Will heating be allowed in schools this year.

[Kales29]

Do you think? Obviously I can find this out once they go back in a few days.

But last year my kids schools and other schools didn't have the heating on and windows/doors open for ventilation. Which I totally get there's a reason for!

Poor Dd really suffered. She feels the cold. She has joint issues and the cold doesn't help. This is specified in her EHCP which she has for other reasons too.

Despite this they sat her right by the door/window (literally right by it, couldn't get any closer to the cold!). She would wear 3 layers, tights etc but she'd still be cold and stiff after school. I had to suggest her being moved but I felt guilty as another child would have to swap with her and they would then feel the cold then!

It was so hard!

Hopefully it won't be too cold for a couple months at least!

Still very warm where I live atm.

We had the heating on but it was pretty pointless

Our heating was on as normal until April then on for an hour in the morning after staff complaints because it was freezing with all doors and windows open!
I wore my long thermals until May half-term. Grateful for another year out of them 😉🤣

Some of our children wore tshirts under their polo shirts and then their jumpers. Leggings/ tights under trousers. Leggings/thick tights and socks with skirts. The boys wore shorts 🤣🤣 to be fair they did wear skins on the really chilly days!

@Peteycat

Schools are annoying me at the moment, shite lunches, turning the heating off. Kids are suffering because of penny pinching. Right now they should be our absolute priority, keep them healthy and well.

Maybe vote for a government that values state education rather than one that cuts funding

Our local school had heating on throughout but it was still freezing! Children had hand warmers, big coats and scarves, some had small hot water bottles etc, windows open in winter made the heating completely pointless. Hopefully there will be some sort of sensible middle ground this year as the children found it really hard to concentrate whilst shivering.

This year, they shouldn't need to open windows quite so much. That's what the CO2 monitors are for. Uidance is that windows are to be opened before and after class and only during when the CO2 monitor indicates ventilation is inadequate.

The ten monitors per school that haven’t yet been procured will do nothing to improve ventilation but if they actually ever reach schools all we’ll know is that the ventilation is inadequate.

The guidance says that ‘thermal comfort’ has to be considered so get your DD to complain she’s cold, windows then should be shut and covid can spread unrestricted. That’s what the DfE are wanting to happen.

(I’d send her in thermals, thermal leggings in school colours will look like tights anyway)

@Peteycat

Schools are annoying me at the moment, shite lunches, turning the heating off. Kids are suffering because of penny pinching. Right now they should be our absolute priority, keep them healthy and well.

You are aware that you should be blaming the government and not schools right? I can't think the cut in funding has passed by un noticed, try managing school budgets or are people really not aware?

Our heating will be on, as it was last year, however our doors and windows will be open. I'm buying layers this year as I was very cold last year, and I picked up a blanket as I'm office based so sit a lot and can have this wrapped over.

@SandyStarfish try cashmere gloves and these turtle dove ones sound amazing:

www.turtle-doves.co.uk/collections/fingerless-gloves

A bit expensive but something like this is useful to help keep hands warm on very cold days.

U-MISS Rechargeable Hand Warmers, 2021 Upgrade 2 in1 Magnetic Rechargeable USB Hand Warmers, 4000mAh*2Packs, for Anyone You Cared about of Women and Men www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08FT2V6X7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_X9X074TJ5QKRVQ88VDYT?psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=mumsnetforu03-21

We have been back for two weeks and there is a change in the guidance/regulations to say that ventilation cannot be at the expensive of children's 'thermal comfort' or something like that. So we are having doors open onto the corridor but not windows if it makes it too cold.

We have not seen a co2 monitor yet and I'd be amazed if we ever do

No I fully understand who is responsible for cuts. I just wish the schools would speak up a bit more and challenge these things.

In an ideal world, schools are aiming for zero in-school Covid transmission and a comfortable temperature.

As ventilation is the only remaining mitigation schools that serve children of 15 or less have against Covid transmission, this comes down to a balance between ventilation and temperature.

How this balance looks depends on the individual school. It depends on window positioning, classroom design, heating system, risk profile and budget.

• Heating levels can be kept very high alongside opening windows / doors for ventilation - but that does have a cost implication. School budgets were exceptionally tight before the pandemic struck, and hugely increasing the heating costs isn't a viable option. The Government didn't even cover the hugely increased cost of cleaning materials, hand sanitiser etc that they themselves demanded schools provide, so they definitely aren't going to provide money for heating.

• Some heating systems that rely on pumped blown warm air actively introduce an infection spread risk alongside warmth, and if the OP's school is solely equipped with this there may have been a decision to use it minimally.

• Classrooms where the adults or children are at particular risk from Covid may choose a higher level of ventilation than others.

It really isn't fair on the school, its staff and other pupils to ask for ventilation to be reduced, as you are asking for the Covid transmission risk to be increased for all, and you don't know everyone's risk status.

Under these circumstances, the only thing you can really do is make sure that your child is as warmly dressed as they possibly can be, and perhaps enquire about where she will sit in her particular classroom. If you want to do more, you can lobby the Government for extra money for heating, and possibly for other measures that keep Covid low in the community and thus reduce the need for Covid transmission protection within schools. Or, if the heating system within the school is so old-fashioned as to form a transmission risk by itself, through the blowing of warm air around and between classrooms, you can work with the school to support the writing of capital bids to gain funds for its replacement.

@Peteycat

No I fully understand who is responsible for cuts. I just wish the schools would speak up a bit more and challenge these things.

Petey - we do. We are told that we are whinging and that we don't have a 'can do' attitude.

The rest of society won't aim for Zero Covid transmission. Schools won't either.

Last yr, secondary, the kids stayed in same seat in same classroom most the day, with windows open. At least this year they can move from classroom to classroom, which should help them not be so bitterly frozen all the time. I presume the kids will still have leg warmers etc. on.

Ragged, apologies, that was a failure on my part.

Schools will want to minimise Covid transmission, because infections in pupils and teachers will have a detrimental effect on the education that the school can deliver. I agree that zero Covid is no longer an aim, but I do think that keeping Covid transmission down and pupils and teachers in school for face to face education as much as possible IS, in an ideal world, what schools are aiming for.

Ask for her to be seated away from the window. Some kids feel the cold more than others. I have two who are opposites when it comes to temperature and jackets.

Why on earth wouldn't they have the heating on?
If it is a system that blows air, then that wasn't allowed as it could force the flow of air.
Maybe cost was also a consideration? As usual, our heating in school didn't go on until October half term last year (and it was very cold before then), but once the radiators were on, it was so obvious most of the heat was leaving straight through the open windows above or the open door right next to them. It was nice to defrost your fingers on the radiator occasionally, however.

DD was freezing from Oct - Dec last year. Some things that helped were thermal tights (tesco) under trousers, thermal t-shirt over a crop top, jumper over school shirt. Fingerless gloves kept on in class & a snood that doubled as a mask. She still ended up with chillblains (she's very slim).

She ate a hot breakfast & had high calorie snacks with her.

It was pretty miserable & although she missed her friends it was better being home & warm Jan - April.

I just wish the schools would speak up a bit more and challenge these things.

Oh please, are you for real?

@SandyStarfish

I don't know but I hope so. I work in school and I was so cold every single day I suffered from chilblains on my fingers until spring. My nails have grown with dents in where the nail bed was damaged.

I ended up with mild frostbite on a finger from an unheated school room when a I was a child

That's terrible bluetongue. I'm already worried about my fingers again. My toes weren't affected as I wore boots with fluffy lining and warm socks.

12:28CarrieBlue

I just wish the schools would speak up a bit more and challenge these things.

Oh please, are you for real?

What's your problem with my comment?

My ds has severe hypermobility and sensory issues. We just about kept him warm enough in class with black full thermal long johns (the thick fluffy ones ) a white long sleeved thermal turtle neck vest, so kind of matched uniform, thermal socks and winter lined boots, normal school uniform trousers, shirt and jumper. A thick fleece hoody, fingerless gloves and a hat !

John Lewis and m+s did the best thermals, but we good thick ones very cheaply from decathlon too !

Those cashmere wrist warmers mentioned above are great. I was still covered in chilblains last winter though.