To be annoyed my child is freezing cold at school

[BlueSkies2020]

My child’s school has all the windows and doors open all day, following govt guidelines on reducing Covid transmissions. I support this in principle, and have sent my child in extra layers as requested. It needs to be official uniform, so I’ve added a cardigan under the school fleece, vest under a polo shirt, tights with socks over, trousers. They shut the windows and doors when the children are outside playing to warm it up.

The issue is my child is sat right next to the classroom door (opens to the playground). Her table is at a diagonal and she is sitting in the draft stream iyswim.

She is complaining about the cold. Says her arms and legs are freezing and I can verify that when I go to pick her up - her face is freezing. Yesterday she felt icy cold and it’s not even that cold outside. She won’t raise it with the teacher - quite shy.

Do I just suck it up and put even more layers on her. Or complain?

Any advice on extra layering and affordable layers gratefully received. We’re quite short of money right now due to husbands work drying up during Covid, so don’t have money for base layers which look quite pricey.

Uniform is royal blue. So any product links would be helpful x

[quote WhereverIGoddamnLike]@diddl

No. Thermal base layers are not just pants.[/quote]
Ok, just noticed that you have the word thermal in there.

So thermal underwear?

Ridiculous that some schools aren't allowing them to wear base layers!

In normal - non covid admittedly - times, for most work there's a recommendation that the minimum working temperature is 16 degrees or 13 degrees if constantly on the move and working vigorously. Whilst it is a recommendation and not actual law - if it's similar or lower within the classrooms the children (and staff!) should be allowed to wrap up!

Wearing hat/scarf/coat/fingerless gloves etc should surely help them work more rather than sat there dithering!

I have raynaurds in my extremities, including my chest. Once it has really set in I feel like there's a set of teeth actually physically biting the end of my breast and ripping it, I definitely wouldn't be working to my best (!)

There are those little handwarmer things that warm up when exposed to air. They last for like 8 hours in some cases - would they be any good?

I don't mean base layers in my first sentence above I mean extra layers ^^

It's quite mild outside but I'm still sat here with a polo neck and fleece on and all the doors and windows closed as I really feel the draught if I'm sitting down. DDs are freezing at school at the moment wearing several layers. They will definitely have to close the windows in winter.

In normal - non covid admittedly - times, for most work there's a recommendation that the minimum working temperature is 16 degrees or 13 degrees if constantly on the move and working vigorously. Whilst it is a recommendation and not actual law - if it's similar or lower within the classrooms the children (and staff!) should be allowed to wrap up!

Minimum of 16C is actual law and specified in the The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 for non-physical work.

There’s ventilation then going to extremes if you’re needing so many layers to sit indoors they’ll work for so long then what you then go outside get more cold and come back in to a cold classroom and sat there freezing cold? How is that conducive to learning anything..our school has windows open and heating is on none of my 3 at school have complained of being cold and buggered if I’m having my 9 year old asthmatic sat in a hat scarf and gloves in the classroom then sending him outside his chest would be terrible. Teachers must be finding this difficult too I have thyroid issues - don’t have one and once I’m cold that’s it, heating up can take an age and it’s not nice being bone cold whilst at work.

Air can circulate without outside doors being open heating can still be on
Classrooms need thermometers to make sure they aren’t too cold/warm for pupils

But closing windows would be grossly negligent about the health of teachers.

Schools are one of the institutions with the least mitigating measures - social distancing is impossible, working from home challenging/impossible etc - it would be unreasonable to expect school staff to work in unventilated rooms with 30 children for hours a day.

Although, in reality, that is what some school staff are doing if windows don't open or there isn't a window in their classroom.

Haven't read the whole thread, but agree with those suggesting a quiet word with the teacher to ask if your child can move seats. In terms of cheap, warm clothing, if you're in the UK (and when shops open again), primark sells a cheap pack of white, long-sleeved thermal shirts which are great under school shirts.

I'm surprised some schools are rotating the DCs. We were told seats couldn't be changed so they can keep track of pupils in case there is Covid in the class.

For the poster asking what base layers are, here's an explanation Base layers guide They tend to be different from thermal underwear. They can be much thinner and lighter material.

I was going to suggest the little handwarmers if your DD has pockets. You can get cute themed ones for DCs.

Merino wool vests are really warm.
Thin layers of natural wool and silk are warmest and least bulky, but do they do those in child sizes?
Fleece isn’t warm like wool and silks are.
Cotton isn’t warm either.
I remember freezing in lab at school and tutor allowed us Bunsen burners on for a little extra heat. Sitting still in cold Is much worse than being active outdoors

"There’s ventilation then going to extremes if you’re needing so many layers to sit indoors"

Absolutely!

I prefer layers to too much heating, but there gets to a point that if extremities are cold, no amount of layers seems to work!

@Graciebobcat

In normal - non covid admittedly - times, for most work there's a recommendation that the minimum working temperature is 16 degrees or 13 degrees if constantly on the move and working vigorously. Whilst it is a recommendation and not actual law - if it's similar or lower within the classrooms the children (and staff!) should be allowed to wrap up!

Minimum of 16C is actual law and specified in the The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 for non-physical work.

The Approved Code of Practice suggests the minimum temperature in a workplace should normally be at least 16 degrees Celsius. If the work involves rigorous physical effort, the temperature should be at least 13 degrees Celsius. These temperatures are not absolute legal requirements; the employer has a duty to determine what reasonable comfort will be in the particular circumstances.

www.hse.gov.uk/temperature/law.htm

Talk to the school - I think schools should move to own clothes - I've suggested this to my head (secondary school) - she hasn't replied to my email!

All this talk of base layers-isn't it just underwear??

We have underwear then our base layers. So long sleeved bodies and things that look a little like thin leggings.

Kids really are the bottom of the pile these days aren’t they?

I cannot believe that children are being expected to sit cold and miserable all day near open doors in 2020! It’s so extreme not to mention unhealthy.

I understand schools are protecting teachers but my god there has to be a better way.

My DD has had bowel operations in the past and is a skinny thing that always feels the cold. Thank god I Home school my dc.

OP for good quality but cheap merino layers try second hand on eBay.

For those not understanding base layers... all Scandinavian kids wear them in winter and have become popular here in the last decade or so for kids.

They are worn over underwear but under clothing.

They are fitted close to the body and work to trap heat in next to the skin.

Some brands are better than others.

Merino material is purported to be the most effective at trapping heat.

added a cardigan under the school fleece, vest under a polo shirt, tights with socks over, trousers.

So she's got vest, polo-shirt, cardigan and fleece on top and tights, socks and trousers ok the bottom and she's still too cold at 14°?

Is it really windy there? Does she have a long walk to school where she's getting cold? What extra lawyers does she have at playtime?

Schools just need the heating on full blast to compensate for open windows. Ventilation of course prevents stagnant air and helps to disperse droplets so is vital at the moment but kids shouldn't be cold.

It's not just about protecting teachers, it's about mitigating the spread generally isn't it.

I mean I'm full of admiration for teachers and of course they should be made as safe as possible but if I hear from my kid one more time that a teacher has told them all they're risking their lives to be there and they should be grateful, I'm going to lose my shit. Kids are having a hard enough time as it is without being made to feel responsible for adults' safety - and without being made to feel that their health is secondary to their teachers'.

I think I should just get more layers and suck it up. Maybe they could move the desk a bit, but wouldn’t want to put another child in same position.

No, don't suck it up. They may be able to move the desk somewhere out of the draft without necessarily having to swap with another child.

@ThePlantsitter

It's not just about protecting teachers, it's about mitigating the spread generally isn't it.

I mean I'm full of admiration for teachers and of course they should be made as safe as possible but if I hear from my kid one more time that a teacher has told them all they're risking their lives to be there and they should be grateful, I'm going to lose my shit. Kids are having a hard enough time as it is without being made to feel responsible for adults' safety - and without being made to feel that their health is secondary to their teachers'.

How old is your child?

@GetOffYourHighHorse

Schools just need the heating on full blast to compensate for open windows. Ventilation of course prevents stagnant air and helps to disperse droplets so is vital at the moment but kids shouldn't be cold.

Well this is why I'm wondering why ops child is finding it so cold if it's 14° outside which is a long way from freezing, because I assumed schools would do this. Or are they saying they can't afford to?

Schools generally are going to have to relax the requirement for school uniform as it gets colder. It's ridiculous if, say, a child can't put on a thick woolly jumper because the school pullover won't fit over the top. If all this makes schools finally realise that uniform isn't the be-all and end-all, at least something will have been achieved.

Also consider fleece lined winter boots to keep her feet warm - even if she just uses them in class

My DD is exactly the same, sits next to the open door.

They were asked to bring/wear a hoodie or sweatshirt to keep them warm over their uniform.

They were told not to wear their coats indoors and to save them to wear for breaktime.

I won't be buying extra clothes.