Nut free school

[Don04]

I'm looking for some advice. I visited a good ofstead rated local primary school Albert Pritchard, to have a look around in March with a view to my daughter starting nursery with them this Sept, informed them of her allergies dairy and soya so drank hazelnut milk was told that's no problem. Great.

We accepted the place offered turning down an outstanding other school place as we felt AP after seeing child teacher interacting this was more nurturing environment. All going great and was invited to take my little one the other week for a visit to see her new school and on leaving was given an information pack. Included was information about this being a nut free school, totally not aware of this untill then. I called them and they have not been helpful, telling me no she couldn't have her milk, we could either change her milk or she could have water.
I'm getting really stressed as we've tried her with oat, coconut and rice milk numerous times. I totally support that they may have a child or teacher with a nut allergy and in no way want to inflict any suffering on anyone but is a school able to serve a blanket ban? Now, not having this information earlier I'm stuck with either withdrawing her, forcing her to change milks or worse her being singled out having something different at snack time.

I'm totally furious we were not given this information well before making a decision.

Can’t she just have water? She won’t be singled out, loads of kids don’t have milk and just water or don’t have anything at snack time.

Why does she need milk during the day'? Many kids won't drink it by this age

Many kids don’t drink milk at school. Every reception class I have worked in has at least 1/3 of children who just have water when the others have milk.

It really doesn’t need to be an issue.

Milk is only provided for under 5s, so this would be a total non-issue by the time she's in Year 1. Lots of kids don't want the milk anyway, so I don't think she'd feel singled out.

In Australia a lot of schools are nut free (or at least peanut free). If it's school policy yes they can ban nuts, and will take anything with nuts away from kids if necessary. Maybe look at a different school.

The school should not have told you hazelnut milk was fine, but in truth, very many, if not most, primary schools are nut free. You are likely to struggle to find one that isn't.
I doubt very much that your daughter will be singled out if she has a drink that looks different to anyone else's. As a parent of a DC with a life threatening allergy to hazelnuts, I can assure you that nut bans for that age group are often necessary.

You’ll find it difficult to find a school that isn’t nut free (or a nursery for that matter) and unless she’s anaphylactic to dairy you’ve not really got a leg to stand on when making a comparison. I second the above, she really doesn’t need milk between 9-3 just make sure she has it at home. I get it, it’s frustrating (our go to packed lunch for DC1 would be peanut butter but obviously can’t be) but it’s about keeping people safe.

I feel like you are making this a much huger deal than it needs to be - she can just have water can't she? Plenty of kids don't have milk at snack time, apart from anything else, some kids just don't like it. No one is going to care if she just has water.

My first ever .

I have dc in primary and secondary schools in London, both nut free. I thought that was standard.

I'd be surprised if the outstanding school allows nuts.

I'd just give the milk before or after school, no big deal really.

I’ve seen schools and nurseries with blanket nut bans including coconut, which rules out all our cheese substitutes. If it’s combined with a healthy lunchbox rule then it would be a disaster for us.
I’d just look for another school because it will cause problems in the future for packed lunches (I presume they’re not going to be able to do dairy and soya free school meals). I’ve picked a pre school on the basis they are very inclusive and cater for everyone. I’ve avoided some very good places for but bans.

She is already being singled out by having her nut milk, so I don’t see why having some at snack time is awful.

Lots of schools are nut free, and nurseries.

Children don’t actually need milk, I have never consumed milk, my son doesn’t consume milk. Childre also don’t need nut based drinks. He’ll be having water with some humus and cucumber at primary snack time, just like he does at nursery.

Unless I’m missing something, Its not a big deal, honestly. She doesn’t need to have milk during the day at 4. And lot of kids choose not to have the school milk in Reception. My DD never did because they served the it straight from the fridge and she preferred it warmed up. I understand starting school is a stressful time but this shouldn’t be a big issue.

If you do find another school without a nut ban, that is likely to change if an allergic child joins the school.

Our school is not free. I thought it was the norm. The other school you looked at may well be nut free too.
Either switch her milk or skip having milk at school. Perhaps take some fruit in instead.
If she has a drink of her hazel nut milk at breakfast I'm sure she will be absolutely ok.

Most schools only allow children to bring water in to school, they may not have realised that you intended to bring nut milk into school. Also loads of schools are nut free.

not = nut

I don't understand why she can't go without milk from 9-3 everyday. Can't you just give her some before or after she goes?

DD1 is gluten free and is used to missing out on loads of food others are eating at pre school and will when she starts school in September, she remains unaffected by it

In my daughter's class not many of the children have the milk anymore, and a few never had it in the first place. They all have their own water bottle and have a cup of water at lunch. It won't single her out as being different, they won't notice.

Our school is nut free. I don’t know any child who drinks milk at school so I couldn’t see a problem with this.

Quite normal for primary schools to ban nuts. Ours did too

She won't be singled out by having water. Plenty of them will choose water over milk if given the choice. Unless there is a medical reason that she must have milk between the hours of 9 and 3, then it's really a non issue.

Even if she were the only one to have water (which she won't be), at that age, kids are just so matter of fact and won't think of it as being different. Oh, that's Sarah who has water at snack time, that's jack who wears an eye patch, that's Ben who always goes on the pirate ship, that's Bella who signs makaton with the teacher, that's Tyler who says he's batman..........

Bless you. Honestly, probably a good third of the Foundation class will be drinking water. Not all children like milk, the taste, smell and thought of it makes me gag. Noone will bat an eye at her having water.

I honestly can't believe you're furious about this @Don04, she not being singled out, no one will notice it carefully.

You are going to find primary school pretty hard work if you don't get some perspective.

No idea why that says carefully?