Mumsnet Talk

I am currently looking for primary schools for my son to start in September 2013 and whilst looking round these I have been shocked by the lack of care children are given at break times in relation to the unsuitable clothes the children have on.

It was -1.5 degress outside last week and the first school I visited had a lot of children without coats on never mind hats, scarves and gloves. I spoke to the office staff regarding this as a matter of great concern and they said they would look into it.

I then went to a second Primary school in my area on the same cold day and those children from reception and above also didn't have their coats on.

I have been back to the first school yesterday and it was raining heavily and again some children did not have their coats on. It was an improvement but it was a shame on those who were cold and wet through. Today it is 6 degrees and I counted at least 18 children without their coats on but the staff in the playground had their coats on.

I spoke to the person in charge of the welfare staff who 'look after' the children in the playground and she said that children aged 8 years onwards are responsible for putting their own coats on. They have been reminded to put their coats on but it is their responsibility.

I feel as a parent that when leaving my child in the care of a school dressed in the correct clothes for the weather I expect someone their to take charge and ensure each and every child is dressed correctly. If my son refused to wear his coat on a frosty day or when it is raining I expect to be informed so that I can speak with my son so that he will wear the correct clothes next time at school. If he didn't I would have thought he wouldn't be allowed to play outside. According to this particular school it is up to the child.

My greatest worry is that this is happening across the country but parents are unaware as we leave our children dressed correctly assuming they will be at break time when we are not there.

I urge you all to ask your children if they wore their coats today. Check to make sure our children are not at risk of neglect whilst in somebody else's care. To me if their basic needs are not being met then the schools are failing the well being of the children and the trust of parents.

Ccazzy (concerned parent)

Why only for working parents? And surely if the children are cold they go back in?

At 8 a child (without special needs) should be able to decide if they want to wear a coat or not.

Even with younger children you can spend ages getting them all wrapped up and then quickly find coats discarded in a corner because they have got to hot running around.

Surely by the time a child is 8 they know how to put their coat on and if they get cold wihout a coat on can work out what's causing it and how to solve the problem?

No doubt you are anxious at the thought of leaving your (?)PFB in someone else's care but I think you're focusing that anxiety on something relatively trivial.

Calm down dear!

Not wearing a coat for less than what? An hour? Probably less when you factor in time for lunch, while they run around isn't going to harm them.

I assume your child is 3ish and perhaps your first? They change a lot between toddler and school age and yes are given responsibility for dressing themselves with a bit of prompting. Having said that I bet not all the children would have had coats in school let alone hats and gloves. It isn't a fundamental need though.

I dont think my 14 year old dd has ever worn a coat to school.

She goes in layers, and normally ballet flats in the snow?!

I wouldnt dream of asking any of my children, the youngest is 9, if they wore coats at playtime. Ever..

I send my kids with adequate clothes, they wear them unless they get so hot running around.

Some children come without a coat. I assume their parents drive them to school.

I would be most upset if my child missed playtime just because other parents didn't send apropriate clothing.

Oh no! You've not spent much time around children OP have you? You can put on hats, gloves scarves, coats etc all you want. If they don't want them on they take them off.

They're running about it's not as if they'll be really cold for just half hour tops outdoors.

Both ds1 (9) and ds2 (3) will do everything they can to avoid wearing a coat. They will both happily wear hats and gloves but coats generally spend more time being carried to and from school than actually being worn. If they are running about, they possibly don't need a coat on - I get hot walking up the hill to school and only keep my coat on because it's the easiest way to carry it....

My DS is only just 5 but I still think he's old enough to work out that if he's cold outside he needs to put his coat on.
It's my responsibilty to provide him with suitable clothing but really, it's up to him if he's going to wear it when I'm not around. I make sure he can manage the zip on his coat etc.

He's actually pretty good at wearing his coat etc at playtime and will tell me in shocked tones "do you know Mummy, there was a boy in YEAR 2 who DID NOT do his coat up today?!"

Can i offer you a nice

I know for a fact that my 7yo DS wasn't wearing his coat at lunchtime today because i callled into school and i saw him playing outside.

Am i worried? NO. It might be 2ºC out there but it's his choice.

I'm more concerned that he's enjoying himself at school and learning new things rather than wearing his coat.

You are going to have a stressful time as your child grows up if this worries you so much.

The teachers at my dc's school spend more time watching for bullying and making sure the buddy bench is used properly than they do checking for coats. I am happy with that. My children have warm coats and hats, whether they wear them at school is up to them. If they are daft enough to go outside without a coat and then get cold that is their own fault.

This is a wind up innit!

OMG a whole 8 paragraphs on kids not putting their coats on. Do you not have anything more important to worry about?

You are REALLY going to struggle with letting go when your child starts school.

MY son (5) and his classmates are provided with coats, hats etc, they are told by the teacher to put them on and go out to play. But if they choose not to wear them I don't really care. Breaks are short, they run around like loons and if they are really cold they can go inside to fetch their coat/ hide in the loos/ tell the playtime supervisors etc.

No child is going to allow themselves to freeze to death.

Is this your PFB?

Sending them off to school is the point when you really have to let go a bit. If you don't you will get a bit of a reputation among the staff.

I think when they're at school they know when they're cold by that age and they'll go indoors to grab their coat (off their wee peg, that's got their name on it). DS1 is always so hot when he's running around anyway, they don't feel the cold the same way that we do. I am always cold even when I'm indoors with the GCH on (and a woolly jumper)!!

hahahah! DS has been to school in shorts the last few days (his choice), and both DCs forgot their coats today. They seem to have survived..

I am a teacher and at my school we generally make sure all reception children wear coats (for protection when falling over aswell as the cold!) but all other year groups (unless it is raining or very very cold when we insist on all coats etc to be worn) are responsible for deciding whether they wear their coats or not!
One of my own daughters refuses to wear coat at all, ever! (She is 7) and the other one wears her coat all the time! In fact the one who doesn't like to wear coats often takes her jumper off as soon as she gets to school too and will come out of school just in her t-shirt... Refusing to put anything else one. Very embarrassing! She just doesn't feel the cold though!

Here's a grip OP.

I volunteer in DS1's class one day a week. It has been flipping freezing recently and I've been outside supervising with my teeth chattering but the kids run round hot and out of breath and leave their coats discarded in a corner of the playground.

That said, once DS1 went in without a coat (he forgot it, we were running late, drive to school etc) and he came home with a post-it saying 'Please send me in with a coat tomorrow!' Haha.

Be nice y'all.

Children learn - if you don't wear coat at break time you willget cold and if it's raining you will get wet.

School's for learning innit.

I'm sure no one got frostbite/ hypothermia.

Do they still learn that stupid song 'wind the bobbin up, wind the bobbin up, wind wind wind' ?

Go back to the school when the children are being dropped off by their parents - you'll discover that many of them don't even bring a coat with them....