Schools sun policy - am I wrong?

[Originalfoogirl]

Before I speak to the school about their sun policy, I wanted to know if others think I'm taking an unreasonable stance.

As soon as it starts getting sunny, we get a text from the school reminding us to send our children wearing sunscreen. Fair enough, a reminder is good. I also send our girl with a bottle of suncream and remind her to re apply it - as per the advice from cancer research and sunsmart. All day sunscreen is not effective. Yesterday she said she got in to trouble for asking for help to do it and was told "you're supposed to put it on before you come to school". At 7 she can kind of do it herself, but her disability does cause her some problems putting it on.

I know it can be a faff for a teacher to put sunscreen on 30 kids and there aren't enough assistants, but just as they have to help the littles get help changing for PE and for using the toilet etc, but to me, sunscreen is just as basic. I have friends who have had skin cancer.

I think the school should have a policy on this and build it in to their day. Schools in Australia seem to manage and before anyone says it, our sun is just as dangerous to children as theirs is.

I know many people just don't see the importance of it for their children and don't appreciate the risks of burning, but should I take this up with the school or not?

[pieceofpurplesky]

Auntie. Although most primary classes are 28+

[Ruthio66]

All day sun screen is plenty effective enough for the short amount of time they are outside in uk sunshine at school, may not be sufficient for all day on the beach but the 35 mins after lunch max it's going to be fine! It's what I used when my daughter was at school in Cyprus and we never had an issue! I would bring some to top up at collection of we were walking home

[busymomtoone]

Sorry but I think you will find all schools have similar policy. You should apply to child before they go to school. With 30 children it is not reasonable/practical to apply sunscreen to each child - some will have some, some won't , some will nab someone else's and then come out in a rash, and aside from all that there is the "appropriateness" of rub in sunscreens - plus some will want on face/back/legs/everywhere and others will say only x, y , z. I work in schools - it just would not be realistic/practical to make this work - you'd be amazed how many contradictory messages you would get (someone would only want it applied after 10 mins and prob end up suing because their DD/DS had't got the full blast of Vitamin D!!!

[madein1995]

YANBU. Some kids are fair and burn easily and need more cover. I work in a day nursery where every child (30) has suncream on, applied by 2 members of staff. Quite easy, have nursery suncream on table, have children's own cream that either has a label on or is a different bottle and call two at a time to get creamed, the other 28 have a chance to practice their waiting skills. we have a suncream chart that makes things easier but honestly it takes around 15 mins. For the older ones (4) we squirt dab cream on areas (legs, face, arms) and they rub in themselves. Everyone saying it's far too much work for teachers, I dint think so, nurseries manage fine. And getting a class of young children, half of whom are sobbing for various reasons, takes around 15 mins tops. Not hard.

[Fairuza]

When are teachers supposed to spend 15 minutes doing it though?

[SooBee61]

I thought that teachers weren't allowed to touch the children?

God, who'd be one these days? (Teacher that is)

[Fairuza]

Why wouldn't teachers be allowed to touch children?

[AllPizzasGreatAndSmall]

Everyone saying it's far too much work for teachers, I dint think so, nurseries manage fine.

Well nurseries don't have to try and fit in all of the things required of the National Curriculum do they, they've got plenty of spare time. Also if you choose to work with pre-schoolers you expect to have to help with self-care. Nurseries are childcare settings, schools aren't.

[gingermumi]

My son's infant school were happy to apply to year r and 1. Year two had to do their own. Each child took their own named bottle in and all children were encouraged to wear a hat. At juniors the policy is put it on in the morning, kids can take and reapply. Again hat wearing encouraged. I think it's really important and if some schools allow it and can find time surely all can.

[rollonthesummer]

Everyone saying it's far too much work for teachers, I dint think so, nurseries manage fine.

And what's the adult:child ratio of nurseries?

[lorilobs]

I'm a little sun paranoid also.
I live in uk, and my understanding of the time outside is similar to most mentioned above20/30min breaks.
While living in the Middle East, as a freckled pale skinned girl, I totally relied on the Riemann p20 (all day) sunscreen. And I found it to be reliable so long as the skin applied to is left undressed for 15 mins after application(as in leavings arms/neck without clothes for 15 mins)
I like the idea of a peer pair that 'do' each others bits!

[Maryann1975]

Of course nursery nurses have more time for doing this kind of thing. If they aren't applying sun cream, they are sitting on the floor playing (I work in childcare, I know how it works). I've also done a Bit of work in schools. Teachers do not have time for applying sun cream. 15 mins of their time is like half a lesson. I would much rather my dds teacher spend 15 minutes teaching the children rather than sun creaming the children (and we are assuming that there is a TA in the class to help with the 15 minute time allowance).
I have three children, eldest is 10. I sun cream them all before school and none of them have come home burnt yet. They all have hats and school encourage them to make use of the shady areas (but I think that advice is often ignored tbh, you can't play football if you are sitting under a tree).
Op, I think you might have to encourage your daughter to keep tying to do her own sun cream or to ask a friend to help if she struggles. (I think my ds 7, would be able to help another child with this task).

[madein1995]

Even with the ratios, sometimes things happen, plans get mucked up etc, accidents happen and there can be 2 adults to around 24 children which obviously isn't ideal and doesn't happen often or last long (max of 20ish mins) but those two adults are still able to apply cream. I understand teachers need to teach the curriculum but it's not as though all nursery staff have to do is apply suncream either, there's normally 5 jobs on the go, not complaining one bit (as I said it doesn't take very long) however it's not as though the nursery staff have all the time in the world to apply suncream.

Perhaps (and I'm not a teacher so don't know if there's flexibility), but if there is a bit of flexibility teachers could swap sessions around? So a maths session and a singing session swap places and children sing different songs during the creaming process? Or learn about animals - eg, roaring like a lion and who can roar the loudest etc. Even setting up a game based on numbers for the other 28 children could work well, help their maths skills, develop social skills, teacher and TA apply cream and then spend a v. quick 2 mins discussing the activity before going outside. Apologies if I've got it completely wrong but could that be kind of suitable? At the end of the day, short of parents coming in to school to apply cream staff in schools may need to apply cream as obviously no child wants to get burnt. Yes, children could apply themselves but that'd be risky with allergies and it'd probably take longer and cause more bickering than the staff doing it for them! :D

[pieceofpurplesky]

Made last time I looked roaring like a lion was not high up on the government's list of what a child should be able to by the age of 7!

[AllPizzasGreatAndSmall]

Apologies if I've got it completely wrong but could that be kind of suitable?
Yes you have and no it wouldn't. Unless you only think only children in reception should be helped with suncream.
Seven year olds these days learn how to use fronted adverbials, not make animal noises

[Singersrach]

We live 1 degree from the equator in Singapore and happily put sunscreen on the children in the morning with no need to reapply. 15-20 mins of sun exposure a day is good for us. The school hats here are the same as Aus but not everyone wears them, and there are shaded areas the kids can go to. We've Never so much had a patch of pink skin.

[TheStoic]

www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/spag/health/Pages/sun.aspx#2

This is Victoria's sun policy for schools. There is a strict 'no hat, no play' policy, and hats are wide brimmed. Shade is paramount and factored in to all school designs. Play is inside on really hot days. No teacher has ever put sunscreen on my kids. My kids have never become sunburnt at school.

To be honest, sunscreen in Australia is just a bonus. Shade and clothing protection is much more important. Without those, sunscreen is pretty ineffective against our sun.

[Lbabyx123]

Sorry but you are being unreasonable.

I'm a primary school teacher and have been for ten years. In that time nobody have ever asked me to put sun cream on children. They are outside for a maximum of 30 minutes. I have never had a child burn themselves nor heard of any child doing so in a different class.

As long as they wear a hat, they will be fine.

Also, union guidelines state:

'The NUT advises teachers not to apply sunscreen to pupils due to the potential for allegations of abuse and, in particular, the time it would take to apply sunscreen to a class of pupils prior to breaktime or lunchtime.'

So getting teachers to do this could (depending on which teacher you ask) could open a can of worms.

[dizzyfucker]

They are outside for a maximum of 30 minutes.
Most UK schools are required to provide free-flow for nursery and reception, so some children can be outside most of the day. Some schools try to give more outside time for year 1. I have seen many many children wolf their lunch in 5 minutes to maximise playtime. No UK school I have ever been to has less than 50 minutes lunch break. Most are 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Some children will be outside considerably longer than 30 minutes.

[Lbabyx123]

Perhaps, however, most primary classrooms do not have a full time teaching assistant.

If it took one minute per child for the teacher to apply sun cream before every break time, you are looking at an average of 1 hour 30 minutes a day applying sun cream... That's a maths lesson and a guided reading session.

Perhaps in extreme circumstances (child with a skin disorder or who burns particularly easily and can't apply themselves) with written consent from the parent. However, in this day and age, you have to be so careful as a teacher and most schools wouldn't suggest teachers do it. My sons nursery ask it to be applied before his session (9-1) and don't top up and they have free-flow outdoor provision.

[RufusTheReindeer]

Agree with dizzy

[SuburbanRhonda]

Free flow in our reception class doesn't mean the children are allowed to wander outside whenever they wish as they need to be adequately supervised at all times.

[Pambilaga1608]

More and more children these days are developing Rickets due to over zealous parents applying sunscreen as soon as the sun rises. It's ridiculous. If the children are exposed for long periods without adequate cover, are doing water sports, are not wearing a hat, then it's not necessary. I live in a very hot country and whilst at school my children wear a hat and a small finger of cream on their nose. What on earth did we do growing up when we were out all day in the summer from sun up to sundown and played carefree? I feel sorry for kids these days. It's too much!!

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

What on earth did we do growing up when we were out all day in the summer from sun up to sundown and played carefree?

Some of us ended up/ will end up with various skin cancers in adulthood.

[dizzyfucker]

Free flow in our reception class doesn't mean the children are allowed to wander outside whenever they wish as they need to be adequately supervised at all times.

Government guidelines state outdoor provision is an essential part of the early years classroom not an optional extra. Most schools are designed with or have been modified to provide outside space for Early Years. In all the settings I have been to, a staff member is outside at all times. Your school sounds like it might raise concerns that the children are not getting the choice of daily outdoor activities.