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

To what purpose, then? Why do they say a pen was thrown at her? What was she supposed to do with it?

the teacher should have a formal warning or undertake training in regards to classroom behaviour

Damn. That's absolutely outrageous of the teacher.. absolutely if the Head of Year and Head of School and governor's don't all punish teacher for this, you should definitely contact the police. I would also set up a protest outside the school with placards and raise the profile of this case with the wider school and local community. Maybe even get the media involved. Write a review on Facebook AND Google. Keep you daughter off school too. That's a case of PTSD for sure. The impact on her application for Oxbridge is unknown at this stage but if it escalates any further, I'd be calling a lawyer to seek damages and possibly be asking the school to help with proof for special consideration.

What colour was the highlighter?

I don't really understand what you think was going on if it wasn't being done as a game of highlight the correct answer. If the teacher was in a raging fury, angry and out of control enough to chuck objects at a pupil, she wouldn't be frisbeeing a highlighter, would she? It doesn't make any sense that it was done in anger.

My daughter who this happened too is also that girl! She was diagnosed with selective mutism and isn't actually even meant to be cold called in class.

They must have explained the game to you. What was it?

I cannot believe the sheer number of adults on this thread excusing this poor excuse of a teacher! This happened at the school I work in and was taken very seriously, rightly so. Teachers can’t throw things at children, jokingly or otherwise. The same adults would be up in arms if a child had done something like this, after all we all lead by example.
Is it okay to throw something at your spouse, colleague, or boss? Why are people excusing this behaviour towards a child who obviously isn’t going to retaliate?

OP ask for a face to face meeting with the head or get the governors involved. I can imagine your daughter’s shock and embarrassment. It’s situations like this that can rightly put children off going into school. Hope you get the solution you want.

Mine used to throw the backboard eraser at us lol and he had the aim just right as it whizzed past our ears, daren't day dream in his class haha

Yes, but some things are totally reasonable to complain about. If I threw a pen at a child, I'd deserve a parent complaining about me.

I can't blame the daughter.

If I could have got away with it, I would have played the "traumatised, shocked, embarrassed, humiliated" card too and missed school for a whole month 😂

What do you want to happen now?

You've avoided the question.

It might help if the OP had explained what the school and the teacher's take is on what game was being played.

I've got a child in exams and a child who's already done exams

Not a stage 2 level with seemingly no outcome good enough for the OP. It should have been a quick apology and life carried on.

you can't comprehend the difference between throwing things at your kids jokingly, and throwing something in pure anger to somebody's face? You really can't?

give me strength.

Our geography teacher used to fling chalk at us. We used to think it was silly and no worse than his awful breath. I don’t think I mentioned it to my mum and if I did she would have rolled her eyes and told me to get on with stuff and stop making such a bloody fuss.

You haven’t answered the numerous people asking what outcome you’re looking for?

Oh, for goodness sake! Get a grip.

Ex teacher

I’ve thrown balls at kids - in PE lessons.

i’ve thrown pens to them (with the intention they catch them) if they need to borrow one.

I’ve done a bean bag game where we do quick quizzing and whoever has the bean bag at the end of question has to answer it (that’s worse because lots of kids can’t throw or catch!)

@Tiredallthetimelaura you haven't answered the question that's been asked many times:

WHAT OUTCOME IS IT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THAT WOULD BE SATISFACTORY TO YOU TO CLOSE THIS MATTER?

Maybe a child should have thrown it back at the teacher then, because surely everyone likes to join in with games!

Regarding the absence of the day - our daughter point blank refused for 5 weeks to attend school on that day, because she doesn't feel safe... YES, SAFE, around that teacher.

How does that justify her taking the full day off? Surely at most it justifies missing the lesson?

That’s all well and good but it’s completely different to what the OP has described and you know it.

OP your are not stupid, as an adult we do not get to throw objects at each other, if I done that at work to another adult I would be I Massive bother ....so why is it acceptable to behave like that towards a child...it's not ...it's worse

This actually happened to me once when I played the ball game with my class that I explained earlier. A kid lobbed it back to me and it bounced off the desk and hit my head. Lots of laughter from all, me included! It wasn’t done maliciously, it was her bad throwing and my bad catching!