So cold at school

[TW2013]

My dc are really cold at school. I know why all the windows, doors etc are open and I tend to just layer up at home so not averse to layers. They go in with five layers on top, wondering about digging their salopettes out for legs. They have been told they can't have hood up. Due to a medical condition they do get colder than normal. Have ordered fingerless gloves. Anyone else found any solutions?

@DBML

Teacher here, it’s been very cold in school. I can barely concentrate, let alone the poor kids. I feel constantly ill and during the week, it can take hours in the evening to warm up, I’ve even bought an electric blanket to make sure I can sleep at night as my hands and feet are still like blocks of ice. Some schools are incredibly miserable places to be at the moment and I long for the day we can all just get back to normal.

This.

Teacher here too.

If they are not allowed to wear coats in class etc challenge this with SLT. Poor loves in their PE kit freezing away. I let them layer up in anything they want in my classroom (I even let them wear their masks.... shhhhh don't tell the incompetent fools DfE).

I can't fathom the mind set that forces dc to wear only certain things in a pandemic.... It's all shoulders to the wheel, pull all the stops out surely?. Do anything to keep them warm, safe... And aired?

Have a look at thermacare heat wraps. They're for back pain but they genuinely stay hot for hours. She could wear one very easily under clothes.

Yes, I let kids wear coats in my classroom, but ask for hoods down. Also, fingerless gloves. I've also advised blanket or massive scarf to go over their legs whilst they are sitting still.

It is so utterly miserable at the moment. Just wait til Jan/Feb/March when it's even colder...

My DS is wearing Canterbury thermoreg skins every day and that seems to do the trick.

34AcornAutumn

Also, what’s the deal if you want to withdraw your child from school this year, would they be allowed to repeat the year next year?

No. Plus they have to start high school at 11 so any held back children miss yr6.

Work in a school. We encourage layers under uniform plus a body warmer on top, fingerless gloves, a neck warmer and a beanie. That works well for most children. I'm wearing a vest, long sleeved t-shirt, jumper, poncho, fingerless gloves, scarf and wooly hat. That keeps me pretty warm but I'm thinking of getting fleecy leggings too.

OP if your dc has a medical condition that means they feel the cold more, request a COVID risk assessment and request that they are allowed to use a hot water bottle/wheat bag/hand warmers/blanket/sit away from the window.

In July we contacted every child who was on our medical register to see what adjustments we needed to make for them in September. This would definitely be something I would be prepared to bend/break the rules for.

Thankfully our school has a sensible approach. We're currently wearing as many layers as possible in class, including hats, scarves and gloves if wanted/needed.

I work in a school, we have had to ask parents to send their children in with more layers on- don't worry about the colour just more layers. We still have children arriving in just a tshirt, joggers and school sweatshirt on PE days🥶 Just send them in warm clothes & don't forget their coat😤

I work in several schools and have dc at different schools- some are freezing with windows open and some aren't opening them, it's very hard to warm up sitting still and I really struggle at some schools.
My own older dc are already cold from the bus when they arrive. All the schools are insisting on uniform with no exceptions

Real wool socks, they are amazing.

I’ve just kept mine off tbh and they are doing online learning till the situation calms down

I'm a teacher so have great sympathy - it is freezing.
I bought some faux fur lined leggings from
primark at the weekend and honestly they have changed my life. I'm warm for the first time in weeks. They're not attractive but past caring.

Teacher here too. My class has all the windows open but the heating has been ramped up by the local authority. None of the children complain of the cold. If they do, i tell them to put on their jackets. I also encourage them to layer up.
At the end of the day, its to protect teachers from catching covid. There are very few protections and ventilation is key.
You should be thankful your children are at school and this is a protection so that your children don't miss out on their education with it being passed on to your child's teachers. This attitude really irks me. Especially so as plenty of parents can sit in their houses wfh.
No, its not ideal but its the way it needs to be. We could always resume home learning otherwise.?
No, didnt think so.

It's fucking freezing in my school. We're meant to keep it at 18 degrees, but that's impossible with windows open.

I'm wearing snow boots good to -5, thermals, scarves and snood things. All the moderate Muslim staff in my school have discovered a love of the hijab.

Also a teacher. Yep, it is cold.

I am wearing thermal vests, woollen stockings and not making anyone take coats off. I do shut the door and all but one window when we are in the class, but then open up to ventilate when we are on a break.

I do ask for hoods down, so that children can see and hear. I have some children who wear beanies though as they have particular reasons they cannot get cold. You can see and hear in a beanie as long as it is over the ears.

People saying "parents should protest" what would you be asking for as an alternative? I presume you would not want us to make school a less safe environment for staff and vulnerable pupils, so would you accept mask wearing with windows shut, for example?

I'm a teaching assistant and it is absolutely freezing! I'm wearing thermal layer, jumper plus fleece most days and I'm so so cold. Our school is a very old building and the radiators are ancient. It was cold before we had to keep all windows and doors open but Baltic now. My school haven't relaxed the dress code at all apart from on PE days. I mentioned relaxing the dress code on our first training day of the year (before all the kids came back) and was told absolutely not. I think what a lot of parents also don't realise is that because of the need to clean everywhere children are now outside in all weathers so constantly wet as well as cold. The children are outside for 20 mins at first play and if it rains they are then sat in wet clothes and shoes for the next 5 hours. I wish more parents would complain and then maybe the head would relax the dress code, the head is much more likely to listen to parents than staff.

This makes me think of all the children who's parents can't afford all these layers (or don't care enough or are too chaotic too organise).

How cold those little mites must be

People saying "parents should protest" what would you be asking for as an alternative?

I would like schools to ditch uniform for these winter months. DD could wear much warmer clothing if she could get rid of the need for shirt and blazer. She had an English mock today that she didn’t complete because her hands were so painful from cold that she couldn’t hold her pen

Layers - but not too tight. DS is currently in marino base, mid layer fleece, school shirt & jumper and puffer jacket. On his legs marino base and school trousers. PE days he is sat all day in shorts, t-shirt and jacket... b/c they can't change and PE must be done in regulation kit that does not include long legs. Including the days we had snow on the ground. [hmmm]

I feel so sorry for both pupils and staff. Pick up time at DS's school is lines of cars with parents in t-shirts with engines running and heating cranked up as far as it will go.

I’m a vulnerable teacher (pregnant). My risk assessment says that I can only be in a classroom if it is well ventilated. Our heaters can only be on if our windows are open. This is the price of keeping schools fully open with classes crammed full and vulnerable staff still teaching during a pandemic. I’m not exactly enjoying teaching in the cold any more than the children are enjoying learning in it.

Fleece lined leggings, life changer!

How are they managing to write if their hands are so cold??
I’m surprised any of them can concentrate if they are so cold
I’m sure in workplaces there’s rules about temperature being too cold or too hot? Can’t believe kids and teachers are having to spend their days like this
I wouldn’t even send mine in if they were school age

We could always resume home learning otherwise
Actually that would be fine. Half of one year is self isolating and dd was disappointed that she still has to be in school. She loves school but can learn well at home too. I am not trying to let their teachers catch covid but looking for solutions for my children who have disabilities and whose schools are not letting them wear coats and hoods.

Thank you to everyone who gave some useful tips which I am following up on.