To think junk food shouldn’t be sold outside primary school?

[FaeryRing]

At DD’s primary school there’s a small business who, a few times a week from spring to autumn, set up a van on the drive selling sweets and ice cream at home time. The school send reminders to parents to bring their ££ for ‘an after school treat’.

DD is allowed treats but usually once a week, or twice max. It’s really irritating that I have to fend off constant nagging for treats because she can see all her friends queueing for them and to be honest, I’m surprised the school allows it - many of the kids don’t seem to be in great health as it is.

AIBU to think the school should tell the business to go elsewhere?

I don't understand why the school would do this? Surely they are not getting a 'cut' of the takings!

Schools are not allowed to lobby parents to support a fast food van! Local authorities need to give a licence for street trading, provide waste disposal of their own and should not be touting like this outside schools. Ask your LA what the details of the licence is that this head teacher supports, so you say.

I don’t get it either. I get the impression it’s run by a school mum, but can’t say for certain. I realise I sound like a bore but the amount of junk pushed at kids these days is unreal! They have cake for sponge for school dinner every day, once every week or two somebody has a birthday so more cake and sweets, and now this. Surely there has to be a limit somewhere what with the crisis in children’s weight/teeth.

We used to have an ice cream van at my DD's Primary. It didn't bother me. I got her an ice cream sometimes usually about once a week and just said no the rest of the time.

What I object far more to is the amount of junk food sold inside at secondary school.

That is really strange. I have seen ice cream vans on the car parks of secondary schools but not primary. You cannot even order a Just Eats to a school can you? How can this be allowed, when you can't even put a cake in a lunch box without being told off by a primary school teacher?

It has been many years since I have been at school but both my primary and secondary school allowed ice cream vans on the school grounds so the kids could buy what ever they wanted at break and dinner time .
We also had a tuck shop .

I am not saying that this is the way it should be now , but if they are outside the grounds I don't think there is much you can do about it.
Can you promise your dd a different type of treat if she doesn't pester ?

I agree OP, it’s shocking.

In my area, every single chip shop, kebab house, pizza shop etc. sell lunch time specials for secondary school children (burger, chips and a can of fizzy juice for £3.50).

The school canteens (rightly) have to provide healthy, balanced meals and they all bugger off into the town and eat fried food every day!

Who knows. The school seem to enable unhealthy eating - pudding is cake every day, they’re forever making biscuits and cake (this week they are icing biscuits and also decorating cupcakes), constant birthday food and now this… I would say about 40% of the children are visibly overweight.

My primary school has an ice cream van that comes on sunny days. It’s technically not school land but it’s literally right outside the gates.

I don’t agree with the handing out sweets for birthdays either.

That seems very strange that school is sending out reminders to parents to bring money unless they were benefitting in some way.

From a young age I made a point of not always buying my children sweets when we went in a shop, so they knew not to always expect sweets. Sometimes I would say to them that I needed such and such from the shop but I wasn't buying sweets today and they would just accept it.

If you know in advance when the van is going to be there just tell your child in the morning that you won't be buying anything as it's not treat day. I always found my children accepted this if they were told beforehand.

Do you mean an ice cream van?
There used to be one outside Ds1,primary school every day too ,it was a PITA, but school didn't have anything to do with it.

There was an ice cream van outside my 3 DC's primary school every day, but they knew they got one on Fridays only.

They're adults now and still have fond memories of the 'Friday treat'.

I wonder if it’s being run by someone on the ppg and they are donating some of the profits. I’d agree it’s problematic.

Out of interest, does the school police packed lunches and tell parents that a cheese sandwich is too unhealthy? 😁

I agree. There is just no need for even more junk to be pushed on kids. Our school banned birthday sweets which I think is the right thing to do. Does sound a bit strange that the school are pushing it.

Never heard of a school promoting junk but my dc attended 3 different primaries (moving) and each had an ice cream van on the road nearby but not school premises