I have some concerns about the school - but can’t address them as I’m a parent and a LSA!

[inthekitchensink]

I work as an LSA in an outstanding primary school, which my daughter also attends. Part of my role includes being with my 1:1 child during the lunch hour in the playground - they finish eating at midday and have a full hour in the playground til 1pm.

My issue is there is barely any shade, and they are not allowed to bring their water bottles. There’s no drinking fountain. They are KS1, so age 4-8. Instructions come from the Head.

It riles me. However, I recall as an 80s child drinking maybe 1 glass of water a summer so maybe I’m being unreasonable. I encourage them to drink plenty of water with their lunch, and remind them to drink when they return to the classroom.

Would this bother you as much as it does me?

It's one hour, having just had an opportunity to drink. I couldn't get worked up about it, but then I'm not glued to a water bottle and will quite happily go for a couple of hours without drinking something.

That doesn’t bother me.

I don’t understand why you can’t address them?

Why can't they go an hour without water??

Sorry, but I find it difficult to understand. You are LSA, and can't address the serious issue. Also you don't know the age range for ks1. 8 yeas old cannot be in ks1.

The children should have suncream on from home, and have hats at school.

Your 121, you already prompt drinking with their lunch and on return to the classroom.

If your 121 child need to be hydrated hourly perhaps their care plan needs reviewing?

As a KS1 teacher, I will explain this to you: chn have lunch and are encouraged to drink, chn then take bottles out on playground, set them down, bell goes, class begins, school ends and it's home time, child discovers they have lost their bottle. Inevitable. Parents complain relentlessly about it.

Chn have lunch and are encouraged to drink, chn then take bottles out on playground, set them down, bell goes, class begins, child realises bottle is left...somewhere, needs bottle, goes to find bottle, 20 minutes later, return with no bottle...every child now needs to do this. Parents complain.

Teacher pulls hair out and leaves education in favour of a less stressful career like: SAS officer, knife throwing assistant, deep sea diver.

Why on earth can't you address it? You work there and have spotted a problem.

The shade would be my issue (from a sunburn perspective) but that’s not an easy thing to solve. An hour without a drink, having just had their lunch and a drink then, and with another opportunity when they go back to the classroom, seems perfectly reasonable and normal to me. Them all taking water bottles outside just sounds like a recipe for an awful lot of lost/broken/mixed up water bottles or possible water fights to me.

The obsession with hydration and constantly sucking on plastic water bottles drives me nuts. It doesn’t do a healthy child in normal U.K. climate any harm to be very slightly thirsty for a short while - if they had a big drink with lunch they probably won’t even be thirsty. They don’t need to drink every few minutes.

It would bother me, more the no shade in blazing hot sun than the lack of water bottles - I remember the lack of water at school in the 80s too - one miniature cup at lunch and then nothing till we got home!

😂
If they have a drink at lunch they can manage without a drink for an hour.

Yes, I am adding it in to the notes on the plan for the child. An hour in the heat is a long time when they are running around and many are constantly asking for a drink. And obviously it will get hotter. But yes, they will cope like we all did.
As a parent, I would expect access to plenty of shade & water, and as a LSA all I can do is ask if they’re allowed and then stick to that.

Drinking fountains are disgusting. They're like a,playground for bugs. I think sipping water throughout the day is just a popular fad. When I was at school, we had water at lunch and then nothing else to drink until we got home. There were no water bottles in those days. I don't remember any if my friends being distressed a out it.

If they have had a drink with their lunch they do not need more on the playground. As an LSA 1:1 I would expect you to ensure the child you are supporting has access to shade if they’re outside for an hour - that’s called using common sense.
the water is a red herring.

I mean, I remember not being allowed food or drinks outside in the heat of summer when on primary school at lunch and break times. We also had no shade at all and not allowed back indoors either.

School used to insist on hats in summer heat, so we all had baseball caps (it was the 90s), some ppl were cool enough to have the caps with cloth that hung down and covered the back of the neck too.

All children fine. Just part of hot, long summer memories.

It would bother me, more the no shade in blazing hot sun than the lack of water bottles

Having got caught in the rain yesterday afternoon and now listening to the rain smacking against the windows, I'm moving to where you live. 🌞

You'd think! Our year group has weekly complaints that we are dehydrating children on purpose sigh

Fair enough! Consensus is nothing to worry about, so I’m feeling less riled. Just coz I’m old & chubby and drain a bottle of water an hour when it’s a over 15 degrees.