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Primary education

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Original poster

My son is burnt, I am fuming, is the school in the wrong?

151 replies

bigmouthstrikesagain · 30/06/2009 16:35

Ds is 4 and in reception today was his sport day. We weren't permitted to watch due to numbers.

He had suncream applied this am (factor 50), but we have been asked not to sendccream into school.

He has come home today with severe sunburn large angry red raised patches all the way up his legs and forearms.

His hat was lost so he prob wasn't wearing that either.

I am very with the school especially as if we had been there I could have applied more suncream!

Am I overeacting?

OP posts:
CarGirl · 30/06/2009 17:06

yeterday our primary school issued a weather warning, asking for sunblock, extra drinks, hats and for their 20 minute swimming lessons, white t-schirts being worn.

frogwatcher · 30/06/2009 17:11

Why dont you send in one of those stick creams that he can keep in his bag. I know you have been asked to not provide suncream but its not the messy cream and if you know he burns you could have done that and mentioned it to a teacher. Both my dds have one each in their bag and apply it themselves with no mess or teacher needed. I thought everybody now knew that teachers didnt apply cream so therefore you have to think around it and make provision. But then again, I do think teachers should group the children together and just quickly check that they have all applied cream (in schools where it is allowed), or have long sleeve tops on, and have hats, prior to letting them out. Its a 1 minute job to ask them all to do it but if any kids didnt then do it after being reminded, personally I wouldnt blame the teachers!!! I too, wouldnt go in guns blazing and also wonder why factor 50 applied before school didnt protect for a few hours - did you perhaps miss patches on his arms and legs?

singersgirl · 30/06/2009 17:12

It isn't just the 'no touch' policy - it's also the fact that teachers can't apply 30 lots of suncream because it takes too long and playtime's over. Ours are allowed to take in their own suncream to apply, and it seems very odd that your school doesn't allow it.

I think schools should allow long-sleeve shirts/T-shirts in this weather if parents know their child burns very easily.

LovingTheRain · 30/06/2009 17:12

I'd be fuming. Take pictures of it to show the school and for your own record incase you need them as these things can be easily brushed under the carpet I would ask to see the head. Not being allowed to bring suncream to school is madness.

Original poster
bigmouthstrikesagain · 30/06/2009 17:14

Ds said he was outside after his packed lunch and til hometime so 3 hours at the hottest part of the day.

I don't sports day to be banned! I wanted to watch but the school prevented us. I do teach ds to cover up and wear his hat, but he is 4 so I can't expect miracles. I have sent suncream for ds to apply himself before despite ban but it gets lost (like so many of his things - sigh).

There is never a simple answer but it should have been better handled.

OP posts:
Rubyrubyrubyinthegame · 30/06/2009 17:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MummyDragon · 30/06/2009 17:19

I don't think teachers can be expected to buy suncream, but if you send in a sunhat they should tell your child to wear it. Have you tried the SPF40/50 creams that last all day? e.g. Boots Soltan "all day" range is very good. My kids wore it in Portugal last summer and their skin didn't change colour at all. (it's on a BOGOF deal at the moment too).

I agree with you that it should have been handled better; at the very least, someone should have noticed that your DS's skin was burning and done something about it.

Mutt · 30/06/2009 17:19

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Olihan · 30/06/2009 17:23

We also had sports day yesterday pm. There were 3 gazebos set up on the field for each class to sit under when they weren't competing, each class had their water bottle rack out with them, they all had to wear hats and school asked us to make sure they had suncream on. YR had their teacher and a TA with them who kept them under the gazebo and made them drink after each race. Y1&2 had a teacher each and shared a TA.

It's not that hard to protect them from the sun with a bit of forethought and organisation.

I'm also a bit bemused as to why 'numbers' prevented parents attending. Is the field miniscule or something? How many children are there - was it just KS1 or KS1&2?

I think if they are going to ban parents from sports day then they urgently need to review their suncream policy.

Trikken · 30/06/2009 17:44

I think you can get some (albeit expensive) suncream called 'p20' that supposedly lasts the whole day. that might be good for similar occasions when it cant be added throughout the day.

traceybath · 30/06/2009 17:51

I'd recommend the soltan kids 6 hour stuff.

But DS's school is fanatical about them taking their own cream which they apply themselves (DS1 is reception but i've taught him how to do this) and they have to wear their sunhats.

We had sports day yesterday morning but they were all creamed up/in sunhats/drinking lots of water and moved to the shade as soon as possible after races.

The school needs to re-think their policy and thats the approach i'd take with them.

sarah293 · 30/06/2009 17:59

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Message withdrawn

Original poster
bigmouthstrikesagain · 30/06/2009 18:10

That is so stupid riven

that is the problem with over reliance on policy and health and safety regs (arse coverage), simple common sense and duty of care seems to be ignored.

OP posts:
2shoes · 30/06/2009 18:14

yanbu
he is only diddy so the school should do it.
dd's sn school send home a permision slip and then they applie it.

GhostOfPsychomum5 · 30/06/2009 18:23

I am going to have this problem on friday.

our school has sent home letters saying that they are having a sponsored cross-country race all of friday, to send in change of clothes in case of them needing cooler stuff or getting hot and sweaty, but to apply enough suncream before they leave the house in the morning to last all day.

suncream needs reapplying several times a day, even the longer-lasting stuff if they are getting sweaty/wet.

and who the hell thinks it is a good idea planning something like a cross country run when they are also giving out weather warnings?? (and I mean the school giving out warnings, not just the media............if the school feel the need to warn us, don;t plan something like that!!)

notevenamousie · 30/06/2009 18:25

The staff are in loco parentis

Any reasonable parent would have applied suncream. And serious burns is different to a little bit pink, which my dd got when with Grandma one afternoon, no big deal, could happen to us all. I hope your ds is ok, bigmouth, and definitely talk to the teacher.

mrz · 30/06/2009 18:31

There are no regulations to prevent teachers hugging children!

I buy suncream out of my own pocket to keep in school the only issue is ensuring I have permission from parents to apply it (in case of allergies) Having said that we had our first complaint from a parent a few weeks ago (didn't want her daughter using our cream although she has not sent any into school as an alternative. In reception most children are more than capable of rubbing in their own cream with very little support.

Jumente · 30/06/2009 18:31

Oh dear, yes I'd be very angry indeed.

We have sports day next week, they have asked to borrow gazebos but it is all day and we're not supposed to stay in the morning. I'm actually quite scared he'll run about in the sun too much, he doesn't remember that kind of thing.

I too wonder how sun lotion is meant to last all day. That's not what it says on the bottle.

duckyfuzz · 30/06/2009 18:41

only read OP but no, not over reacting at all, DTs came home today and said they hadn't been allowed to apply the SPF50 suncream I sent in (when asked to do so) because there 'wasn't enough time and anyway it should have been applied first thing' even I know it doesn't last all day why bother to say it can be sent in if it isn't then allowed to be used

moodywren · 30/06/2009 18:46

My dd's school have told us not to send in suncream but to apply it before they go to school as they will not apply it and children have been known to paint themselves completely white with it.

My dd is 8yo and I send her with suncream anyway as she is quite capable of doing it herself. I don't think it would last all day if I did it at 8 o'clock in the morning.

supersalstrawberry · 30/06/2009 18:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

blametheparents · 30/06/2009 18:50

Infants Sports day was this morning at 9am so in te coolest part of the day.
Letter sent home yesterday reminding about water and suncream etc and also saying that Sports Day might be cut short if kids were overheating and getting miserable.
Sounds very sensible approach to me.

melpomene · 30/06/2009 19:05

As others have pointed out, the school could (and should) have avoided having the children exposed to the sun for 3 hours on an exceptionally hot day, if they had had gazebos etc. Also I don't think it's reasonable to refuse to allow the chidlren to apply sunscreen.

My dd was supposed to be doing a sponsored walk today at nursery (children aged 2-4) which would have involved being outside from 11 - 12.30. Because of the weather they did an indoor obstacle course instead. I'm happy with their decision. I wouldn't have wanted to be outside in the early afternoon in today's heat.

Unsurewuss · 30/06/2009 19:09

If schools are going to insist on no top ups during the day, then they need to recommend creams which are guaranteed to remain effective without top-ups.

I think the waterproof ones are supposed to be OK.

piscesmoon · 30/06/2009 19:25

Teachers are not allowed to apply suncream!
I was in a class yesterday. It was year 2 and they were going on a trip today that was outdoors all day. They were told to put on suncream before they came and to get mummy to show them how to put it on because they had to do it themselves, teachers couldn't put it on for them-they were to bring it in their bags, with a sunhat and lots of water.