Brighton Hill School - Heatwave Closure....?

[shell]

It seems to me it's a case of "Damned if you do - and dammed if you dont"

Personally I think more schools should follow his lead. He has left options open for parents to keep their kids off. Working parents to keep their kids in school - and taking the extraordinary route of allowing the kids to wear as little as is appropriate in school to keep themselves cool.

In the "good old days" of Mr shaw being headmaster all we were allowed to do was take off our blazers!

[Chester]

(01-07-2009 10:59 PM)Della Wrote:  I don't mean pupils who live on Brighton Hill but any out of catchment pupils who don't live on a bus route.

You'd be hard pressed to find a pupil of Brighton Hill who lives in Brighton Hill! The catchment area is centred a mile away!

[JackT06]

I am a student to attends ctc (Costello Technology College), I personally feel Brighton hill are very very lucky. due to we cant have windows open that far open due to so-called health and safety. but even on the ground floors the windows hardly open. We cant also have doors open due to the fire risk. Which means sat in a class room trying to concentrate is nearly impossible.


We then come to fact about water. i see in Brighton hills letter they can fill there water up wen they want. We can only fill them up at Break And Lunch. and this is impossible due to 3 water fountains to share between 1,000 students. So then during tutor time we try and go and we get send back by our head of year saying we shouldn't be getting water!!!!


So Brighton hill are very very lucky in my point of view,

[Della]

Sounds like a health and safety issue to me JackT06. You should ask your parents to contact the school to insist on more opportunities to access water. I am pretty sure that the guidelines state one drinking fountain per 200 pupils and staff but I can't find a link right now. I did find this though:

Quote:The Government School Food Standards (DfES 2006) were introduced in September 2006 in England following two reviews into the eating habits of children at school (Nelson 2004a, 2004b).
The importance of water is highlighted in these standards, which follow on from the recommendations made by the School Meals Review Panel in Turning the Tables:
transforming school meals (SMRP 2005):
• “children and young people must have easy access at all times to free, fresh drinking water in schools”

The National Healthy School Status (point 2.10), says a healthy school:
• “has easy access to free, clean and palatable drinking water, using the Food in Schools guidance”

[JackT06]

/What should we do if today. at the canteen they refused to let us use the water dispensir due to to meny people?

Today at lunch everyone was thirsty so they went to get water and then the teachers saw them coming so they put tables infront of the water so that we coulnd use it !

(02-07-2009 11:38 PM)Della Wrote:  Sounds like a health and safety issue to me JackT06. You should ask your parents to contact the school to insist on more opportunities to access water. I am pretty sure that the guidelines state one drinking fountain per 200 pupils and staff but I can't find a link right now. I did find this though:

Quote:The Government School Food Standards (DfES 2006) were introduced in September 2006 in England following two reviews into the eating habits of children at school (Nelson 2004a, 2004b).
The importance of water is highlighted in these standards, which follow on from the recommendations made by the School Meals Review Panel in Turning the Tables:
transforming school meals (SMRP 2005):
• “children and young people must have easy access at all times to free, fresh drinking water in schools”

The National Healthy School Status (point 2.10), says a healthy school:
• “has easy access to free, clean and palatable drinking water, using the Food in Schools guidance”

[Della]

(03-07-2009 04:01 PM)JackT06 Wrote:  /What should we do if today. at the canteen they refused to let us use the water dispensir due to to meny people?

Today at lunch everyone was thirsty so they went to get water and then the teachers saw them coming so they put tables infront of the water so that we coulnd use it !

In the first instance, do everything that you can to help yourself, for example bring a full bottle of water to school each day so that you are not totally dependant on the water that the school provides.

Generally whining by a group in a queue is not likely to work so wait until registration and put up your hand and politely talk to your tutor about it. There may have been a reason for the tables. Perhaps the fountain was broken.

Ask you parents to phone the school (probably your head of year) and complain.

Annoyingly, I can't lay my hands on the piece of legislation I am thinking of, but I am absolutely certain that schools must provide unlimited free drinking water at lunch times.

If this doesn't happen after your parents have complained, they can make a formal complaint to the school in writing. The local paper might be interested too.

If you feel any of the symptoms of heatstroke or dehydration such as headaches, poor concentration, feeling light headed or faint, muscle cramps or nausea, politely ask to see the school nurse or whoever you see when you are not well. Then you will hopefully be given a drink.

If you are desperate, filling your water bottle from the taps in the toilet is probably better than nothing. All tap water is drinking water. It is recommended that drinking water is provided in locations other than the toilets because people will handle the taps just after using the toilet, but they don't handle the part of the tap that water comes out of and the odd germ is probably worth the risk if you are in danger of heatstroke.