Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Flip

1 2 3 4

Original poster

Nut free school

96 replies

Don04 · 18/07/2019 07:03

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.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

tigerseye10 · 18/07/2019 07:25

Most schools are nut free - your child will not die from not having nuts from 9-3. A child with an allergy could die. Even if you do manage to change schools to one that allows nut products, I doubt very much that rule will last your time there, so you'll be in the same position, months or years down the lines.

Sometime, a bit of gentle perspective is needed I think. Your DD will be absolutely fine with water. Loads of kids will have water instead of milk. This is a non-issue, even though it doesn't feel like it now.

stucknoue · 18/07/2019 07:28

I think all primary schools are nut free. As your dd has an allergy you should be more aware of the need to comply. There's alternatives, perhaps your dd needs to learn to be less fussy

Nearlyfriyay987654321 · 18/07/2019 07:29

@Don04 yes they can ban anything they want essentially, as it’s their school rules.
I would imagine there is someone there with a severe (life threatening allergy) not just an intolerance etc.

Your DD will be fine with water, jsut give her some milk when she leaves the house in the AM and then she can have her snack and water together.

Grasspigeons · 18/07/2019 07:35

I sort out the milk at an infant school. A lot of the children dont have it at all and it gets binned everyday by those that do have it. Its just left on the side at the start of break for children to grab if their parents have ordered it. I hope that reassures you that your daughter wont look different. Noone will notice. She can have a cup when she gets home and drink water like most children do.

Mitebiteatnite · 18/07/2019 07:41

She will be fine going without milk during the day, it's not a huge deal. Does she have IgE or IgG reactions?

I work in a nut free nursery and have allergies to milk and soya (plus 12 other things!) all confirmed with skin prick testing. It's a pain because it means I can't have tea or coffee at work, but there you go. Fortunately we don't have anyone with a nut allergy at the moment, but if we did the risk of that child having an anaphylactic shock would far outweigh the inconvenience to me.

hazeyjane · 18/07/2019 07:42

Most schools and early years settings here are nut free. It would be state on the school website (usually something like..."we are a nut free environment")
In our preschool about a third drink water, and we have 4 different milk alternatives we keep for the children who can't have dairy. Most school meals will also have gluten free and dairy free alternatives (I've never seen a school menu that didn't provide for dietary needs). Maybe they misheard hazelnut? Or some people seem to think it is only peanuts covered by a nut ban? Was the alternative school a nut free environment?

ElphabaTheGreen · 18/07/2019 07:43

Neither of my DCs have ever drunk a drop of milk during school hours. I don’t even give them a snack. If they don’t want the free fruit which is provided at their primary school, they’re clearly not hungry. They feel ‘singled out’ because they don’t have crap like crisps, chocolate, sugary cereal bars, Barney Bears etc at break time like some of their friends, but I give them this face and it’s the end of the matter. Milk - no shits given. They drink water.

Sleephead1 · 18/07/2019 07:43

I think all schools are nut free now so I don't think the other school would allow the milk either but you could certainly check but if you are thinking of withdrawing over this I think you might struggle to find a school that isn't but free now. I don't think she will notice to be honest my sons in reception they just pick the milk and fruit up if they want it lots don't and just get their water bottle. They do sit on carpet but if they don't want to eat the fruit or have a drink they don't have to.

ElphabaTheGreen · 18/07/2019 07:43

And, yes, their school is nut-free, as was their nursery.

Rivkka · 18/07/2019 07:45

I've worked in loads of schools and they've all been nut free.

No one drinks milk in reception either, they have water.

Isatis · 18/07/2019 07:46

What makes you think all children in school have milk at snack time? They don't.

Floralnomad · 18/07/2019 07:49

I thought all schools were nut free now , my ds is a teacher and all the schools he has taught have have been . I think you are being a tad over dramatic your dd will be fine with water during the day if you cannot find an alternative nut free milk .

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 18/07/2019 07:49

There is a dairy free child in my DDs class. I know this because my daughter has told me 'X can't have milk and we can't share food with her and she gets different treats and food at lunch'. So in a way this child is singled out, but all the other children accept it and know that they can make their friend seriously ill if they don't follow the rules.

Original poster

Don04 · 18/07/2019 08:09

She is 3. It's the nursery class.

OP posts:

StitchingMoss · 18/07/2019 08:14

All responsible schools will be nut free - all of them.

Children can drop dead from nut allergies. It’s not worth the risk.

She can drink water.

Kerberos · 18/07/2019 08:14

Even at 3 she'll still be fine for a few hours without milk.

Original poster

Don04 · 18/07/2019 08:15

There is a lot of missing the point! I'm totally annoyed that this information wasnt made available to me earlier, not at the first vist and only on a sealed info pack to take away AFTER she had been to have a viewing and meet teachers NOT when we were viewing others and had options plus they've told us their morning snack is milk and fruit.

OP posts:

Sirzy · 18/07/2019 08:16

At worst it’s crossed wires. But you are at risk of making the relationship sour before you have even started.

Read what people have said. Very few children drink the free milk at the start even less by the end. You making a fuss over a non matter will make her stand out and awful lot more than her joining the others rk grab her water.

Fozzleyplum · 18/07/2019 08:18

You might be annoyed, but what you seem to be insisting on probably does not exist, so you need to get over this and move on.

LIZS · 18/07/2019 08:20

Dd never drank milk at school, water is fine.

SavoyCabbage · 18/07/2019 08:22

My dd is anaphylactic to peanuts and I’m a teacher.

The thing is, your dd is different. She has a dairy allergy. I taught my dd very early on that she had to ask me before eating anything that I hadn’t given her. None of her friends have to do that. I found that other dc and adults would tell dd things were fine to eat when they just thought they were fine so I really had to drum it into dd that she couldn’t always have things that other people had. My dd is different.

The take up for school milk is pretty low. Even if it wasn’t it would be surprising if she was the only child with an allergy.

Mitebiteatnite · 18/07/2019 08:23

@Don04 yes all nurseries snack is milk and fruit generally, but a good deal of children drink water. They wouldn't say 'no you can't have water, be thirsty instead'. There might be vegan children, or children who just don't like milk. Water is the alternative.

If it's not an IgE, diagnosed by a specialist allergy many nurseries won't even offer an alternative milk as IgG reactions aren't life threatening. And if it is IgE, then they should have procedures in place to make sure your daughter doesn't come into contact with milk or soya at all.

NerrSnerr · 18/07/2019 08:23

Someone made a mistake when giving information.

Most schools are nut free for good reason. Even at 3 you can give your daughter a choice, she drinks one of the nut free milk alternatives or water.

RhymesWithOrange · 18/07/2019 08:25

You are blowing this massively massively out of proportion. Are you particularly stressed or anxious at the moment?

Schools can be shit at communicating stuff to families, if you have specific issues you need to be proactive about them.

velocitygirl7 · 18/07/2019 08:29

How about oat or coconut milk? Or as others have said just water?!
A drop of your hazelnut milk could kill my ds in less than 3 minutes, I suggest you open your eyes to the world beyond your own child....
I bet the school already have your cards marked as 'that parent'

Flip

1 2 3 4

Swipe left for the next trending thread