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Original poster

Alcohol in schools

47 replies

Cismyfatarse · 04/07/2023 15:59

I am a teacher (but no power so not my decision). What do people think about alcohol at school events?

I have been in the job 30+ years and have seen it all. Parents' dinners, staff nights out, leavers' dances. All with alcohol as usually off school premises.

I worked in 2 different private schools where boarders could have a beer in the school bar when they were 17. Both had a staff bar and plenty of boozy dinners.

My school has just gone 100% no alcohol. That includes off site events such as the school leavers' do. Leavers' barbecue. Staff were not allowed to drink at either, even though we had paid for tickets and are over 18. We were not "on duty" as there were staff with free tickets who were supervising.

I can see both sides and can't decide. Most pupils are 18 by the time they leave, but not all.

Dry means far fewer problems (pupils still drink but have to hide it and can get chucked out of the party if caught).

Drinking though is part of most adults' social experience.

Some cite safeguarding.

What do others think?

I want to get off the fence and have a clear opinion.

NB not suggesting for 16/17 year olds. Just those who are 18.

OP posts:
Original poster
Cismyfatarse · 04/07/2023 17:38

@LittleBearPad Not been told not to accept them by the school management. I am sure that would not happen. We don't get many but I teach 2 staff kids this year which accounts for 2 of the bottles. They understand....

I disagree about not giving alcohol as a gift. I am the child of an alcoholic too (now dead from alcohol related cancer). I think you gift what you want to gift and it is up to the recipient what they do with it.

OP posts:
LittleBearPad · 04/07/2023 17:47

Cismyfatarse · 04/07/2023 17:38

@LittleBearPad Not been told not to accept them by the school management. I am sure that would not happen. We don't get many but I teach 2 staff kids this year which accounts for 2 of the bottles. They understand....

I disagree about not giving alcohol as a gift. I am the child of an alcoholic too (now dead from alcohol related cancer). I think you gift what you want to gift and it is up to the recipient what they do with it.

School management can’t say not to accept them but not tell the parents - it’ll just be a big waste of money and time etc.

Ours usually get a bottle of Prosecco amidst the other gifts unless we know they don’t drink.

The HT isn’t collecting them all for their own consumption…

illiterato · 04/07/2023 17:48

All the fundraising money at school fundraising events like fairs basically comes from drinks sales because you can mark it up pretty high and it’s minimal effort. Then when people have had a few they bid stupid money for the auction prizes and feel more inclined to give their kids more tokens to waste on the dunk the teacher machine. I probably wouldn’t go to offsite evening social events like quiz and curry night if it was totally dry. It feels a bit preachy.

Student focused events I’m more on the fence. Problem if they sneak it in is more likely to sneak spirits which are easier to overdo. But I don’t care if the staff drink as long as they’re not legless. I’d need a few drinks to supervise a school disco tbh.

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caringcarer · 04/07/2023 17:52

Cismyfatarse · 04/07/2023 17:28

We have not been told not to accept them and I got 3 at the end of term. Maybe that's next!

Show quote history

On no. I used to put the wine students bought me in my gravy to flavour it.

OwlRightThen · 04/07/2023 17:57

Mine have been in 5 schools and none have ever served alcohol at events. School staff nights out fine, with students around, not. Imo.

southlondoner02 · 04/07/2023 18:11

Schools near me tend not to have alcohol at events. I love a drink, but not convinced it's a good idea in schools. There's a high proportion of Muslim families here and I also happen to know there's quite a few parents in recovery at DD's school. I don't mind DD being around adults drinking in moderation, but know not everyone feels the same, and think some people would self exclude themselves and their kids from events if there was alcohol

LadyTemperance · 04/07/2023 18:27

The fact that on a fairly short thread, several people have mentioned “needing a drink” to cope with school events, illustrates the problem we have with alcohol in this country.

GrassWillBeGreener · 04/07/2023 19:01

My 18-next-week yr old has just left a boarding school that still serves alcohol. I'm not exactly sure but I think they were offered very occasionally from 13 (with parental permission), and by 6th form it was choice of beer or cider with dinner once a week. A post-exam wine tasting was organised by his housemaster - with permission sought from parents of those who were still 17. But they are strict about them not bringing their own alcohol in to the school, and not having alcohol in town. Such that I understand a number missed the final leavers' do the other day due to having had alcohol in a dorm.

I think that, in a boarding school context, normalising realistic occasional drinking is healthy and I'm hoping it will reduce the chances of excess as they start uni.

Strict management of alcohol on school trips remains essential I think.

WomaninShite · 04/07/2023 19:12

I dislike the culture of alcohol. It's weird especially giving it as a no thought required gift. I don't gift 20 B&H cigarettes.
I'd support a school in being alcohol free.

Whokilledrogerrabit · 04/07/2023 19:24

I'm a primary teacher for context.

If there's pupils at the event, I can't see why you'd want to drink?! Getting tipsy or whatever in front of your pupils just seems weird to me. Even if you don't get to the tipsy point, I hardly think it's a social situation where you can fully let your hair down and have fun so not sure what the point would be.

Of it was a staff only event, that would be different.

Cheeseplantt · 04/07/2023 20:02

My DC18 just attended their off site sixth form leavers party. At a bar. They could only have 3 drinks (vouchers given with ticket) & really enjoyed drinking with their teachers. Obviously they drink loaded before it started. If it had of been dry I don't think any staff or students would have attended!

I'm also involved in a primary schools pta & we raise alot of money by selling pimms, mulled wine, beer etc at our events. If they were dry then they probably wouldn't be worth running.

I drink rarely (couple of times a year, mainly at dinner with friends) but still wouldn't support making the school & it's off site events alcohol free.

ButterCrackers · 04/07/2023 21:40

Schools should be alcohol free. I don’t drink and manage just fine at school events so it is possible for others to not drink alcohol. The problem of drunk driving could happen when irresponsible parents get in their cars after the event.

Original poster
Cismyfatarse · 04/07/2023 23:31

@ButterCrackers I am not sure that it is about needing to drink. I think that, as an adult, I have the same right to drink on a night out with colleagues as a teacher as I would have as a banker, doctor etc.

When we are supervising kids, that is different. But at any school event? Even staff only? Off school premises?

OP posts:
Rogue1001MNer · 05/07/2023 00:02

So, this thread isn't about a fundraising/pta event.

It's about a social event for older secondary school age children, parents not in attendance.

Have I got that right?

In which case, even if you're not "on duty", I'd say you shouldn't be drinking if you're a staff member.
It's not a social event, it's a school event

If you want to drink here, you either have NO social life or a problem with alcohol

Rogue1001MNer · 05/07/2023 00:03

Work events (eg end of term does, with no children or parents present are different, imho

Catsmere · 05/07/2023 05:06

My feeling is, after this year, that events will be very poorly attended by teachers if we are treated like children. I don't want to get pissed but if I have paid for a meal out I don't want to drink Diet Coke.

Since when is being asked not to drink alcohol "being treated like a child"? Do you think adults who don't drink are children or childish? And since when is Diet Coke the only option for a non-alcoholic drink? You may have been exaggerating for effect but that sounded silly. I don't drink alcohol and have never drunk Diet Coke in my life.

ButterCrackers · 05/07/2023 06:05

Cismyfatarse · 04/07/2023 23:31

@ButterCrackers I am not sure that it is about needing to drink. I think that, as an adult, I have the same right to drink on a night out with colleagues as a teacher as I would have as a banker, doctor etc.

When we are supervising kids, that is different. But at any school event? Even staff only? Off school premises?

in my opinion there should be no alcohol on school premises. People can manage to get through a school event without alcohol this includes staff, parents/guardians/other invitees and pupils.

BiscuitsandPuffin · 05/07/2023 06:32

LadyTemperance · 04/07/2023 17:30

I actually don’t think alcohol is an appropriate teacher gift. You could be unwittingly putting a bottle of wine into an alcoholics hands.

As the adult daughter of a dead alcoholic, YABU.
As are all the people taking umbrage with phrasing like "need a drink after teaching the buggers" when it's obvious to anyone who understands basic English that no one really needs it, it's a hyperbole commonly said by people.
But taking all your comments on this thread as a whole, and your username, it's clear you have a bias and a soapbox.

BiscuitsandPuffin · 05/07/2023 06:32

I am not a drinker but I don't begrudge my colleagues a drink at work functions, wine and cheese evenings (haven't seen one of those for a long time) etc. I do think it's not on to drink in front of the students at an event where you're supervising them though. That's a bit tacky.

GrammarTeacher · 05/07/2023 06:42

Sensible. When I started our Year 13 Leavers Dinner had a small amount of wine. However, the students were pre-loading and it wasn't fun. They now confirm no alcohol at (before) dinner and go out to a non-school event after. Teachers also have no wine. All the same and it remains a lovely evening. Staff do at end of term after school does have wine. No alcohol at plays anymore. Licensing means it's not worth it and it isn't really necessary. We have boarders and the rules on alcohol are and always were very strict. So most boarders stay over with a friend on an official exeat if there's a party (only 6th form boarders) as if they go back to the boarding house drunk they would be in trouble. It's an important part of keeping the students safe when we're responsible for them tbh.

But then I was always the person volunteering to not drink in the evening on the PGL trip and getting up with students in the morning.

Original poster
Cismyfatarse · 05/07/2023 10:24

Catsmere · 05/07/2023 05:06

My feeling is, after this year, that events will be very poorly attended by teachers if we are treated like children. I don't want to get pissed but if I have paid for a meal out I don't want to drink Diet Coke.

Since when is being asked not to drink alcohol "being treated like a child"? Do you think adults who don't drink are children or childish? And since when is Diet Coke the only option for a non-alcoholic drink? You may have been exaggerating for effect but that sounded silly. I don't drink alcohol and have never drunk Diet Coke in my life.

I have no issue at all on school premises.

I joined just before Covid so have no experience of the end of summer from before. However, at the leavers' do my understanding was it was staff and pupils (in the past) and staff were in 2 categories - paid for a ticket so private citizen there; free ticket so on duty there.

Our tickets cost £££ and we were on staff only tables.

We arrived expecting it to be dry for staff on duty and pupils. There were not many off us - perhaps 10% of teaching staff including those on duty.

We thought if we had paid for a ticket we were "off duty". We were all driving anyway (remote venue). I was just surprised when bar staff refused my colleague a glass of wine (she is 50+) and that this had not been made very clear when we paid for our tickets.

I will still go. I do drink but am nearly always driving due to where I live. But, I suspect, given the £££ for the ticket there will be a big drop next year in numbers of staff.

This was in a hotel some miles from school.

I am very unsure of what I think having been to plenty of events with booze and it being fine. But not at this school.

OP posts:
thenewera · 05/07/2023 10:48

All events with parents at my kids state primary and independent secondaries have had alcohol- either for sale or for free. Have never seen any problems over 12 or so years.
There is alcohol at the 6th form celebration but I think only over 18s are allowed it which is tricky for the July/August birthdays...

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