Reception teacher using biscuits as reward

[UncleBunclesHouse]

What is the MN view on this? Is it usual? Because in all honesty I’m not completely happy with it. It makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, like it will be easy to give mixed messages and don’t think value judgement should be attached to food.

I had a lot of this ‘bartering using sugar’ growing up and now really struggle with emotional eating and sugar addiction.

It is used when they get a reward token, which they can exchange for a biscuit or keep and save for a future reward…they are 4&5 year olds so doesn’t take a lot of imagination to guess what they go for.

so as not to drip feed and in case relevant in anyway it is an independent school, CofE

I wouldn't support it.

In local schools here (US) the children are encouraged to pool their reward tokens and have a class movie afternoon, or a class storytime or art or craft afternoon. Individual rewards for cashed in tokens are not a thing.

God absolutely not. I’m usually very chill about school stuff but using food as a reward is such a ridiculous thing. Let alone the health side of things.

This is one of the few things I’d go in all guns blazing and want it stopped immediately. I would also be reporting the school to OFSTED.

YANBU

They're children. not dogs.
And I don't know if it's just me but I am strongly opposed to "rewarding" children.

I wouldn't like this, DS is the same age and they get dojo points, they like them because they get to press the smart board when they get one and a cute monster pops up,the points all get added together into a class pot, a bit like house points, so I think it reinforces the message that working hard/making an effort/being kind/helping someone/achieving something etc benefits the whole group

Thanks everyone

@WGACA this is a good idea

Is it more appropriate in this instance to speak to the teacher directly, or the Head? Sorry this is PFB so school etiquette is all new to me!

Perhaps email the teacher in the first instance and involve the Head later if needed..?

I am
Almost certain that this teacher will be going against all school policy.
What do the other parents think about it? Could you all ask the teacher to stop eg all agree to email.
If it's a lovley teacher I would recommend approaching them first before head.

If you complainto head I think that the teacher will be told strongly to stop this

I would definitely raise it. Read up how many school children are overweight or obese. Also read up on emotional eating. Food should never be given as a reward for good behaviour. Especially not to the impressionable 4 and 5 years olds. I am not even sure if the Headteacher knows or approves of it. If they brush it off go to Parents Teachers Association and raise it up with them using this thread to support you. 60% of the UK population is overweight or obsese. I would kick off a big fuss over the health of all the children in the class

This. How frequently could a child earn a biscuit if they were on their best behaviour and working hard consistently?
If it is like DC2's school where they get to choose an item of plastic tat from the prize box every week or two, it wouldn't bother me. It would actually be preferable over the plastic tat that invariably breaks before we've even reached home.
If it was a daily prize, I would be less than happy about it.

Why? Presumably school are fully informed about your DC's allergies and manage it well in other activities such as lunchtimes and on trips out? Why wouldn't they take equal care with the biscuit selection?

It is the risk of coming into contact with dairy biscuits eaten by other children not the risk of them eating a dairy biscuit. It's the risk of crumbs from eating in an uncontrolled setting. These could be touched or picked up and eaten by a child.

At lunchtimes.allergy child are kept close to the teacher or dinner lady to ensure that other children's food doesn't contaminate their food and any spilt food is cleared up

It wouldn't be a problem for my daughter but I have friends children who are touch sensitive too dairy. If a child had a dairy biscuit and picked up a crayon with that hand and one of their children used that crayon later that day they would have an allergy reaction from the crayon.

This.

OFSTED get a grip

Sugar treats, absolutely not! Is this teacher cracked in the head or what?

Carrots, peas, fruit slices, or gold stars, yes.

In this situation, only dairy-free biscuits would be available to all to remove the risk entirely at our primary. There are plenty of vegan biscuits options, so would be very easy to do.

Unlike lunchtime - what a nightmare and worry for all involved at your friend's DC's school! The need for thorough hand washing after lunch of every DC before they have been able to touch anything sounds like an impossible task 🤯

How easy it it to get a reward token? If it’s for getting X number of merits (or equivalent) so they only realistically get one or two a week then it wouldn’t bother me personally. If they’re easy to get so the children are getting multiple biscuits a day then it would. There’s also a big difference in sugar levels depending on what sort of biscuit it is. I assume it’s something like a rich tea?

Carrots, peas, fruit slices, or gold stars, yes.

😁

My daughter has 20 food allergies so it's not just about dairy free.

My biggest concern since starting to venture outside of the home with my child has been the debris associated with other children eating. I would say that 75% of the time that I go to the park or a picnic place I find food left on the floor or of on the table or in the play equipment. I always put it in the bin as although my child wouldn't eat it other allergy children might.

For the first month in an place new feeding my child there is a knot in my stomach dreading a phone call about a mistake. She doesn't have severe allergies but it would still be 3-5 days of quite unpleasant symptoms so the idea of her being exposed to foods I didn't know about does make me feel funny. A note of this is how and when the food is being given and what mitigation has been put in place so my daughter is exposed to potential allergens. Things like that. When people think about allergies direct exposures are easily seen but with children especially the scary side of allergies are foods other people are eating in your vicinity.