Teachers, can I ask about hand washing in primary

[notanoctopus]

I have two kids in primary - one has just started reception - both say that they only wash hands if they go to the toilet. Can I ask primary teachers honestly (anonymous forum and all) if this is currently how it is in practice? I thought that this would be happening as a matter of course?

Ours wash hands when they come in to school, every time they go to the toilet (obviously!), before break because they tend to have snacks, after break when the come back into the building, before lunch, after lunch when they come back into the building, before hometime.
Basically, our rule is they should have washed them at least once an hour and the washing is a combination of either lining up at the sink and using soap or hand gel.

Ours wash theirs every time they enter the classroom, so first thing, after break, and after lunch. They also use hand sanitiser regularly.

Out with those standard times, they’re expected to wash them every time they go to the loo and if they have particularly dirty hands.

I teach Year 2. They wash their hands when they first come in, after morning break time, before eating lunch and after outdoor lunchtime break, after afternoon break and before home time. Also after any PE/sport lessons. They each have tissue boxes on their tables and are encouraged to sneeze/cough into tissues, dispose of tissue in lidded bin and sanitise hands. They also wash after using the toilet. We have breakfast club within the classroom (used to be in hall with classes mixing) and all tables are wiped down after this before the school day, tables wiped down at lunchtime and at the end of the day. TAs are released for class for 30 mins after lunchtime to carry out extra cleaning of toilets and high touch areas. If children bring a packed lunch to school it is wiped down with wiped before being brought into the classroom. Children each have their own mini bar of soap (provided by school) which they keep in a sandwich bag in their tray.

Ours wash them when they come into school, before break & before lunch (as well as after any coughs and sneezes!). Hand sanitiser used on the way back in from break and lunch and when moving to different classrooms. Desks wiped down and sanitised every time swapping places/classrooms.

When they arrive at school
Before break
After break
Before lunch
After lunch
Before afternoon break
After afternoon break
At the end of the day
And before and after any different member of staff teaching them (happens once a day)
Also before group reading sessions or using ipads or library.
Also if they get painted, glued or grubby.

We spend HOURS each day handwashing!
We also clean every toy / pencil / pen / scissors etc at the end of every day.

School said they would be washing hands - I'm really surprised that they are not. How do I raise this? On paper they say they'll do it but clearly are not.

Ours as above but on entering classroom or lunch hall or any new area then hand gel is used

I think on arrival, after loo and before food is plenty. Their hands must be so sore if washing them 10 times a day as one PP described.

We had to buy special soap!

Ours wash hands with soap and water when they first come into school, after they've been to the toilet and at lunchtime.

At other times (eg coming into the building after break or PE, coming back into the classroom after being in the computing room or Hall) they use handsanitiser.

I'd prefer to use soap and water more, and hand sanitiser less but even with older ks2 children like my class, it takes a ridiculous amount of time for the whole class to wash their hands.

Surely reception kids are playing together, hugging, coughing over everyone, fingers in mouth. I’m not sure hand washing will make much of a difference apart from when they first get in!

A friend who is a reception teacher says the children stand in a line, wet hands and put soap on and then she gets them to do a funny walk round the classroom rubbing their hands and they reach the queue for sink again and wash it off - so it's a continuous moving line. I thought that was quite cute...and a quicker way of getting kids to do it.

@Fallowdeerhunter

Surely reception kids are playing together, hugging, coughing over everyone, fingers in mouth. I’m not sure hand washing will make much of a difference apart from when they first get in!

It would make some difference, surely? They are limiting things from home, wanting fresh uniforms etc, but then don't wash hands on arrival even. Why say they'll do it if they're not?

First thing when they arrive in the building.
Before going to play.
After coming in from play.
Before going to lunch.
After eating lunch, before going out to play.
Before entering the building after lunch time play.
Before going home. Luckily, we've got access to two sinks, so it doesn't take ages.

@notanoctopus

A friend who is a reception teacher says the children stand in a line, wet hands and put soap on and then she gets them to do a funny walk round the classroom rubbing their hands and they reach the queue for sink again and wash it off - so it's a continuous moving line. I thought that was quite cute...and a quicker way of getting kids to do it.

Maybe if your Reception age child is doing something similar to this, they haven’t particularly noticed that they’re washing their hands so haven’t reported it back to you, they just think it’s a fun activity and dance around the room.

I'm a TA in reception and Yr1.
In our school hand washing is on arrival, before snack, before lunch, after lunch and before home time, plus after toileting and anytime we see a child cough/sneeze and use a hand to catch it or nose picking (frequently).

If using the outside area (learning time is outside twice a day in smaller groups) there's hand sanitizer dispenser to use on reentry into class.

I'd be very surprised if it was just after using the loo in your DC's school, but they may be using hand sanitizer instead or sending the children to the toilet frequently. Just email or ring and ask.

Routine in our reception class is to send all the children to queue for the toilet before break, before lunch and before hometime. They can also go in learning time and breaks whenever they want so it is still more hand washing than the usual routine.

My
Class wash their hands with soap and water on entering. They use hand gel when going to the loo, and on their return. Hand gel before and after playtime. Soap and water before lunch. Hand gel when leaving at the end of the day unless they specifically want to wash at the sink. All pretty low key and we just get in with it.

We do- on arrival, before snack, after snack, before lunch, after lunch, whenever returning from elsewhere in the school (music, gym, etc) and (hopefully) after using the bathroom. I often use hand sanitiser rather than sending them to wash their hands. Picture 30 kids aged 8 and 9 using one sink in turns while the teacher is with the rest of the class elsewhere and you can probably guess why a quick pump of hand san is the easier option!

My school started out with the best of intentions. However, the amount of times they wash their hands has been reduced significantly over the last week and we encourage them to use hand gel instead (must be provided from home).
This is because 30 kids washing hands for 20seconds = 10 mins (plus an extra couple of minutes to settle them all back down).
We were doing this about 8 times a day so over an hour lost in learning time. It’s unsustainable.

It takes an awfully long time to get an entire class of 32 kids to wash their hands properly. We often sanitise instead if the hands are visible clean.

Thanks everyone

Ours wash coming in, after each activity, before leaving to go to play,. Before eating , leaving. We are basically washing all day

On entry, before eating, after loo and breaks.Cleaning continuously.

Don’t think it makes a jot of difference. We’re all coming down with a hideous cold. Going round like wildfire.