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School Woes

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Orora

Newbie
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3
Good morning!

This is my first post on the forum - so apologies if I don't get it quite right :(

My 11 yr old (now 12 year old) son was diagnosed with Type 1 in November 2010. He has just been amazing taking all this on board, managing his injections, educating himself about diabetes, being stoic when he lost a lot of hair after commencing on insulin. I'm so proud of him :D

However... his school..... On a very positive note his school nurse has just been wonderful, knowledgeable, supportive and well I can't praise her enough. The 'academic staff however .....

He came out of HDU and sat exams and they are now using those results to push him down sets in school and block his applications to senior schools. Two of the staff are really sarcastic towards him and keep saying he's crying wolf - they pull him out of class to complete homeworks - even when Ive emailed the teacher concerned and arranged its completion when my son's feeling better. We submitted a Gp's letter in feb to say that it takes time to get used to the insulin regime etc and that my son should be given some space - only to be told by the school that a gp's letter isn't acceptable and any advice regarding our boys condition must come from his consultant. His form teacher kept a brush in the drawer for my son - even tho we'd explained he was losing hair and wasn't keen to brush his hair much atm - and made him use it in front of classmates. Sorry to ramble on but the upshot of all of this is my son's BG numbers are going all over the place through the stress they're exerting on him. We've been in several times now to school and nothing changes - has anyone any useful suggestions? Apparently our son's condition is unfair on the other children...and there's nine in his class! It's all really affecting my boy and I must admit I'm having sleepless nights now too and the odd crying jag when no-one's around.
 
Orora, I'm sorry that your son is having these problems with school.
You state that your son:
came out of HDU and sat exams and they are now using those results to push him down sets in school and block his applications to senior schools.
I would imagine that the LEA would have mechanisms to be in place to note your sons state of health and grades before and after diagnosis and to be noted as "special circumstances" on applying for senior school,(and anyway most upper schools will re-assess him once he settles in).
Two of the staff are really sarcastic towards him and keep saying he's crying wolf
 I wonder what they would do if I came round, excised their pancreas, and accused them of "crying wolf" over it.
- they pull him out of class to complete homeworks - even when Ive emailed the teacher concerned and arranged its completion when my son's feeling better.
I suggest you arrange a meeting to the headteacher discuss the teachers' bullying behavior, if not with the LEA
We submitted a Gp's letter in feb to say that it takes time to get used to the insulin regime etc and that my son should be given some space - only to be told by the school that a gp's letter isn't acceptable and any advice regarding our boys condition must come from his consultant.
Eh! I'm sure the GP/Consultant LEA may have a comment about whether a GP cannot comment on a patient's medical condition!
His form teacher kept a brush in the drawer for my son - even tho we'd explained he was losing hair and wasn't keen to brush his hair much atm - and made him use it in front of classmates. Again bullying behavior MUST be stopped.
In short, take this up with Headteacher If no joy, use Governors, LEA, if no joy, MP. I'm sure local newspaper would be interested in a nice little story!! Heads/schools do not like bad publicity!!
 
Hi.
Welcome to the Forum.

I think after reading your post you definitely need to set up a meeting with the Head of the school. Forget the individual Teachers. List all your concerns and see what response you get from the Head, that is the person that counts here.

Depending on the response then you can decide on a plan of action. Without going into detail it does seem as if your son is being singled out which would amount to victimisation/discrimination. The School Head would not be impressed if a Parent complained to the Governors or the LEA about such treatment. Drop a few hints if you need to........ :twisted:

Let us know how you get on.
 
Hi,

I am horrified at this treatment of your son. I saw your post on the CWD site and thought the advice excellent so didn't add my own two penn'orth then, but will now. I think I remember you said it was an independent school.

It is easy to assume the worst of the school and want to go in guns blazing. You may just be facing a wall of ignorance and a lack of communication instead, and I would start with that assumption. In 99% of schools the needs of the child are paramount in people's minds and they just find it difficult to balance their desire to do all they can with fears about repurcussions if things go wrong...personal liability etc etc. I would try to start with the belief that it is all a misunderstanding and can be sorted out, and that everyone wants to do the best for your son - trying to keep the moral high ground yourself - and then if it turns out they are being consciously obstructive I would go in then guns ablazing - in fact I would remove him from the school.

I would contact the school, again, and ask for an urgent and immediate meeting with the Head. The Nurse should be present, not only because she is on side, but also because it is her job to be involved in pupils with medical needs. I would agree with her who is going to lead the meeting - either you as the parent or her as the medical professional.

I would go through, gently and logically, the story of your son's diagnosis and subsequent treatment. I would go through everything he has to do and think about as far as diabetes is concerned, in addition to his school work. Try to be calm and realistic: don't scare them off with horror stories at the beginning about things that can go wrong, but emphasise the fact that this condition, when managed well, will not stop him doing anything.

Explain your concerns about the members of staff concerned. Ask to have a second meeting with all staff who currently teach him, to go through this information again, with the Nurse. Ask to have a meeting with the year group and explain to them what is going on. At all times try to present the view that clearly the school must want to do whatever it takes to keep one of their pupils safe and fulfilling their potential, and to date maybe they have not fully understood the implications of this diagnosis and you would like to work together to ensure that his future is as everyone was envisaging in September before diagnosis. Charm them with a velvet glove into changing their attitude, with the iron fist evident but not on show. At all times tell them what you would like to happen. Let them be in no doubt that if this is not just a lack of communication and they are discriminating against your son the Chair of Governors will be involved.

The school must not block his applications to other schools. It may be that they are dragging their feet on the basis of his exam performance so soon after diagnosis, which is really unfair and discriminatory. Speak personally to the heads of the other schools and explain the situation to them. Bear in mind they may be friends with your existing head, so go along the "I'm sure it is a misunderstanding but...." line with them too. You can build up a relationship with the next school on your own; you don't need to be sponsored by the Head of this school.

To give an idea of good practice in an independent school: my daughter was diagnosed aged 4 at the beginning the October half term of Reception. The hospital phoned the school on the Monday and by the Wednesday the Head of Pre Prep had phoned me at home from her holiday and also arranged a meeting for the Monday morning with: all staff who had anything to do with Reception (5 of them), the Nurse and the head of the Catering dept. The Head of the whole school found me on that Monday to ask if there was anything else we needed, and said that as a school they would do whatever was necessary for any pupil in the school - that was their job. I went into school to do the lunchtime injections for that week. On the Thursday the PDSN came in and spoke again to all the staff at the first meeting (except the catering staff) and had them all injecting pads and doing finger pricks on each other. She then supervised the school nurse doing injections and signed her off as capable. The school nurse then supervised the staff until they felt happy. The staff were asked if they wanted to volunteer to do her injections and all said they were. They did not want the disruption of the Nurse coming in before lunch and making it seem as if S was 'ill'.

I went into school at the beginning of September and trained up the Year One teachers, and now S has started on a pump so I have been in again teaching them to use that. To be honest it is easier for me to do it than the PDSNs.

The only other diabetic in the school's experience was diagnosed in year 7 I think, and had similar support, although she, like your son, was doing her own injections etc. She is now off at boarding school in year 9 and that school were similarly supportive once the condition was explained to them fully.

Sorry this has turned into an essay - do get in touch if I can be of any help!

Mary

Daughter S diagnosed Oct 2009 aged 4.
On pump March 2011
 
poor you and ur poor son, being diagnosed is a hard thing to deal with for the child and the parents without this added stress and worry. my sons teacher does tell me dylan plays on his diabetes sometimes but he is a 9 year old child hes bound too as long as he doesnt do it all the time im not too worried.

u def need to talk to the head of the school no child should be treated this way, it makes me glad dylan got diagnosed young before any big changes happened. if u ever need someone to talk to just ask we are all here for each other

anna marie
 
I have had diabetes since i was 5 years old and i am now 40. I spent my hole school career with diabetes and found that some teachers where brilliant and other where awful. I found as i got older the reason why teachers could be so awful was because of a lack of knowledge and understanding and unfortunately this has not changed very much. Over the last 2 years the Insulin Dependent Diabetes Trust has tried to rectify this by educating teacher and pupils by producing free information schools. There is loads of stuff available including Hypo posters for the staff room showing symptomes of a hypo and what to do. What to do on sports day or PE and a powerpoint presentation called What is diabetes? and 5 lesson plans that can be use to educate the whole school about diabetes (including the teachers) and the schools love it because it is free :D . If you contact the guys at IDDT they will get you all the stuff sent out. 01604 622837 or [email protected]. I realy hope this helps i know how difficult it is.
 
Thank you all so much for the replies and advice :D You really have helped enormously :D

I do think it is the lack of understanding about the condition that drives much of the inappropriate treatment of my son and other children in school, especially the wretched notion that Diabetes is something you've brought on yourself :evil: And o how it has changed...my father (aged 75) burst into tears when we first told him of his grandson's diagnosis, whereas one cousin commented 'well he did get a bit chubby last summer'...

Is there a Militant Wing of DC UK lol?
 
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