Freezing schools

[Ineedapuppy]

DD8 has cried this afternoon at how cold it is in her classroom with all the doors and windows open. Apparently she’s not allowed a blanket from home and the only response from school is to wear layers under uniform

AIBU to think that this is unkind? At work (large multi National company) staff would NOT work in these freezing conditions. How can it be fair to expect young kids to do it and if so, why make them wear flimsy uniforms?

I think they are happier to add a few layers and protect others around them. I’ve got a friend who’s vulnerable to covid and I happily go for a drink with her and sit outside for 4 others to make her safer when I’d rather be inside and warmer. But hey ho that’s life at the mo

Wrong thread ——

@OnceuponaRainbow18

Trust me, the kids I work with aren’t bothered, their houses are more than likely to be cold as well.

In the grand scheme of things cold when you’ve got the chance to wrap up warmer is really not that big an issue.

Maybe not to you. But some people feel the cold more. There's absolutely no way I could work or concentrate in a room that was colder than 18 or 19 degrees even wearing lots of layers and children feel the cold more than adults due to their higher skin surface to weight ratio. Clearly sone children are bothered or they wouldn't be upset about it to the extent the OP described.

Schools are responsible for providing an environment where all children are able to learn and have an education. A freezing cold classroom does not fulfil that statutory duty.

I’m a secondary teacher. Our risk assessments prioritise ventilation currently due to Covid so therefore we must have windows and doors open. Pupils are allowed to wear base layers and their PE hoodie over their uniform if they feel cold. We are not to close windows and doors - they are our only source of ventilation.

@motherrunner

I’m a secondary teacher. Our risk assessments prioritise ventilation currently due to Covid so therefore we must have windows and doors open. Pupils are allowed to wear base layers and their PE hoodie over their uniform if they feel cold. We are not to close windows and doors - they are our only source of ventilation.

Nope, that doesn't stack up. Firstly, there is no evidence I've seen that you need windows and doors wide open all day to ensure adequate ventilation.

And secondly, if the school insists on "prioritising" extreme levels of ventilation to the extent that classrooms are freezing cold then it needs to put compensating measures in place to simultaneously ensure adequate warmth. Like turning the heating right up, using fan heaters, oil radiators, letting children wear whatever they choose to, etc.

[quote LadyPenelope68]@HesterShaw1
Genuine question though - are some schools extending "must ventilate" to include "can't have the heating on either"?
Can’t speak for all schools, but at the school I teach at, we’ve got the heating on full whack all day to try and compensate for the windows being open, but it’s a Victorian building so it’s cold and crafty at the best of times so heating isn’t having much impact.[/quote]
Exactly the same here too.
We have the heating in full, but doors and windows open.
Hence why most rooms are cold but the odd one is boiling hot.

Why all this talk of thermals and special cashmere wrist warmers?

Tights under trousers and big socks. Several normal layers under school sweatshirt. A scarf. I have poor heating in my house and just get used to putting on more layers in the winter.

I'm not saying concerns aren't warranted or not am I booming "kids today don't know they're BORN". However it's very easy to feel a bit warmer by wearing more layers.

@OnceuponaRainbow18

I think they are happier to add a few layers and protect others around them. I’ve got a friend who’s vulnerable to covid and I happily go for a drink with her and sit outside for 4 others to make her safer when I’d rather be inside and warmer. But hey ho that’s life at the mo

But hey ho you're an adult who has a choice in that, you could choose not to meet your friend. Kids have to go to school.

It's completely different to be outside for a few hours occasionally to have a hot drink with a friend, well wrapped up with thermal gloves, and to spend all day, 5 days a week, in freezing cold classrooms trying to concentrate.

When my DS was at forest nursery last year, he was outside moving around the whole time (unlike older kids sitting still in classrooms) and I used to dress him in 5 or 6 layers... the children had thermal wellies, ski socks, base layers, long sleeve top, short sleeve top, thick jumper, fleece lined waterproof coat and trousers and 2 pairs of gloves. If any child was uncomfortable due to being cold despite all the layers, they were taken to a heated indoor area to warm up.

Some children feel the cold more. We live in a house that is always cold even with the heating on. My children are still colder at school as at least at home they don't have wind and rain coming in.
Just because houses are cold doesn't mean school should be.
There really should be rules on minimum and maximum temperatures but there would have to be so many exceptions it's probably not worth it.

When my heating packed up a couple of years ago, I discovered that thermal underwear (inc long johns), fleece pyjamas over the top of them, with normal clothes over the top of that was brilliantly warm.

I looked like a Michelin Man, but at least I wasn't cold.

It's bloody awful though, my secondary school was really cold in winter and I hated it. And little kids can't even get hot drinks, poor souls.

There’s some really nasty and quite frankly, cruel comments on here. I’ve worked in places where it’s so cold I can see my breath and it’s miserable. @Ineedapuppy ignore all the whinging misery guts on here. Your child deserves to be warm and if you think she needs a blanket then let her have one. I’d also be complaining to the school about the heating, or lack of more to the point.

@motherrunner

I’m a secondary teacher. Our risk assessments prioritise ventilation currently due to Covid so therefore we must have windows and doors open. Pupils are allowed to wear base layers and their PE hoodie over their uniform if they feel cold. We are not to close windows and doors - they are our only source of ventilation.

As per the post above yours, how does that fulfil the statutory to provide an environment, where the children can learn and get an education. It is well known that if they are cold, they’re not learning. May as well be at home.

@EllaVaNight

We provide extra layers for those who need them Does every school? Does the OPs school? How do you identify those in need?

Are you suggesting that no-one should wear layers just because some people might not be able to afford to buy extra clothes?

@Mummyoflittledragon Because my school has reached the threshold that PHE have deemed extra mitigation measures need to be in place because of the constant high numbers of cases which means:

• all windows and doors open
• masks at all times for selected year groups and for all in communal areas

-events cancelled -clubs cancelled unless one year group only

We haven’t made the risk assessment up, it’s informed by local PHE guidance for my school.

@WholeClassKeptIn

How is she going to carry a blanket from class to class 🙄

They don't usually go from class to class in primary school.

@Tootsey11

This is what happens when kids are used to overly heated houses. They cannot deal with a little bit of cold.

Wrap up warm and get on with it.

It was 2° this morning. A little bit of cold?

Teaching staff able to access hot drinks.....how funny! If only they could!! When? Before school or after school?

@ThelovelinessOfDemons

They do at primaries near here/my kids primary. Morning is in class then set for english and maths. I said above I didn't realise this was unusual - another one of those things I didnt realise was good avout our primary!

Ours also go to assembies, computer room, library so definitely not just in one class all day! (Bulk of it maybe.)