Guest Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Hi, I was so annoyed yesterday a friend of mine picked my little sister up from school (my sister is six) as we had a sleepover and fun night planned. Emily (my sister) was sat at her table, her eyes sunken with terrible black circles under them, she was flushed and bright red ears. the teacher eventually released Emily to my friend. Emily told her the she had a headache, The teacher then said yes she has had a headache all day. my friend Felt Emily's head and she was red hot. The teacher said she had a cold compress this morning because she was very hot.(Emily later informs me that a junior school child got her a cold compress, i wonder where the teachers were) Why on earth was mum not phoned, mum had no missed calls on her phone, no messages at work or home. plus im on Emily's emergency contacts and no one tried to get hold of me either..... im so cross. i got home from work at 4 to be greeted by a poorly Emily, i promptly rang school to find out why we had not been informed she was poorly.. there was no infant teachers so my call diverted to juniors, where of course no one could help me. i did ask the lady i spoke to what was there policy on children complaining of headacahe and being hot, she said they would ring parents to see if school could give calpol... i wonder why this is not the same polciy for infants... needless to say i was so cross, because had we have had a phone call she would have been collected poor Emily has tonsilitus, as we found out when i took her to primary care last night, bless her she must have been feeling so ill, i have tonsilitus quite frequently and know how poorly you can feel with it.... Im cross with the school because had they been more vigilant (and dare i say caring) Emily would have been sent home in the morning and given some pain relief, rest and a doctors visit a lot sooner. School will be getting a harsh word on monday from my mum. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Hi, I was so annoyed yesterday a friend of mine picked my little sister up from school (my sister is six) as we had a sleepover and fun night planned. Emily (my sister) was sat at her table, her eyes sunken with terrible black circles under them, she was flushed and bright red ears. the teacher eventually released Emily to my friend. Emily told her the she had a headache, The teacher then said yes she has had a headache all day. my friend Felt Emily's head and she was red hot. The teacher said she had a cold compress this morning because she was very hot.(Emily later informs me that a junior school child got her a cold compress, i wonder where the teachers were) Why on earth was mum not phoned, mum had no missed calls on her phone, no messages at work or home. plus im on Emily's emergency contacts and no one tried to get hold of me either..... im so cross. i got home from work at 4 to be greeted by a poorly Emily, i promptly rang school to find out why we had not been informed she was poorly.. there was no infant teachers so my call diverted to juniors, where of course no one could help me. i did ask the lady i spoke to what was there policy on children complaining of headacahe and being hot, she said they would ring parents to see if school could give calpol... i wonder why this is not the same polciy for infants... needless to say i was so cross, because had we have had a phone call she would have been collected poor Emily has tonsilitus, as we found out when i took her to primary care last night, bless her she must have been feeling so ill, i have tonsilitus quite frequently and know how poorly you can feel with it.... Im cross with the school because had they been more vigilant (and dare i say caring) Emily would have been sent home in the morning and given some pain relief, rest and a doctors visit a lot sooner. School will be getting a harsh word on monday from my mum. Dawn Oh dear.............. i hope Emily is better soon, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 harsh word! wipe the flippin floor with them! what if it had been meningitis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Possum Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Isn't headache one of the meningitis signs, yeah? Goodness - this could have had a different outcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 I would question giving even a junior child calpol with those symptoms! If she had visable spots all over her face I assume the teacher would have taken action. Early symptoms can include fever, headache, nausea (feeling sick), vomiting (being sick), and muscle pain, with cold hands and feet-Meningitis trust A friends child of 7 was sick after his milk so the school rightly sent him home, 5pm visited the doctor, 9pm discovered with a rash, 11pm he died despite the best efforts of the A&E from meningitis.(I hope thats not alarmed you to much) Knowing now how quick it can happen I now send any young child who complains of a headache home. Young children do just not complain of headache or 'pain in my head' without reason. They can't see it and they do not invent it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Biccy - what a sad story. A good reminder to us all though. Dawn - hope your sister soon feels a lot better. Sunnyday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 I am very surprised to hear that your sister had been left like this Dawn. Presumably she did not give her teacher cause for concern during the day. It can be quite difficult to ascertain the point at which a child who complains of feeling unwell is actually too ill to be in school. If the parent has sent the child to school and the child complains early on in the day, it can be difficult to make a decision to send the child home knowing that the parents have decided that the child was well enough to come in. Did your sister complain at home before going to school? You would be surprised at the number of parents who actually complain about being contacted when the child is deemed unwell by the school! The teacher should not be disclosing info about your sister to anyone other than your mum, if she is the usual collector. So there may have been another explanation that you are not aware of. You say the teacher eventually released your sister to your friend, your friend should not be collecting without the teacher being made previously aware of this situation and the teacher could have been well within her rights to keep your sister. Im also surprised that any non prescribed medicines are given by any schools. hope she is feeling better this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 (edited) I must say I usually have the opposite problem at my school - I would always phone home or other contact number if a child in my class has complained of feeling ill and have very often been made to feel terrible by the parent when they come to collect them as they feel their child could have stayed in school! The amount of times I have been told - they will be fine dont call me unless they are really poorly! I would always phone home if a child in my care complained of a headache as you really can never be too careful (and I am not a qualified doctor!! ) but I then brace myself for a possible earful from the parent who comes to collect them! Our school policy is to contact parents and allow them to make the decision, and we always do so. I hope your sister feels better soon Dawn. x Edited June 20, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 (edited) I was told once...when I had phoned a parent to come and collect her little boy........"well I'm not really available right now"... I was, I thought, very restrained with my answer! Edited June 20, 2009 by sunnyday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upsy Daisy Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 I know schools have attendance targets to meet and I know some parents find it very inconvenient to have to collect their unwell child but I do think that schools worry too much about this. My daughter at age six was kept at school for a whole afternoon with a broken arm because they chose not to believe how much it hurt. Luckily it was only a greenstick fracture so no damage was done. A few weeks later one of her friends walked out of school at home time white as a sheet clutching her arm. I could see across the playground that she was in severe pain and she was admitted to hospital and spent 3 weeks in traction. The school had decided she could manage the last 45 minutes til home time! They didn't worry about home being a one mile walk away! Dawn, if your sister was hot, she had a temperature and they should have phoned home straight away. She must have been so miserable. Is she, like my children, too quiet to make a fuss? I would definitely be making my feelings very clear on Monday morning. Like Cait says, wipe the floor with them! I always tell school to ring me if my children feel ill. I would rather collect them for no reason than have them feeling ill or in pain at school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyanne Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 As a parent, sometimes you do send your child to school when they've been flouncing around shouting 'I don't feel WELL!'. Because you don't believe them! But also sometimes, they've got a cold and you think 'Mmm, I dunno... Not really ill but not feeling 100%... I'll sent them in and school will phone me if they get worse. You need to be able to trust that the school will watch out for them and take the best care in your absence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Possum Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 I once went to collect my daughter from school and the teacher didn't know where she was - last seen in the wendy house after lunch. She was still there, fast asleep and teacher hadn't even missed her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upsy Daisy Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Now that is just plain scarey! How long after lunch was this? Did you complain? What if she had left the premises? It doesn't bear thinking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Possum Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Boy did I complain! She'd been asleep from one-ish until I arrived at 3.15. As you say, the scariest thing was that she hadn't even been missed! The other children left and she didn't come out so I went into the classroom to see where she was and the teacher said 'everyone's gone'. I was totally beside myself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 (edited) susan in our nursery,calpol is allowed to be given with high temperatures as stated in EYFS Welfare requirements i think if parent agrees.no other non-prescribed medicines are. This story is shocking!! hope your sister is ok now!!!! Edited June 21, 2009 by eclmmcca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmileyPR Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Oh, boy! Sad enough. Hope she recovers soon and, yes, you should express your concerns to the teacher and the administration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 HI susan, school were informed that 'Aunty emma' (my friend, and affectionatly known by Emily as Aunty Emma) was collecting, they were told this at 1:30 and Emily told me that when the receptionsit came to tell her teacher Aunty Emma was coming Emily was poorly at this time, so we know she was poorly from at least 1:30 if not sooner. she was fine when she went to school no signs of being poorly at all, of course children do go down very fast i accept this, but i do wonder what an earth the deal was in getting a cold compress to cool a boiling child down without ringing the parent... i can't see the logic in it. all in all Emily is fine, but she would have had a comfier day had she been at home and dosed up with relevant medication. thanks for your thoughts Dawn I am very surprised to hear that your sister had been left like this Dawn. Presumably she did not give her teacher cause for concern during the day. It can be quite difficult to ascertain the point at which a child who complains of feeling unwell is actually too ill to be in school. If the parent has sent the child to school and the child complains early on in the day, it can be difficult to make a decision to send the child home knowing that the parents have decided that the child was well enough to come in. Did your sister complain at home before going to school? You would be surprised at the number of parents who actually complain about being contacted when the child is deemed unwell by the school! The teacher should not be disclosing info about your sister to anyone other than your mum, if she is the usual collector. So there may have been another explanation that you are not aware of. You say the teacher eventually released your sister to your friend, your friend should not be collecting without the teacher being made previously aware of this situation and the teacher could have been well within her rights to keep your sister. Im also surprised that any non prescribed medicines are given by any schools. hope she is feeling better this morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 Thanks all for your replies. emily is a lot brighter thanks, she is now getting regular pain relief which is still clearly needed as she see her deteriate as the medication wears off and she will be two full days into her antibiotics by tommorow. Mum is hesitant to send her to school tommorow, though she has been bounding around today, that said it is with the help of four hourly doses of calpol. still, school will be getting a speaking to tommorow. .... some scary stories here, and i can not believe that schools are over cautious, as someone said surely it is better to send a child home and get an ear bashing from parent because they deem child to be well, rather than leaving a child in pain and then getting an ear bashing for that instead... i am not a parent, but i tell you if i was and i collected my shild from school poorly without being informed i would go mad. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiny Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 (edited) Are we allowed to give Calpol then? I thought we couldn't give anything that wasn't prescribed by a doctor!!?? Ps Glad Emily is feeling better!! Edited June 21, 2009 by Shiny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 first aid course also said that because of chilldrens centres pushing-ie saying how beneficial it is in bringing childen's temperatures down.You are allowed to give it.With parents consent.we are able to give calpol anything that is not prescribed apart from calpol isn't allowed!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 (edited) I would have thought its efficacy in bringing down temperature is exactly why we SHOULDN'T be giving it. High temperature is a body's response to illness and masking it can hide an underlying cause which may be serious. How can a doctor examine an unwell child successfully if this symptom is masked? Edited June 21, 2009 by Cait Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/eyfs/site...eguarding/2.htm ITS all there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upsy Daisy Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 (edited) I would have thought its efficacy in bringing down temperature is exactly why we SHOULDN'T be giving it. High temperature is a body's response to illness and masking it can hide an underlying cause which may be serious. My thoughts exactly Cait. Although the EYFS states that we may administer pain and fever relief which is prescribed by a doctor I would never use it to keep a child's temperature down in order for them to remain in the setting. I could imagine using it to control pain after an injury which has been treated by a medical professional. I can't actually think of a situation where it would be appropriate for a child to remain in a setting with a fever whether it is controlled by calpol or not (apart from during the time it takes for parents to travel to the setting to pick them up). Edited June 21, 2009 by AlisonP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 If they need Calpol to get them through they should not be at school. I was once advised by a doctor not to give Calpol to bring down a temperature as the child would be better to rest, which they were less likely to do if Calpol alleviated the symptoms! I wasnt prepared to risk the temperature getting out of control though so not sure I really ever followed that one! Dawn, I was not suggesting that the school shouldnt have called you, merely suggesting why they might have done so. It can be quite difficult to judge in the classroom situation the severity of a child's "illness" and I have been accused of being over cautious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 (edited) no,i would never use it to keep a child to remain in the setting as they are better at home but i would use as a pain relief ie ear ache.one instance,i remember is one of our 3 year olds.She is one of the most lively children in the setting-can't keep still.one day she came in and wasn't herself was clingy for the whole day her body was boiling up-stripped her down obviously giving her plenty of fluids .We got in touch with mum who was 80 miles away on a conference and no answer from dad-so we administered it while waiting for mum-child did come round a bit and was in less pain so i feel it was the right thing to do-obviously i wouldnt continuously give a child calpol just to keep temperature down-that would be bad practice just to keep child in the setting!!! Edited June 21, 2009 by eclmmcca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 we make it a rule to have 4 contact numbers for this eventuality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 we have the same i think !! not lot we can do wen grandmas liv in london n us in manchester!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyMaz Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 we make it a rule to have 4 contact numbers for this eventuality I would have been unable to provide four contact numbers though - just my home number and family were more than 45 minutes away even if they were able to drop everything and come the minute the call came, and assuming no traffic hold ups. Maz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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