Health Checks at School

Person_one

mrcow wrote: »

That's not what I said.

Not wanting your child weighed by a school nurse should not raise eyebrows. It is my right to refuse it if I choose. My reasons are nobody else's business. Someone automatically thinking that I am therefore trying to hide evidence of abuse is quite frankly laughable.

If one of children's teachers were to think that, all that would tell me is how little they actually know my child in the first place.

In isolation, it wouldn't raise concerns, but its true that one of the red flags of abusive parents is that they try to hide from services and stay off the radar.

Buellguy

And of course these checks are ALWAYS really helpful


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2142014/Obese-children-UK-NHS-branding-hundreds-healthy-happy-children-obese.html

mrcow

Person_one wrote: »

In isolation, it wouldn't raise concerns, but its true that one of the red flags of abusive parents is that they try to hide from services and stay off the radar.

I didn't day that.

I'm a teacher. I understand how it works.

I just object to concerned parents on here being called paranoid by some and then someone coming along and displaying an equal amount of paranoia in terms of suspecting abuse because someone may not want their child subjected to an often pointless "health check".

Person_one

Buellguy wrote: »

And of course these checks are ALWAYS really helpful


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2142014/Obese-children-UK-NHS-branding-hundreds-healthy-happy-children-obese.html

Excellent unbiased reporting by the Daily Mail as usual"

"Sometimes a computer will inappropriately trigger a letter saying your child is overweight and will die, or some such nonsense."

Yep, that's the standard letter, I'm sure!

IrishRose12

mrcow wrote: »

That's not what I said.

Not wanting your child weighed by a school nurse should not raise eyebrows. It is my right to refuse it if I choose. My reasons are nobody else's business. Someone automatically thinking that I am therefore trying to hide evidence of abuse is quite frankly laughable.

If one of children's teachers were to think that, all that would tell me is how little they actually know my child in the first place.

Like I said, if it was the same parents who didn't do other things and the teacher/school already had concerns about the child, then yes it would also add to them.

And even if they didn't have concerns, they wouldn't be concerned, but they would keep it in mind and a note would be kept of it, and if given the reason also.

Person_one

mrcow wrote: »

I didn't day that.

I'm a teacher. I understand how it works.

I just object to concerned parents on here being called paranoid by some and then someone coming along and displaying an equal amount of paranoia in terms of suspecting abuse because someone may not want their child subjected to an often pointless "health check".

What would be the harm of the check in a 4/5 year old child though? They wouldn't be self conscious at that age, they'd just get the fun of leaving the classroom for a few minutes and doing something different.

For the year 6 checks, the children aren't told their weight and are weighed privately, so there aren't any issues with teasing/embarrassment.

A few people here have reported that the checks identified problems earlier than they would have themselves, so how you can decide which are going to be pointless?

mrcow

Person_one wrote: »

What would be the harm of the check in a 4/5 year old child though? They wouldn't be self conscious at that age, they'd just get the fun of leaving the classroom for a few minutes and doing something different.

That's not my point.

My point is that we should not be calling parents paranoid and then start hyperventilating about domestic abuse when they don't want to conform to your weight checks.

IrishRose12

mrcow wrote: »

I didn't day that.

I'm a teacher. I understand how it works.

I just object to concerned parents on here being called paranoid by some and then someone coming along and displaying an equal amount of paranoia in terms of suspecting abuse because someone may not want their child subjected to an often pointless "health check".

Not paranoia, just something that is kept an eye on. As I said, I work in a school also, and this is one thing we would keep an eye on.

And like I said, it would be more important if you already had concerns about a particular child, and as listed by myself above along with other things that some parents don't do or avoid it would definitely flag up some concerns.

I'm a parent myself and personally don't see why you wouldn't want your child to have a health check To Be Honest. But that also doesn't mean I take what the nurse tells me as God's truth, like when she said about my child being too small. And if she were to tell me they were overweight I'd not worry about it, as they're children, they have plenty of time to worry about that, and they are still growing.

However they can bring up issues that are not thought of. One of the children in the class I work in this year went for her health check and failed the hearing test, Turned out there is a deeper problem there and she may end up having to get a hearing aid!
2 other children were referred to the opticians where they needed glasses. One parent was really annoyed that she had to take her there and couldn't believe it when the child needed glasses, and since getting them he is a much happier child now, and doesn't have half as many cuts and bruises as he used to!

Person_one

mrcow wrote: »

That's not my point.

My point is that we should not be calling parents paranoid and then start hyperventilating about domestic abuse when they don't want to conform to your weight checks.

Apart from paranoia though, what would be a sensible, understandable reason for refusing?

mrcow

IrishRose12 wrote: »

And like I said, it would be more important if you already had concerns about a particular child, and as listed by myself above along with other things that some parents don't do or avoid it would definitely flag up some concerns.

Your earlier post implied that refusing a child these checks could lead to a school suspecting abuse.

The same could be said for parents who don't allow their children to have
their health checks. Can lead to people thinking they are trying to hide
abuse/neglect etc.

You mentioned nothing about any other indicators, which any normal teacher/pastoral supervisor would use to flag a cause for concern.

A parent refusing a health check in isolation tells a school nothing.

No one has to consent to these checks if they feel uncomfortable with them.

No normal teacher will judge them for not consenting to them.

And no normal person would raise an eyebrow or flag it as a potential cause for concern in terms of domestic abuse.

Let's just make that quite clear to all parents reading this thread.


It is not (and never has been) how schools work!