Very cold classrooms

[ZolaGrey]

My 10 year older daughter just got in the car after school and she is frozen, her lips are chapped and her fingers are freezing.

It turns out that the school have decided not to heat the classrooms and that all doors and windows have to be open all the time, it's been around 3-6° all day here. She's had her coat on all day.

I've said that she could take a hoodie or similar in tomorrow but she said they're not allowed as it's not uniform, they have however been told they can wear hats, scarves and fingerless gloves in the classroom

I would imagine that if I kept my house unheated, with all the doors and windows open all the time that I would be accused of some kind of neglect.

Am I right to be unhappy about the set up? I'm a bit over stressed at the minute so I'm not sure how reasoned my reactions are to things currently!

How are everybody else's school approaching this? Has anybody had any logics information to back up this approach?

I’m a teacher who has posted many times about the cold in school.

My school does not have the heating on and windows must be partially open during lessons and fully open between. My room is bitter.

I have been frozen for the past two weeks. It takes hours for my feet and hands to warm up once home and I can’t concentrate or type or write, let alone the kids. It’s utterly miserable.

Yesterday I got home from school and sat on the floor next to a radiator trying to warm up. My feet were like blocks of ice when I went to bed and were still cold this morning despite me cranking up the heating.

The cold has gone right through my back and into my bones I’m sure. I have had terrible back and neck pains this week.

This morning I have spent vomiting and shivering. I don’t know why. Bug? Weeks of being too cold? Whatever, it is, I feel extremely unwell.

I have my thermals; my fluffy socks etc but it still damn cold and we can’t afford to put the heating on.

The kids are disengaged, miserable, cold, lethargic or outright naughty due to feeling angry. I’m too disengaged, miserable, cold and lethargic, not to mention achey, to try to motivate them.

I teach secondary and there is no parity across schools. Some kids are in; some are isolating; some have parents who won’t send them in; some have parents who send them in clearly sick. Some schools are warmer than others; some classrooms have advantages over others. Some rooms are on the sunny side of the school and others are in the shade constantly.
At the end of this year 11 and 13, some kids will have had a reasonable teaching experience in a comfortable setting. Some will be suffering, finding excuses not to come in, or just be unable to concentrate, move, write or do anything when present.

Yet somehow the government will say it’s been ‘fairer’ across the board. That we’ve made a success of keeping schools open. When for some of us it is just a horrible horrible experience, for both staff and pupils.

Can I just clarify, are there posters here who want schools fully open with no social distancing, the heating on and the windows shut?

Because that is colossally selfish.

but apparently the Deputy Head is still putting them in detention if their coats don't conform to the uniform policy or they wear a hoody under their blazer.

That’s just too stupid for words

So what does your school plan to do when it's 0 degrees? -2? -5? -10?

@ComeOnBabyHauntMyBubble, what is your suggestion? How would you plan for this scenario with no budget? I'd love to know.

If posters want SLTs to allow pupils to wear coats and gloves in classrooms, crack on and get campaigning for it. I was working in an open area recently when the VP came out of a classroom criticising the teacher for allowing this. I mean, we lowly teachers have to apply school rules if we want to keep our jobs.

@SaltyAF

Can I just clarify, are there posters here who want schools fully open with no social distancing, the heating on and the windows shut?

Because that is colossally selfish.

Show me one poster who said that.

Ours have been told to wear extra layers under and shirts, jumpers and blazers. Can also wear scarfs etc. Ciat on top if needed

@SaltyAF

If posters want SLTs to allow pupils to wear coats and gloves in classrooms, crack on and get campaigning for it. I was working in an open area recently when the VP came out of a classroom criticising the teacher for allowing this. I mean, we lowly teachers have to apply school rules if we want to keep our jobs.

But that's exactly the point . We shouldn't shrug our shoulders and say "oh well,what can you do?" , "put a vest on them", "don't bother heads with this" , "stop being selfish etc" .

If there is a feasible and mutually acceptable compromise to be had, parents should definitely "bother" the head and SLT to find some kind of balance.

Telling parents to put up and shut up as if they're some kind of entitled,selfish snowflakes because they worry about their kids being cold is not ok.

@Goingdooolally

Jeez it’s all a bit melodramatic isn’t it? I think some of you are just looking for something to complain about!

Just layer up- a t shirt won’t cut it, proper thermals. Lidl have some at the moment very cheaply.

Look for solutions rather than problems all the time. Schools are doing their best. It’s a fookin nightmare (I’m a teacher). No one wants miserable kids. Give them the benefit of the doubt please! Our poor head was dealing with all sorts of COVID contact stuff all weekend as we’ve had a few positive cases. He’s had no break really since March. Exhausting.

Windows should be open, heating on if possible. Schools should be sensible about uniform- I would insist on that. Pragmatic.

Go and enjoy your day everyone and stop getting so ANGRY! It’s like “usforthem” - not happy unless they’re moaning.

Nobody is angry, and I proposed pragmatism with the uniform. I haven't said the school aren't doing enough etc. The only person who sounds annoyed or angry, is you.

@Nottherealslimshady

Send her in a jumper under her coat, how will they even know? And the teacher would have some bollocks to make her take a jumper off when its freezing. Being cold is no good for our immune system so it's not really a reasonable adjustment. Get her some of those hand warmers that get hot just from being opened.

They've now been told they can't wear coats in the classroom as they're "too bulky", so no hiding things underneath them unfortunately!

@SaltyAF

Can I just clarify, are there posters here who want schools fully open with no social distancing, the heating on and the windows shut?

Because that is colossally selfish.

No, that hasn't been said as far as I'm aware and I certainly haven't said that. You're being repeatedly goady. If you have an axe to grind, please grind it somewhere people will bite.

@ZolaGrey I’m not at all angry, just a wee bit frustrated at some of the posts. Not yours, as you sound like you have reason to be annoyed. I think a lot of people are angry and upset at the moment (unsurprisingly) and can become hyper focused on this type of thing which isn’t helpful. Us teachers are under a lot of pressure and we’re really trying to do the right thing.

Anyway, I hope you manage to get a resolution and the school see sense and relax uniform restrictions (seems the easiest, least painful solution).

*We shouldn't shrug our shoulders and say "oh well,what can you do?" , "put a vest on them", "don't bother heads with this" , "stop being selfish etc" .

If there is a feasible and mutually acceptable compromise to be had, parents should definitely "bother" the head and SLT to find some kind of balance.

Telling parents to put up and shut up as if they're some kind of entitled,selfish snowflakes because they worry about their kids being cold is not ok.*

@ComeOnBabyHauntMyBubble

This is exactly the issue. I've been told multiple times by other posters to effectively give it a rest because we shouldn't question or criticise schools. My child is in their care 5 days a week, 6 hours a day, I can ask questions about what is happening to her in that time perfectly reasonably

Schools have the heating on but they have to have the windows open for covid regulations

[quote Goingdooolally]**@ZolaGrey* I’m not at all* angry, just a wee bit frustrated at some of the posts. Not yours, as you sound like you have reason to be annoyed. I think a lot of people are angry and upset at the moment (unsurprisingly) and can become hyper focused on this type of thing which isn’t helpful. Us teachers are under a lot of pressure and we’re really trying to do the right thing.

Anyway, I hope you manage to get a resolution and the school see sense and relax uniform restrictions (seems the easiest, least painful solution).[/quote]

I've emailed the head and requested that if these were the measures going forward (which is fine, and reasonable) then they must look at relaxing the uniform policy.

Nobody would tolerate sitting in an office in the same conditions in a suit and be told they couldn't put a coat on because it's not 'keeping up appearance'. Hopefully there will be some progress!

@ZolaGrey good luck. Hopefully common sense will prevail. Some relaxation (not total) seems sensible!

@SaltyAF

So what does your school plan to do when it's 0 degrees? -2? -5? -10?

@ComeOnBabyHauntMyBubble, what is your suggestion? How would you plan for this scenario with no budget? I'd love to know.

Surely allow the kids to wear whatever keeps them warm rather than insisting on a school uniform - it's not hard - unless you're school is has some fixation with uniform - which seems to be the case for many.

@DBML

I’m a teacher who has posted many times about the cold in school.

My school does not have the heating on and windows must be partially open during lessons and fully open between. My room is bitter.

I have been frozen for the past two weeks. It takes hours for my feet and hands to warm up once home and I can’t concentrate or type or write, let alone the kids. It’s utterly miserable.

Yesterday I got home from school and sat on the floor next to a radiator trying to warm up. My feet were like blocks of ice when I went to bed and were still cold this morning despite me cranking up the heating.

The cold has gone right through my back and into my bones I’m sure. I have had terrible back and neck pains this week.

This morning I have spent vomiting and shivering. I don’t know why. Bug? Weeks of being too cold? Whatever, it is, I feel extremely unwell.

I have my thermals; my fluffy socks etc but it still damn cold and we can’t afford to put the heating on.

The kids are disengaged, miserable, cold, lethargic or outright naughty due to feeling angry. I’m too disengaged, miserable, cold and lethargic, not to mention achey, to try to motivate them.

I teach secondary and there is no parity across schools. Some kids are in; some are isolating; some have parents who won’t send them in; some have parents who send them in clearly sick. Some schools are warmer than others; some classrooms have advantages over others. Some rooms are on the sunny side of the school and others are in the shade constantly.
At the end of this year 11 and 13, some kids will have had a reasonable teaching experience in a comfortable setting. Some will be suffering, finding excuses not to come in, or just be unable to concentrate, move, write or do anything when present.

Yet somehow the government will say it’s been ‘fairer’ across the board. That we’ve made a success of keeping schools open. When for some of us it is just a horrible horrible experience, for both staff and pupils.

Never a truer post. Brilliant. Spot on.

Absolutely. Im teaching in covid central and half my year 11’s have been off school For almost half the first term. I had half a class last week.

I told them last week when they are off they MUST keep up with the work, as they are already disadvantaged as some schools havent had any cases sent home at all.

But i also said back in april that it would be current yr 11 and 13 who would suffer.

Salty, our leadership team is very very good. We have none of these barriers, do blended learning, encourage students to wear warm suitable clothing etc. Heating is fully on etc.

My children's schools I have let secondary know I want them to wear masks and I'll add the part about uniform and heat when I speak to them on Monday.

Both dc say they are warm though, too warm and windows are open.

@DBML

I’m a teacher who has posted many times about the cold in school.

My school does not have the heating on and windows must be partially open during lessons and fully open between. My room is bitter.

I have been frozen for the past two weeks. It takes hours for my feet and hands to warm up once home and I can’t concentrate or type or write, let alone the kids. It’s utterly miserable.

Yesterday I got home from school and sat on the floor next to a radiator trying to warm up. My feet were like blocks of ice when I went to bed and were still cold this morning despite me cranking up the heating.

The cold has gone right through my back and into my bones I’m sure. I have had terrible back and neck pains this week.

This morning I have spent vomiting and shivering. I don’t know why. Bug? Weeks of being too cold? Whatever, it is, I feel extremely unwell.

I have my thermals; my fluffy socks etc but it still damn cold and we can’t afford to put the heating on.

The kids are disengaged, miserable, cold, lethargic or outright naughty due to feeling angry. I’m too disengaged, miserable, cold and lethargic, not to mention achey, to try to motivate them.

I teach secondary and there is no parity across schools. Some kids are in; some are isolating; some have parents who won’t send them in; some have parents who send them in clearly sick. Some schools are warmer than others; some classrooms have advantages over others. Some rooms are on the sunny side of the school and others are in the shade constantly.
At the end of this year 11 and 13, some kids will have had a reasonable teaching experience in a comfortable setting. Some will be suffering, finding excuses not to come in, or just be unable to concentrate, move, write or do anything when present.

Yet somehow the government will say it’s been ‘fairer’ across the board. That we’ve made a success of keeping schools open. When for some of us it is just a horrible horrible experience, for both staff and pupils.

Absolutely spot on! I want my kids at school, I want them to feel comfortable enough to concentrate on their studies. I want teachers to be safe and comfortable in their workplace. It feels like there's a lot of denial going on here. Dh said to me the kids could just shove on an extra layer or a coat - when I suggested I opened the window in his study while he worked in his coat - he got the point. We have to be honest about the impact these measures are having.

Exactly. There’s always been disparity between schools. Some schools are in leafy areas where people have significantly more money than deprived areas. Some schools are kitted out with the latest and greatest ICT suites and other schools struggle with a couple of lap top trolleys and all the laptops are missing different keys.

The seemingly insignificant problem of ‘classroom temperature’ is actually a far greater issue than many people realise and only widens the gap between different types of school and the results our children will achieve. Simply saying ‘layer up’ is not sufficient to close the gap. Simply saying ‘well my kids are ok at their school’ is again not helping to close the gap. Saying ‘a bit of cold won’t kill them’ whilst true isn’t helping to close the gap. The system is deeply unfair, will be advantageous to some pupils over others and only raising it as a national issue, rather than local issues, will draw attention to the problem.

I say this as a teacher and a parent of a year 11 pupil.

@DBML

Exactly. There’s always been disparity between schools. Some schools are in leafy areas where people have significantly more money than deprived areas. Some schools are kitted out with the latest and greatest ICT suites and other schools struggle with a couple of lap top trolleys and all the laptops are missing different keys.

The seemingly insignificant problem of ‘classroom temperature’ is actually a far greater issue than many people realise and only widens the gap between different types of school and the results our children will achieve. Simply saying ‘layer up’ is not sufficient to close the gap. Simply saying ‘well my kids are ok at their school’ is again not helping to close the gap. Saying ‘a bit of cold won’t kill them’ whilst true isn’t helping to close the gap. The system is deeply unfair, will be advantageous to some pupils over others and only raising it as a national issue, rather than local issues, will draw attention to the problem.

I say this as a teacher and a parent of a year 11 pupil.

The chance of success in exams have moved around enormously - I'm sure there are more to add to each list

Going up...
Those who go to private school and had online lessons from day one (lockdown 1.0)
Those who are mature motivated independent students
Those who have space/tech/peace to work (during lockdown 1.0)
Those who find it easy to tolerate cold
Those who can afford thermals

Going down
Anyone who has to isolate due to those around them getting covid
Anyone who has to isolate waiting for a test
Those who sit at the window and freeze in that class every time
Those who have a health issue or have vulnerable family members.
Those in Covid areas
Those who are still struggling with independent learning

inews.co.uk/opinion/unmarked-books-and-freezing-classrooms-teachers-will-do-their-best-in-lockdown-but-its-becoming-untenable-748851

Absolutely Kleanex.