School Water Bottle

[BreezyGreenRobin]

Could somebody please help me with where I stand. My daughter is in year 2 at a state primary school. Her school has a very strict uniform policy and the children are required to have lots of items with the school logo on them. The school ask that all children use a standard school water bottle which is made of plastic and has the school logo on. As a family we are trying to reduce our use of plastic container for all of our food and drinks. I have therefore sent her into school with a plain white metal water bottle. I must add that nowhere in any of the school's policies does it state that the school logo bottles are mandatory, the head teacher has said that this is a verbal policy. I have now had several emails from my child's class teacher and the head teacher stating that her water bottle is not regulation and she is not allow to drink out of the one I have sent in throughout the day this includes during PE lessons. All other children are allowed their bottles on their tables during lessons and to take them to PE. I have raised my concerns regarding micro plastics with the head teacher and was simply told that this is not an issues. The chair of governor's has said that she is not able to get involved.

What can I do?

It is surprising how few posters here don’t see the issue with using plastic bottles. I understand the difficulty in avoiding plastic. It’s everywhere. But microplastics are accumulating in children from drinking every school day from a plastic vessel which could be avoided. It won’t be too far in the future before we look at this in the same way as smoking.

Tell them you have already provided a suitable drinking bottle and expect DS to not be prevented from having water, particularly in warm weather.

Also ask them for manfacturing details of the school water bottles and ask them to confirm they are not exposing pupils to BPAs.

Verbal policy is rubbish! It’s either policy or it’s not. It’s utterly ludicrous to dictate parents buy logo this and that it’s hardly affecting education and I’d rather teachers spent their time teaching rather than policing water bottles….

Having a Dc who staggers into school with one of those ridiculous, overpriced Stanley things, which we bought because it was top of the birthday list because everyone else had a stupid, ugly, impractical, overpriced water bottle and they are all obsessed with who has what colour etc, I’d be quite pleased with an enforced rule about a school one. Don’t get me started on those leaky Air Up things with the sickly “ flavour” capsules which were an overpriced trend for all of three months, tops … until the Dc themselves realised they dribbled everywhere and “sniffing” flavour is just silly.

Indeed. The more parents complain about overstepping the less schools will be able to do it. Do be That Parent and do be a pain in the arse, as the education system needs a massive kick up the backside, particularly large academy trusts. Keep kicking.

One of my kids got bashed in the head with a metal water bottle once, I can see why the school would prefer plastic 😂

Kid was fine, but had a hell of a headache and an awful bump on his temple.

Must you be that parent who has to disagree for the sake of it?

What volunteering are you doing at the school yourself? I do believe that, especially Primary schools, it's a bit of give and take. I make the odd complaint, but I also give my time.

But this rule isn’t written anywhere. And you could also ask why the school is being “that school” by insisting on a branded water bottle! Why is it unreasonable for OP to not follow a rule that isn’t actually a real rule written down anywhere in the uniform/equipment policy?

We have banned metal water bottles from our school after a teacher got seriously hurt when one was thrown and hit her in the eye.

I’m with you on this. It’s just more money to spend on something with a pointless logo on it. It’s ridiculous to expect every child to have one and then not allow them to drink in this heat because they haven’t.

It’s control, pure and simple. There’s not a day goes by that I don’t say out loud ‘I’m so glad we home educate’. My daughter is currently drinking her water out of a bear shaped bottle. How on earth will she ever learn anything 😱

This is nothing like my kids English school- I think OPs school must think itself quite fancy. My kids school the branded items are optional and not expensive (eg white polos with the logo on are £8 each but any plain supermarket one is fine if you want). They are relaxed about things like shoes. We have no regulations on water bottles except all kids should have one that is named (and only water).

The New government guidelines is 3 items of logoed uniform.

I think people are missing the point - this really isn't about being an eco warrior, it's about not wanting your child to regularly consume micro plastics from what is likely a cheap water bottle that will be used day in day out, sitting out in the sun etc. It's a valid health concern.

I wouldn’t want my child drinking from plastic bottles all day either. He’s still a baby, but when he has a bottle, it’s a glass bottle and I’ll try to keep any microplastic exposure as low as possible for him. I know people say to pick your battles, but this would be one I’d be wanting to pick.

I am on the fence with this one. As a parent I feel your pain and worry about the ingestion of micro-plastics.

From a school management perspective I can see how the standardisation of water bottles would be a good thing for students and staff.

1. People can actually be bullied now based on what the water bottle is
2. Metal ones can be used as a weapon (sad but true)
3. Metal ones can be distressing (and unpleasent) when knocked on the floor especially for SEN children - this probably happens many many times a day.
4. Parents try to smuggle in other non-water drinks ie coke or coffee - this happened to my friend who teaches reception!!!

Clearly if the school hasnt written a policy on it they should as saying it is a verbal policy is nonsense.

They won't be allowed to take a metal bottle into GCSE exams when the time comes. It has to be a plastic transparent bottle with no label.

Totally agree with 'be that parent' I was that parent who challenged the £60 swimming contribution!
If the policy isn't written down that it doesn't have to be adhered to. Ask for a meeting with teacher, head and chair of governors- don't be brushed off!!

Bpa free plastic water bottle?

As a teacher, you would not believe the drama that bloody water bottles cause. I thank the lord for any school with standardized, sensible bottles. The alternative is stupid Stanley cups taking up half the table, metal ones which get continuously dropped, disposable plastic ones getting manky and lost/left for the whole year, sulking about not having the latest trendy bottle, and parents sneaking in juice, which spills and gets sticky!

I spent far more time than I should have arguing about bottles.

Just get the bottle and stop wasting the school's time.

Why isn't telling the parents enough? Why do you need a copy of the formal rules in writing?

Any chance you actually let the staff deal with education first, instead of insisting on rigid format?

Usually there's a reason why a new rule comes up. The school won't tell you, but it's often because of an incident, a parent ridiculous complaint, or they have decided they wasted enough time about something and made it a rule.

There's a uniform, and standard bottles. Big deal.

If you disagree with plastic, raise it properly, get other parents support and get the rule changed. Don't have a tantrum and childishly decide the rules don't apply to your child.

the point is to raise issues like an adult, not to be one of these insufferable parents who think rules don't apply to their own children.

I don't blindly agree with schools, but wasting everybody's time or feeling you are special doesn't help.

Yes, I’d let the staff deal with the education first, rather than spend time fretting over whether a water bottle has a logo on it.

“Reducing your plastic consumption” is a bit daft in this context, op.
It’s hardly a single use bottle 🙄

At the end of the day they are your children. I just went to my kids teachers and told them they are using stainless steel bottles and only water from home (distilled), unless absolutely necessary. My kids school have red plastic bottles with tap water in

In the interests of science I just weighed my DDs school logoed water bottle and a standard metal one.

School plastic... 120g
Standard metal... 290g
500ml of water... 500g.

So a difference of 170g. The majority of the weight is the water, not the bottle material.

I am also in Scotland and cannot believe the silliness of all this.