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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

About schools, temperatures and coats?

120 replies

FlumpyLump · 29/11/2021 17:29

My 11 year old son is currently wrapped up in blankets with the heating on full blast and he is still shivering and can’t get warm. He has come home from school like this.
He is in year 7 (also asthmatic) and they have a no coat policy. They aren’t allowed to wear it on the premises and it has to be locked away during school hours. They are only allowed to wear their school uniform around school.
It has been minus 3 where we live today and full of snow. They have the windows wide open in the classrooms as well due to covid. He said he sits near a window and it’s always cold. Apparently, a child was close to tears today because they were shivering that badly and couldn’t concentrate.
During dinner breaks, they are kicked outside with no coats allowed. They also weren’t allowed to run around in the snow so they were standing around freezing.
I bought him a plain black scarf to help keep the cold off his chest and he was told to remove that as well.
I’m worried about covid obviously, but my son also suffers with his asthma in cold temperatures and he gets very poorly this time of year with it. They know this.
It’s madness.

OP posts:
Rosebel · 30/11/2021 10:27

Go to school and tell them it's not acceptable. We have a parents WhatsApp group and a number of parents were unhappy about no coat rule so we put in a joint complaint and school now allow coats in lessons. My children wear layers and are still frozen after school.
Feel so sorry for the children and staff.

Elephantsparade · 30/11/2021 10:28

The HSE regulations that schools are directed to regarding ventilation specifically says that relaxing clothing rules might be needed. ( it also suggests buying heaters and increasing heating which might be hard with tight budgets)

Noodledoodledoo · 01/12/2021 21:41

@kowari

Is it the same rule for teachers? Not uniforms, but business dress with no coats or scarves allowed inside or outside?
Yep - I am still in professional dress. I wear fingerless gloves when its really bad, but have told my students I am fine with them doing the same. I wear a cardi most days but that is my own school uniform style anyway!

I do wear long vests under my clothes and today I wore leggings under my dress instead of tights but its a maxi dress so you can't tell.

Naughtynovembertree · 01/12/2021 22:08

We have windows open and students are welcome to bring anything in to help them with the cold.
I'd probably be holding my son at home in these circumstances. This is a crisis... Not torture.
We need all shoulders to the wheel what utter absolute tyrant would insist on this??

Naughtynovembertree · 01/12/2021 22:10

It's this utter nonsense that leads people to loose all faith with the "system".
We are in a once in a generation crisis and small dc are not allowed coats??

I'd be tweeting like mad, emailing and getting papers involved..

MovingForwardish · 01/12/2021 22:18

I'm in the cold all day too...with 4 and 5 year olds 😔 bloody CO2 monitor flashing every 5 mins, its awful. I feel so awful its that cold for them but I'm bollocked if SLT come past my classroom and the windows aren't wide open

EasyLikeSundays · 01/12/2021 22:57

@MovingForwardish

I'm in the cold all day too...with 4 and 5 year olds 😔 bloody CO2 monitor flashing every 5 mins, its awful. I feel so awful its that cold for them but I'm bollocked if SLT come past my classroom and the windows aren't wide open
I am so shocked you are allowed to and willing to do this with such young children. Absolutely disgusting. If this was my daughters school she would be kept at home and I'd be telling them why. It's inhuman in this weather.
SammyScrounge · 01/12/2021 23:03

There are legal minimum temperatures. The schools have to close if the temperature falls below,it.

MovingForwardish · 02/12/2021 22:58

@EasyLikeSundays I'm not "allowed" to do it. I'm told to. And I'm not willing either. I don't have any choice.
But thanks for making me feel shit about it.

saraclara · 02/12/2021 23:19

Some posters here don't seem to have got past the days when, as kids, they saw teachers as all-powerful.

The vast majority of teachers have no say at all in this. They're told what they have to do, and get bollocked if they don't do it.
And no, they don't somehow get to stay warm while everyone else in the room is freezing. And I love the assumption that teachers have offices! Good grief. My classroom WAS my office. The damn kids cluttered it up all the time though. I only got it to myself at lunchtime.

ilovesooty · 02/12/2021 23:24

[quote MovingForwardish]@EasyLikeSundays I'm not "allowed" to do it. I'm told to. And I'm not willing either. I don't have any choice.
But thanks for making me feel shit about it.[/quote]
I sympathise.

ilovesooty · 02/12/2021 23:28

@saraclara

Some posters here don't seem to have got past the days when, as kids, they saw teachers as all-powerful.

The vast majority of teachers have no say at all in this. They're told what they have to do, and get bollocked if they don't do it.
And no, they don't somehow get to stay warm while everyone else in the room is freezing. And I love the assumption that teachers have offices! Good grief. My classroom WAS my office. The damn kids cluttered it up all the time though. I only got it to myself at lunchtime.

Agreed.

I was a head of department and never had an office.

And in my last school if the SLT told you to implement a policy you simply had to do it whether or not you agreed with it. It simply wasn't safe to put your head above the parapet. There are lots of schools like that.

DdraigGoch · 03/12/2021 00:26

my DSD asked why the teacher was allowed to keep hers on and they weren't. The teacher told her the policy didn't apply to teachers and she was given a detention for backchat. (I suspect she did have an attitude but it's a fair question IMO!)

I wouldn't have had the nerve to tell someone that they couldn't wear a coat while I wore one myself.

The Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 is the applicable law here.
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/2/regulation/20/made

saraclara · 03/12/2021 01:20

The unions were complaining about cold classrooms a year ago. The govt hasn't listened.

www.tes.com/news/teachers-want-urgent-advice-cold-covid-classrooms

Notmeoryou · 03/12/2021 09:30

Totally crazy. Think this is the official normal rule at our secondary ( but can wear coats outside ) Since Covid and open windows they've been encouraged to wear extra layers,including bringing a thick hoodie/hats to wear in class and a blind eye is being turned to wearing coats in class. Anything less is negligent imo

Mojoj · 03/12/2021 09:35

You send him into school wrapped up in his coat etc and tell him, if the school asks him to remove it, they should call you. Bloody ridiculous.

Mookie81 · 03/12/2021 22:36

@MLMshouldbeillegal

Of course it's madness.

But it doesn't matter that your son is freezing his bits off. Only Covid matters. And the teaching unions have decided that they want windows open, irrespective of what parents and children need or want.

It was the government, not the unions, fool. Hmm
Hankunamatata · 03/12/2021 22:52

Ds is layered. Sports underskin top and bottom, then thermal leggings and top then his school trousers and shirt then school jumper. Got him wee hand warmers which he keeps in his pockets and woolly hat for outside. Is also has heat sole things in his shoes.

Hankunamatata · 03/12/2021 22:53

www.halfords.com/camping/camping-accessories/hot-hands-hand-warmers-twin-pack-655088.html
These but you can buy loads places

Hankunamatata · 03/12/2021 22:54

Cotton wool on toes of shoes work well too

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