My child was hit by a pen, thrown by a teacher

[Tiredallthetimelaura]

So my daughter who is in year 8 was in a lesson when her teacher 'cold called' her a question. My daughter responded she didn't know the answer and the teacher then threw a highlighter pen at her, hitting her on the arm. The teacher then did it again to another student, also hitting them on the arm. We have reached level 2 of a complaint, but it's always investigated by management within the academy. The school keep down playing what happened and not investigating what we ask. This teacher is still teaching, although my daughter isn't going in on the day of that lesson, which is greatly affecting her attendance. The school said they would move my daughter so she could do a different lesson (double Maths or double English), but we said no! This feels like a punishment to our daughter. She wants to do that lesson, just not with that teacher... and we agree.
Any advice on what/how the school legally should be handling this? Happy to answer any further questions Xx

it’s outrageous and you need to keep consistent that your complaint stands. Teachers can’t throw things at children - be clear you’ll take complaint further and louder, even Facebook is damaging! Request meeting with said teacher.

Will her teacher change in year 9? I’d refuse for her to go to any of the current teachers lessons, have home work and re-start in September.

Did he toss it messing around, or pelt it and left a mark?

I can’t comment on legal or similar.

if I read you correctly school have offered to have her move groups so she is not with that teacher.

you want her to stay with the group she is in and for the teacher to move.

changing teachers is a timetabling nightmare and schools generally only do it when somebody leaves (and even then they tend to make the new teacher take the old one’s timetable if they can).

is there a reason why it is unacceptable to you that your daughter moves groups?

The teacher states it was 'a game', and the school have jumped on that excuse. They keep missing the point that the pen was thrown after my daughter answered the question and the same for the other child. They just keep down playing it! They acknowledge a pen was thrown and it did hit her but the statements of the other children in that class don't all match up so therefore this is not that serious, blah blah blah.
I collected my own statements from kids in that class and it's actually a very different story. I presented these to the last person investigating, but he seems to only really acknowledge the school statements, including the teachers!
It's a cover up! But I don't know where to go from here!

Changing teachers isn't going to happen.

I've previously accidentally hit a child with a pen. They get an apology and move on with their lives.

I'd file this under "mildly annoying" and get over it tbh.

Honestly, I can't see why you're making such a fuss. When I was at school in the late 80s, teachers throwning chalk and board rubbers at pupils were were regular occurrences and we all behaved a lot better. No one was traumatised.

How exactly did you get the other children's statements? Do you work in the school?

I used to play the ball game with my kids in class. I’d throw a tennis ball to someone and they had to tell me something they’d learnt that lesson. Then they’d throw to someone else and so on.
Was it something like that and your daughter missed catching it?

I'd wait until parents' evening and throw a pen at him when he's speaking to you. If it's really nothing, no one will be bothered.

It was a female teacher. She threw it at her the way you would throw a Frisbee. It didn't leave a mark as she had a blazer on, but emotionally she was shook up and embarrassed! The whole school ended up talking about it.
Regarding moving lessons - this happened in a music lesson, she wants to continue to do her music lesson. Why should she have to move to do English or Maths, as she did nothing wrong. Nightmare in covering teachers or not, the teacher should have not thrown something at my daughter, hitting her.

How did you get statements ? From whom ? Do you work there ?

“Emotionally she was traumatised…….” I literally can’t cope - heaven help the new generation

She was emotionally shook up??
It was a pen, not a grenade.

I’m not saying that the teacher should be throwing things, but come on.

It’s a highlighter, get a grip

I suppose it depends on the relationship the teacher has with the class and whether students are laughing along with the “game”. That is very different to a teacher launching a pen at a student in a vindictive way. We are now heading to a situation where we can’t laugh or joke with students because our actions are interpreted by at least one student negatively and it leads to this. How do you think it was intended?

Emotionally shook up? Seriously?

No wonder kids overrule teachers in school. I can’t understand how this comes to a level 2 complaint and has caused your child to be shaken up.

maybe some resilience lessons and to listen in class?

A pen?
You are being precious.

Is there an alternative music teacher? Many schools will only have one.

if there is only one music teacher then either your daughter stops doing music or she lives with the fact it is that teacher.

on another note, it is very very common for teachers to use the ball method in classes - eg in a French class I’ve seen a teacher use a little toy frog which was thrown from person to person and the person with the frog had to answer the question.

it’s a technique that is used, common, and taught in teacher training.

This tbh

Just for clarification, it's not the 80s anymore and you can't go throwing things at kids.
She was asked a question, she said she didn't know the answer and THEN the pen was thrown at her.
No I don't work in the school, I reached out to the parents of the kids in that class and asked them if they could ask their child if they remember an incident regarding my daughter in music. The parents all replied back.

This. Board rubber or the chalk were the missiles of choice.

I had a teacher who had the best shot with a piece of chalk.
He once threw it as a child was picking something up from the floor, as the child sat up it hit him on the forehead. We were all very impressed.

I mean, it’s not great that the teacher threw something, but emotionally shook up? Sorry, that makes me feel like teachers need to routinely throw chalk again!

Emotionally shook up 😂😂

The whole school is only talking about your over reaction, not the incident.

I mean it's not great, but I don't think you're helping your daughter develop resilience by making such a fuss about this.