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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:
debs227 · 30/06/2009 20:02

Yes go in a speak to the teacher in the first instance. DD's school has just started a policy where you cannot send in any suncream with your child. You are meant to apply it before school and they have recommended buying a long lasting suncream! absolutely bonkers! what is the world coming to.

mrz · 30/06/2009 20:13

piscesmum I am a teacher and I am allowed to use sun screen on the children and do most days in the summer.

HerBeatitudeLittleBella · 30/06/2009 20:59

Schools have their own rules on whether you are allowed to apply suncream. It's a question of interpretation.

The mad ones refuse to. The sane ones do, but promote children being able to do it for themselves as soon as they can

Original poster
bigmouthstrikesagain · 30/06/2009 21:07

There. Is no sun ream that will remain effective all day - especially when children are running around getting sweaty changing clothes etc etc.

I use good sunblocks (i am scotch Irish and freckly I would be a halfwit not to) and usually I do not worry too much but an entire afternoon in the playing fields, doing sports will require reapplication.

I will speak to the school reasonably and calmly tomorrow and I doubt I will be the only one.

OP posts:
mrz · 30/06/2009 21:09

The P20 cream is supposed to last all day but I can't speak from experience

CarGirl · 30/06/2009 21:21

P20 does last all day but only protects from UVB not UVA. Also you have to apply it to clean skin and give it time to "bind" before putting your clothes on and if you really really sweat it can turn your clothes yellowy!!!!

It's great stuff but expensive and a bit of a faff for every day use. I use the "once" stuff on the dc which lasts 6 hours so sees them over lunch time but I wouldn't be relying on it for 3 hours on an open field 12-3pm in the weather we're currently experiencing!

Tambajam · 30/06/2009 21:33

Schools are so different on this one.
At my son's school we are required to provide sun cream for use during the day. Today those kids without a tube in their trays were sent out at 3.30pm with labels on their shirts saying, 'I need suncream'. Teachers help apply it. Teachers are also able to hug.

I would definitely go in and complain but try and stay calm. Make it clear you expect an immediate change in the policy.

IkeaHighchair · 30/06/2009 21:45

I find the Piz Bruin "All day" cream fine for school use. It is supposed to last 6hrs - and TBH I think that it does pretty much that.

I apply in the morning (so it should last until around 14:30...based on packet - and even then it doesn't magically stop working at 14:31) and didn't have a problem - even for DTDs afternoon sports day last week when it was hot - though granted not as hot as today. Personally (with non fair children) I would have been comfortable doing it this morning at 8:30 and not reapplying til they come home. My DTDs can take it to shcool though so I probably would have asked them to top up before sports day with the current weather.

Swimming and rubbing down with a towel/rolling in sand can reduce the effectiveness - but sweat isn't that bad.

Granted it is not ideal....but not that bad.

What I am a little concerned over is that OP was fine with the rules this morning. This should have been raised then IMO...but a slightly more minor point.

Doesn't mean you shouldn't raise it with teh school.

Incidently our sports day was postponed a coupel of years ago to avoid holding it in similar conditions - which I think is hte very best thing to have done.

piscesmoon · 30/06/2009 21:59

I always hug - the day I can't hug an upset DC is the day I leave teaching! However I stick to the suncream policy.

Feenie · 30/06/2009 22:52

Agree with Piscesmoon r.e. hugging and suncream.

Original poster
bigmouthstrikesagain · 30/06/2009 22:55

Ikea I didn'T actually know sportsday was today until after ds was in school (as we were not able to attend we did not have clear idea of date and time just that events were happening all week). Also letters from the school stated they would adjust the events according to the weather, regarding times and length of races etc. I need to speak to school obv but it seems that the reception class were outside all afternoon.

OP posts:
DontCallMeBaby · 30/06/2009 23:07

Good for you piscesmoon. I was delighted the day I went to collect DD for a doctor's appointment and found her sitting on her teacher's knee. Lovely teacher.

Sunscreen - DD's school encourages application before school, and for them to take some in to put on themselves. They won't apply it for time reasons, not spurious child protection ones.

Meanwhile I have just about stopped peeling after DD's sports day last Wednesday.

Karam · 01/07/2009 00:57

Hmm, personally I think it is impractical to expect the teacher to apply cream to all 30 children. I do think it should be the parent's responsibility, so if the sun cream won't last all day and you know your child burns then I think you should send in a lightweight long sleeved top to stop them burning. After all, this is far more effective than sun cream anyway. And school uniform is not compulsory at infants either.

That said, if the school doesn't want you to send in sun cream, then I think the school should also take responsibility for managing the event so the children are less likely to get burnt, just little things like putting the event on in the morning or keeping the children in the shade wherever possible.

thumbwitch · 01/07/2009 01:07

no you are not over-reacting, they have failed in their duty of care while in loco parentis. Despite all the restrictions that teachers are now under, that still really isn't much excuse - if they can't control the situation then they should have either had a limited number of parents for back up help, or let all the parents attend.

Poor little boy, hope he doesn't blister. have you covered him in aloe vera and lavender oil? Excellent for taking the sting out of the burns and reducing the risk of blistering (especially the lavender oil)

thumbwitch · 01/07/2009 01:11

Am that there is a suncream that blocks UVB but not UVA - this is pretty dangerous! UVB is the wavelength that helps us make vitamin D, which is protective against DNA damage - UVA is just DNA-damaging.

Kazzi79 · 01/07/2009 01:29

Staff in schools aren't allowed to apply suncream to children, what they normally do with young children is squirt the cream onto their hands for them to rub on themselves, most older children can put their own cream on. Staff in nurseries will usually apply suncream to a child as long as a consent form has been filled out by the parent or guardian.

mrz · 01/07/2009 07:20

Staff in schools are allowed to apply sunscreen! It's one of those urban myths perpetuated by teachers who are very wary of being sued.

piscesmoon · 01/07/2009 07:43

I supply teach in a number of schools mrz and teachers are not allowed to apply sunscreen in any of the ones I go to.
It can be tricky anyway-one of them has a male teacher in the reception class-I would imagine he would feel very wary.
From a purely practical point of view I am not sure how a teacher would get through 30 children and everyone have a break.
Apart from the child protection issue what happens with the teacher who does it in a rush, having 30 children to do, and then the parent accuses them of not doing it properly? The other difficulty would be the different brands, unless the teacher washes their hands between each child they are going to have some of the previous one on their hands. My DS3 had very sensitive skin and certain brands had him out in an instant, itchy rash.
The whole thing seems a mine field!Much better to show them how to do it themselves.

Goblinchild · 01/07/2009 07:48

I agree with piscesmoon, it is common policy in all our local schools that we do not rub sunscreen on children. Comes under child protection.
I know that the climate has changed over the 25 years I've been teaching full-time, and it was not teacher-driven.
The ridiculous rules and regulations that lack common sense were created in response to pressure from parents and government.
Everything from hugging, sitting on knees, giving medications, cooking rules, DT rules and all the rest became more and more proscriptive as the years rolled by. And I see no indication that it's going to loosen up any time soon.

piscesmoon · 01/07/2009 08:01

It was most definitely not teacher driven, as Goblinchild says.Lots of things that people don't like in schools have come from parents! A lot of parents would sue if things go wrong-therefore they stop a lot of perfectly normal games like conkers which went on for years. Until people are prepared to allow that accidents happen, without someone being to blame,schools will be very careful. There is another thread on here where a school are not allowing DCs out to play all week!!!

bloss · 01/07/2009 08:24

Message withdrawn

juuule · 01/07/2009 08:33

Total over-reaction imo. Teach yout child what to do in the sun.

You could go and mention it to the school and ask if there were any shaded areas that the children could go? Maybe discuss/suggest ways of limiting sun exposure for children more sensitive to it. Perhaps send your child with suncream that they know how to apply. Or send with a long sleeved top to put on between races? Or even just instructions to tell a teacher if they are feeling hot?

Sports day is one day and usually (round here anyway) it rains.

memoo · 01/07/2009 09:15

As a TA is a reception class this kind of thing drives me crazy. I hate the fact that I am not allowed to apply suncream, or a plaster to a grazed knee. It goes against all my instincts.

I went into my job because I love children and I really believe that first an foremost they should feel safe, loved and properly looked after. If this is in place then children are ina better place to learn

I once got in trouble for picking up one of the 4 year olds in our class after he had fallen and was hysterical on the floor.

If I applied suncream to a child and they came out in a rash I could lose my job! its bloody rediculous!

memoo · 01/07/2009 09:16

sorry for typos

LoveBeingAMummy · 01/07/2009 09:23

Noteven is spot on (and the phrase i couldn't remember).

I would not allow DD to take part in any outside activity where she was left to fry in the sun. It is disgusting. The media would ahve a field day.

They have a duty if care and they have failed.

Never mind health and safety, this could kill of sports days!!!