[Closed] Kids sports day cancelled. H and S strikes again

Better than a broken arm/leg?

Well kids do need to injure them selves at some point, but the chance of anyone breaking arm/leg is surely so small to be unimportant.

A decent set of trainers will make sure they dont slip and as most all they'll do is scratch elbows/knees.

Better than a broken arm/leg?

Just a minute I've reread your post and its actually a joke ?

I think ?

A decent set of trainers will make sure they dont slip

WTF is wet grass different in your area to the rest of the world?

I don't think it's H&S. More like fear of liability. Two weery different sings.

I imagine they cancelled it so the dads don't embarrass themselves in the dad's race 🙂

More like fear of liability

Yes, I wonder how many parents see where theres blame theres a claim.

Working on the other side where by I have to do the risk assesments and sign them off you would not believe the things that parents have threatened and tried to sue us for. Getting wet building rafts on a lake and then paddling them. A scratch from a rock river scrambling- I mean scratch that did not even require a plaster. post traumatic stress from going caving. it was a huge cavern 50 m long and did not even require crawling at any point. This is despite the 50 pages they recieved explaining each activity, the risks and posssible injuries and signing to allow their child to go.
Sadly many parents would and do sue the school/authority for injuries sustained if the grass was too wet and someoen was injured. I suggest you get angry at the parents who make the schools be so paranoid rather than school. I am sure you would rather have the school buy books than spend money defending a claim from a parent.
It is poor but the schools are reacting to what parents do and also see it as overkill but sadly this is the reality we operate in.

post traumatic stress from going caving

You have got to be kidding?

Even if a kid didn't enjoy something they'd be reassured and that would be the end of it.

Gulf-War veterans had an uphill struggle getting their REAL post traumatic stress recognised.

FFS.

It is poor but the schools are reacting to what parents do and also see it as overkill but sadly this is the reality we operate in.

Completely agree. It's a lot easier to blame 'elf and safety gawn mad though.

Kids sports day cancelled. H and S strikes again

You are wrong, but thanks for calling. As others have said it will be an issue of liability due to the possible threat of litigation.

It's a sad state of affairs IMHO, I understand the risks and it's the idiotic compensation culture that's backed schools and such like into this corner! I'm waiting for the precious premiership footballers to come out with, we can't play in the rain next!!!

It is simply really sad that the kids won't get to enjoy their day.

And therefore jamie that's surely to do with the kids health and safety???

My eldest sports day was cancelled on Wednesday for the same reason, another school didn't cancel. From the other school we transferred someone with a bad fracture and dislocation of their wrist. So yeah one big joke.

A decent set of trainers

Told HT that my boy would be wearing proper trainers for PE not the carpy plimsolls they want them to wear.
[img] [/img]

He told me that they were part of the uniform and he must wear them.

He is wearing proper trainers at PE despite us having letters home about uniform standards.

From the other school we transferred someone with a bad fracture and dislocation of their wrist.

slightly OT- Surely Javelin throwing is abit of a H&S minefield- how do you risk asses that?!

Drac I broke my wrist at school. At what point should children learn their limits along with risk? Our school also used to let pupils learn how to ride geared motorbikes in the grounds. Sadly I bet thats been stopped.

I'd rather have the risk of injury thanks.

Mastiles has hit it on the head. It's the children I feel sorry for. They won't care if it's wet, slippy, whatever. In fact if it's muddy, all the betterer!

Mrs C. is a primary teacher and as Junkyard says, the risk assessment forms are a joke, they really are. They can't take the pupils anywhere without filling them in and some parents *will* kick off with the smallest of reasons. No wonder schools err on the safe side. Sad, it really is.

And were the injuries caused by the slightly damp grass?

Yes she slipped on it during one of the races. Still it was an accident but just an example of why it could happen. I would of been happy though for my daughter's sports day to go ahead. It's now been cancelled altogether.

Drac I broke my wrist at school. At what point should children learn their limits along with risk? Our school also used to let pupils learn how to ride geared motorbikes in the grounds. Sadly I bet thats been stopped.

I agree as I said it's just an example that they can slip, someone at the school had to make a call if it wasn't worth the risk of increased chance of injury or to go ahead anyway.

He is wearing proper trainers at PE despite us having letters home about uniform standards

Setting a good example there about following dress codes. "Crappy" plimsoles are perfectly adequate for children's PE lessons.

Setting a good example there about following dress codes. "Crappy" plimsoles are perfectly adequate for children's PE lessons.

Yeah but he wouldn't look niche.

Good point Drac. Didn't think about the fashion angle.

Much better kids die before their parents from morbid obesity than risk slipping over on some grass...

I'm waiting for the precious premiership footballers to come out with, we can't play in the rain next!!!

Footballers wear studs though, so slipping is not an issue. Which raises an interesting point. One could argue that since most kids only have normal everyday trainers they are not properly equipped. Grass spikes would be fine but not a lot of kids have them. Normal trainers are pretty lethal on wet grass, no?

I won the 400, 200, 75 and 75 relay wearing Levis' fashion trainers!

I was ace!

Go Tigers!

Mind you.....on my last post...

I can't remember a time in my life where my Mum had a go at any teachers, used the word 'claim'...all I remember her saying is 'oh you silly bugger. Again? Let me get my coat and I'll run you upto A&E' 😆

Much better kids die before their parents from morbid obesity than risk slipping over on some grass...

Yeah they all will be the size of Buddha from missing one day of exercise.

Maybe there'll come a time when schools can't be ar5ed with away trips and sports? Is Wii OK?

I'm worried about the emotional trauma suffered by the other kids in Bruneep's class being forced to wear those mongy plimsolls while cool kid littlebruneep's allowed to wear the latest Nike Air SuperKing with pump technology and active rebound stripes.

I'd be sueing bruneep for the counselling they'll all need in later life.

(Ps: Adidas Gazelles are rubbish for sprinting; on the plus side I was so slow everyone got plenty of time to see how stylish I looked)

Strangely never had one incident in eight years of coaching primary school kids football, and they usually only wore studs for matches.

Javalin - you having a laugh grandad, it's foam pipe'alin nowadays.

aye foam tubes that go further behind the kid on a windy day. 😆

Javalin - you having a laugh grandad, it's foam pipe'alin nowadays.

No javelin? - you'll be tell me next that they've banned archery & shot put too

Don't London fixie riders wear those downy (as my young boy would say) plimsols.

Our school do Shot putt with bean bags

No javelin? - you'll be tell me next that they've banned archery & shot put too

No no I think they still hold the 1000 metre Apple on the head archery competition. Shot put I believe has been replaced by the bean bag.

oldgit. Are you serious? Re the Javelin.

Hope we don't get any drizzle in 2012.

Pretty sure Hora. So on a windy day you could record -100M throw.

It is all a u****ing joke isn't it?

What is wrong with children taking risks and learning from them?

When I was I kid we jumped in rivers, climbed trees, slid down the 'death slide' at a local rocky crag, climbed the rocky crag, played dare games with real darts, had an air rifle and high power catapult. We fell, we hurt ourselves, had a laugh, ran home to mum, got attacked by dogs, smashed faces open in bike crashes, fell through windows.

But it is all learning. Take away risk and you take away much of childhood.

But as has been said above, it is the bandwagon 'where there's blame...' parents who are too blame, not the schools that are scared to fart.

Sorry bruneep I appear to be repeating everything you post 😳

Yeah they all will be the size of Buddha from missing one day of exercise.

Errmm - that's not the brightest of statements is it? It's the whole PE/H&S conflict thing here - worrying about minor injuries and so keeping kids from doing exercise. It's killing our youth.

Even the French army will be better than ours man-for-man in the future 🙁

On all the advice posted so far I must remember to put a load of red and White tape around the lawn when I get home! Keep the little ****ers from claiming off their old man! 😉

Notes from a PE teacher...

H & S is always to be considered, but the fact that [i]some[/i] children are actively discouraged from participating in curriculum PE by their parents because it's too cold, or too wet, or too sunny, or too foggy (I kid you not) is the one of the reasons children don't understand risk anymore. How can we expect children to assess their own welfare safely if all their parents do is bleat about the welfare of their little darlings.

I say that as a man without children at present; I'm sure I will protective when I'm lucky enough to be a parent, but mollycoddling children does more harm than not.

I'm aware that if this was Mumsnet I'd be hunted down and executed, but seriously!?! I learnt as a kid that if I didn't run around when it was cold, I'd die. So I ran. Likewise, if it was wet, I'd take a towel so I could have a shower after getting covered in mud. Some parents won't even let their kids do that!

Rant over. I'm off to throw a discus at some Yr 8's...

Bit of an aside but fear of litigation is killing Scouting imo, the amount of forms and certificates that need to be completed for simple activities is ridiculous and putting lots of potential leaders off.

petesgaff I remember when it was particularly snowy, cold or, raining or all three our P&E teacher relished taking us out.

Once I produced a carefully created note excusing me from cross country in a blizzard. I still had to go out ....in my shoes 😆

fek me when it started to rain at our bairns sports day last week you would have thought it was napalm that was falling the way some parents reacted.

What is it with parents these days? (As with others, I don't blame the school for this, they're only seeking to fend off greedy, grasping, welfare sponge barrack room lawyers).

When I was seven we were being made to run 5K followed by a 30 minute swim several times per week. That was on top of rugby/football/hockey/cricket/athletics training (depending on the season), general gym and whatever other sports we chose to partake in.

I don't remember more than a handful of kids at school being fat either.

Has anyone seen the Brian Glover [PE teacher] scene in Kes?

Our PE lessons weren't that soft 🙂

Setting a good example there about following dress codes. "Crappy" [s]plimsoles[/s] plimsolls are perfectly adequate for children's PE lessons

Thanks for that, so it won't harm his feet in any way with his collapsed foot arch. 🙄

We're trying to bring our little one (nearly two) up to be as "tough" as possible - no fear of the sea or waves (or getting a bit chilly), happily walks 2-3 miles and is very active and happiest outdoors.

He gets the odd knock from falling over (he fell out of the wheelbarrow I was pushing him in on Monday - oops!) and we always feel terrible about it at the time but as long as there's no silly dangers about, we're happy.

This H&S throttled society can naff right off.

When I was seven we were being made to run 5K followed by a 30 minute swim several times per week. That was on top of rugby/football/hockey/cricket/athletics training (depending on the season), general gym and whatever other sports we chose to partake in.

DaveGr - Member

When I was seven we were being made to run 5K followed by a 30 minute swim several times per week. That was on top of rugby/football/hockey/cricket/athletics training (depending on the season), general gym and whatever other sports we chose to partake in.

Right, when I was three I had to climb to the top of the hill, chop some wood for fire, cycle to school in three foot snow, score a century in cricket AND finish running a marathon before I'd even started it !!!

That must have been character building.

That's how it was at my school and many like it so hold fast on the disbelief princess.

I'm waiting for the precious premiership footballers to come out with, we can't play in the rain next!!!

When out school pool was out of action a parent offered theirs neglecting to mention it was unheated and this was in November; teacher made us go in. Not that our pool was great as it was detached from the changing rooms so we had to walk outside in our trunks to the pool in sub zero temperatures at times.

Pete you'll be able to clarify this then! A mate who's a pe teacher was telling me he has to use you tube videos to show how a scrum is set in rugby, therfore removing the need for him to actively place his hands anywhere near the kids!! I was amazed. You're a pervert before you've even started these days if that's the case!

Errmm - that's not the brightest of statements is it? It's the whole PE/H&S conflict thing here - worrying about minor injuries and so keeping kids from doing exercise. It's killing our youth.

Where are they stopping them all together then or are just talking shite.

A couple of weeks ago I stood under an umbrella as it was raining, watching my 11 year old son play cricket at school - they were hoping it would only be a short shower and wanted to finish the match. Full hard ball too.

No problems, but then he's at a private school and tbh its more like when I was at school as far as sport goes. Plus he's been playing full contact rugby for a few years already.

But I agree with others, it says more about the parents than anything else - and I just can't imagine the parents I know sueing the school when its 'normal' behaviour and risks have been reviewed.

The good thing is......the children that have no barriers in the future will stand our head and shoulders above the rest.

uplink - Member

Has anyone seen the Brian Glover [PE teacher] scene in Kes?

My school was similar(in the late 80s), albeit with a proper (rugby) ball -none of that poncey round ball stuff-.

We had the benefit of these very much 'old-school' chaps who made Brian Glover in KES look soft:
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I think we had training cancelled once in 7 years -the field was water-logged and the pitches were getting too cut-up which might spoiled the up-coming 1stXV and 2nd XV games. Of course, when it was frozen we just wore trainers & not studs.

We had a match cancelled once due to icy conditions and fog -it was an away game- probably at some poncey private school 😉

Interestingly, the school always did well at rugby, cricket, track & field and even football when it eventually sneaked in.

My PE teacher hit me round the head with a trainer after finishing the school XC trials, got round quick so he though Id cheated.
I was his star county XC boy within the month.

I can even recall being made to bail out the water on a flooded football pitch before the games lesson.
Ironically I think they make parents buy gumshields for their kids (we had to) as if that's ever going to see any action.
Which brings me to boxing with F off heavy leather gloves. no gum shields no helmets and the PE teacher smoking a pipe at the ring side. I can still see the green tin waste paper bins filled with bloody toilet paper after boxing.

Sheer brilliance!! My cousins sports day never happened as it wasn't seen as fair. They went for some bizarre non competitive affair instead so as not to upset the kids who are rhubarb at sports. Seriously what the hell is that about??? Shoe on the other foot, why not cancel exams? As it isn't fair on those kids who are not that academic.

Completely agree with mastiles 2nd post..

We are growing a society of fat inept adults !

Where are they stopping them all together then or are just talking shite.

I might answer when you learn to write a full sentence in English without missing words out.

Kids are getting fatter - fact
H&S is getting sillier - fact
Sports Day is considered "too competitive" in most schools - fact

Any more facts you need?

ds are getting fatter - fact
H&S is getting sillier - fact
Sports Day is considered "too competitive" in most schools - fact

Conclusive.

I can't be bothered reading all that, so what ever anybody says, they're wrong and I'm right ok? It was much better when we all had Polio,TB, rickets and cholera etc and dogs ran down the street with strings of sausages between their teeth, you could leave your front door open and people would sneak in and leave cakes for you and postmen were chirpy, and would help you reroof your tithe cottage before continuing on their round rather than being the feral parcel thieving ba**......... oh you know what? **** it all 🙂

I say kill 'em all to death with [s]plimsoles[/s] plimsolls...

probably at some poncey private school

But they tend to be the toughest places!

"But they tend to be the toughest places"

Hmmm, not really, that's certainly the myth that public schools and a lot of ex public scholastics like to promulgate, but none of the ones I or my brother and sister attended were at all like that.:)

I can't wait to manage one of these kids who've never been told they've failed at something.

They're going to have a hard and short probationary period.

jahwomble - Member
I can't be bothered reading all that, so what ever anybody says, they're wrong and I'm right ok? It was much better when we all had Polio,TB, rickets and cholera etc and dogs ran down the street with strings of sausages between their teeth, you could leave your front door open and people would sneak in and leave cakes for you and postmen were chirpy, and would help you reroof your tithe cottage before continuing on their round rather than being the feral parcel thieving ba**......... oh you know what? **** it all

You should have said END OF, then it'd all be over.

If I'd thought for a moment that typing "end of" actually would cause it to end, I would have done :)dead horse, flogging of 🙂

Any more facts you need?

I'd like some more actually. Like, where are the references to back up those claims? I want stats, citations and.. well - facts 🙂

Lol@ jahwomble btw 🙂

Kids are getting fatter - fact
H&S is getting sillier - fact
Sports Day is considered "too competitive" in most schools - fact

Any more facts you need?

The first one is a fact... The other two are opinion.

tiger_roach - Member

probably at some poncey private school

But they tend to be the toughest places!

Well, I occasionally encounter people from schools who played rugby against our (state) school. The common consensus is that we played, ahem, 'robustly'. I'd never really noticed as it was normal to us.

Public schools are traditionally good at rugby, are they not?

The other two are opinion

Nah. Someone out there is scientifically measuring the silliness of H & S right now. They draw graphs and everything. 🙂