The school didn’t inform me my son broke his finger during pe!!

[user1469528032]

I’m wondering what others thoughts are on this. Basically my son hurt his finger during a pe lesson at secondary school. He told the pe teacher who sent him to the office, the lady told him it was swollen and looked like it was probably broken, but just to go back to lessons for the rest of the day (the accident happened during second period) and just to let me know when he got home. Am I wrong in thinking If she thought it was broken a phone call to me would be appropriate? When a couple of hours had passed and it was really swollen and painful he asked his teacher if he could ring me to let me know, the teacher said yes and sent him to the office where he rung me. I told him I wanted to pick him up and get him an x-ray. He relayed this to the lady in the office, who then told him off for ringing me but said she needed to get authorisation for him to leave. In the end I had to ring her and tell her I was coming to get him as I didn’t think leaving him all day with no treatment was ok, she was not happy!
Am I being unreasonable to say I expect a phone call if a broken bone is suspected? I am genuinely interested to hear your thought, thanks.

Please do not listen to the rubbish about being nothing that can be done. I broke a finger and assumed that - but had it xrayed and was immediately operated on and had pins to hold the bones in place. Had the pins for 6 weeks. Finger broke again a few years later and it was pinned again.

Yanbu and I am shocked that you weren't contacted.

From her actions I wonder if he misunderstood or misheard? He must've been in a bit of pain and shock at that point. I can imagine him being told its probably not broken just swollen and go back to class etc in that case. Might be worth a phone call to check both sides of the story? I think if they'd been properly concerned it was a break I would expect a call too, but her actions just seem to me like that of someone who didn't think it was a break.

Ds2 broke his thumb last year and school phoned us and asked us to collect him and take him to A&E for an x ray.

Ignore the BS about no treatments being available. It entirely depends on the type/location of the break. In my case my finger was broken and dislocated - I had surgery the same day but years later it can still act up.

Broken fingers are exceptionally painful! Poor kid!

My dd broke her finger on the trampoline and it needed emergency surgery.

I would start with asking whether he was assessed by a first aider and what their policy is on suspected broken bones.

I would be amazed if it doesn't include a phone call home and advising parent they may want to collect and take to minor injuries/a&e.

But listen to their side too - it might not be quite as straightforward as "she thought it was probably broken"

DD3 was in year 5 when she broke her finger. I was called at 12pm, took her to minor injuries, x-rayed, strapped and then she insisted on returning to school because she had drama club.

So yes, a call would have been good, but generally, once it's strapped they can crack on.

Had a similar thing happen daughter became very unwell in school. They wouldn’t let her leave nor did they inform me. She ended up vomiting 3 times walking home from school with her friends supporting her, she had to text me to put her up from a friend who lived near the school.
Having heard of some other cautionary tales it seems the school was more concerned about attendance than care.
More recently she was very ill again she had texted me in the morning break to say she wasn’t doing great I told her go to first aid. I received another at lunch saying she was feeling worse and they had sent her back to class that morning and told her to go back later if she still was ill . I’m not happy so message the school I’m coming to get her . The f**king receptionist said well unless the teacher said you can go it will go down as unauthorised. I could see my daughter was clearly unwell as would anyone else with eyes and common sense. Sorry I’ve ranted but I was really pissed off she ended up sleeping for over 14 hours temperature not well at all. This would not happen in the workplace you would be sent home end of.

how old?

dc school (not in uk) stops informing parents from y10... dc can go to school nurse (they still have one) for wound care and general advice. dc is the expected to make their own arrangement with gp/minor injuries unless it's a major injury.

last time dc had a bad ankle sprain in pe they decided to stay at school as didn't want to miss a test. then cycled home

It may also depend on his reaction.
Ds broke his wrist at school last year in PE. He continued with the lesson. But they asked him if he needed to go to medical and he said no, he was fine, and it wasn't really painful (2/10). They did all the checks of movement and all were fine.

The next morning I had had an apology email and phone call from two separate members of staff.
I had to tell them that

1. Ds will avoid medical intervention at almost all cost
2. He does have a very high pain threshold. He nearly didn't have his appendicitis operated on due to it being only 4/10

I have pointed out to ds that now he'll only have to say "ow" and they'll send him to A&E.

So if he was reacting like that then I wouldn't blame them for sending him back to lessons.

Sorry to read this.
Same happened to my 11yr old. Broke his arm in a rugby match in pe in tge morning. Had some intervention. Was told to find medic at lunch. Couldn't. Tried go find teacher he was in a meeting
Went to reception asked to call home. She said we don't call home but offered no help to find tge teacher who coykd
Got a v anxious child who hardly goes to school as doesn't feel safe there!!!

It sounds very odd from the lady in the office- I wonder if she has recently been told too many children are being allowed to go home ill, and she must send them all back to try lessons or something?

I would contact the school and ask why it was handled this way.

Clearly it looked bad a few hours later, or at least bad enough for the teacher to send him to call you?

I expect what actually happened was

He got sent to the first aider with a swollen finger who said it looked swollen and gave him an ice pack. She probably then said if it's still painful when you get home it could be broken. So tell your parent

I have worked in schools most of my life I suspect my version is most likely

I can't imagine calling a patent for what I assessesed was a bent back finger that's swollen

THIS WAS IN OCTOBER, PEOPLE. I'm sure the finger is all nicely healed by now.

My DD phoned me from school to say she had hurt her ankle in PE. Heard a loud snap. Teacher made her hop back to school, hop up the stairs to the office from where she phoned me. I picked her up and she was standing outside having hopped back down the stairs. I think she was 15 at the time. No contact from school at all.

And yes it was indeed broken.

DH went in and played merry hell.

A country that has had three different Prime Ministers in six months does not have good leadership and does not look stable to external investors.

That's a fact. Not thought. Our international partner and competitiors see it and say it.

Keir Starmer said something positively amazing the other day. He said he preferred Davos to Westminster.

Good. At least someone recognizes that Britain needs to start acting like a proper player again and not play to the gallery like Truss (beaten by international markets), Johnson (beaten by international law) and Sunak (fairly doesn't seem to have done anything particularly offensive).

Sorry completely the wrong thread...

No, that wasn’t the case at all, he wasn’t sent to a first aider, or seen by anyone qualified in first aid. Just a lady who does admin and some support work. She told my son, and me, when I rang her, that it looked broken. He wasn’t given an ice pack, or any advice on how to deal with it. This has been admitted to me by the school.

No, that wasn’t the case at all, he wasn’t sent to a first aider, or seen by anyone qualified in first aid. Just a lady who does admin and some support work. She told my son, and me, when I rang her, that it looked broken. He wasn’t given an ice pack, or any advice on how to deal with it. This has been admitted to me by the school

Interesting though that you think you know what happened better than me, my son, and his school!!

Usually schools have first aiders. She sounds very rude. You did the right thing.

Thank you everyone who sent a reply, I did speak to the school about this, they agreed it was dealt with inappropriately and that he should have been given better care, and that I should have been informed.
Thankfully, it is healed now.

This is exactly how I handle things too. The teacher in OP's case did everything correctly, but the person in the office needs to stop with the power trip. I would definitely complain.