some parts of their day, but not in lessons.

Workyticket · 18/03/2022 22:34

I left my class this morning because I felt myself flood through a tampon. We're all human!

What was the injury op? And how much actual learnings time was lost? Unless the teacher was missing for a huge amount of time you're blaming the wrong person

noblegiraffe · 18/03/2022 22:38

Yes, students are left on their own, during some parts of their day, but not in lessons.

So when the cover teacher is walking over from the other side of school and the class is waiting for them in the room, who supervises them in your school?

Hercisback · 18/03/2022 22:38

No teacher is getting convicted of anything for leaving a class of secondary age students for 30 seconds.

Ask yourself why it is OK for students to spend some time unsupervised? Why is the playground somehow magically different? The students know where I am if I'm grabbing a sheet.

BoredZelda · 18/03/2022 22:52

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

Depends on the class, and the age of the teenagers. Any age, French, English, mats, no problem. 13 year olds, woodwork workshop, home ec kitchen and (arguably) science lab, probably best not.

thewineisout · 18/03/2022 22:53

I'm a knobhead for being a teacher in a room with students and not leaving?

A knobhead for assuming, as a parent, my children's teachers are doing the same?

The Op shouldn't ask for an explanation?

Hercisback · 18/03/2022 22:56

You're probably the knobhead on SLT that never backs your staff.

OP can ask, what if the teacher was getting a sheet? What's actually going to happen to the teacher?

sykadelic · 18/03/2022 23:06

There's so much to it.

Depends on the age group, if there were known behavioural issues, what the activity was (i.e. high beam/gym, vs. sitting in English class), how much time it actually took for the injury to occur (could it have been a glance away, 2 minutes, etc), how long the teacher was actually gone, whether the item they went to get could have, or should have already been there... and all sorts of other variable.

So the question you're asking is impossible to answer without more information, and you won't/can't give more information without being outing.

thewineisout · 18/03/2022 23:20

No, not SLT. The op can ask why the teacher "was getting a sheet". The teacher has no leg to stand on if a student was hurt during the time they were absent. Probably nothing will happen to the teacher. Not the point though. The student was hurt. The parent can ask.

MrsHamlet · 19/03/2022 00:08

"I was getting a spare sheet for Bob because Bob had lost all of the other spare sheets that I have every lesson because he is Bob"

Dillidalli · 19/03/2022 01:14

So did one pupil stab the other with a knife? Or something more innocent like pull a chair away when someone was about to sit down. Context is everything.
Also, of course a teacher can leave the room, are you looking to point the finger at somebody?

AKASammyScrounge · 19/03/2022 01:40

@thewineisout

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.
That's correct. Children must not be left unattended.