Some parents say Locks Heath Junior School near Southampton has ‘gone too far’ (Picture: Wessex News Agency)
Parents have slammed a primary school for forcing pupils to eat outside in ‘freezing’ conditions – because staff said it would benefit their mental health.
Mums and Dads were left fuming after teachers introduced 40 minute picnics outside to allow ‘more children to eat together’ and to reduce ‘the risk of contagions’.
The policy at Locks Heath Junior School in Southampton, Hants, has been branded ‘absolutely disgusting’.
Karen Upton’s daughter Maddison is a year six at the school and the angry mum said if she wasn’t in her final year, she’d take her daughter out of the school.
She said: ‘[My daughter] has asthma and in this weather, she suffers from a horrendous cough.
‘She should not be outside and without her inhaler. Maddison has been ill a lot recently and she is off sick at the moment, and I ask myself, is this the reason why?
Parents have raised concerns about eating outside in the cold weather (Picture: Getty)
‘It is good to get fresh air, but the children are being made to have their lunch outside. They are being treated like monkeys in a zoo.
‘I drop my daughter off to school hoping she will be safe and well, but the staff are not ensuring that. Maddison came home and told me she was freezing outside. I would like the school to give pupils the option of sitting inside or outside.’
The father of a year five pupil at the school, who wished to remain anonymous, described the move as ‘absolutely disgusting’.
He said: ‘The children are being kicked out of school for 40 minutes in the freezing cold to eat their lunch, and that’s not on. This needs to be highlighted as it is a massive failing.’
In a statement, Natasha Farrell, headteacher of Locks Heath Junior School, said both pupils and parents have responded positively to the changes.
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She said: ‘We have always utilised outside space for picnicking on dry days and when it is not too cold.
‘We use sheltered courtyards around the school. There is a benefit to children in terms of their mental health and because it reduces the risk of contagions.
‘On cold or wet days, we eat inside the building. This is quite common in schools up and down the country.
‘Children opting for a hot school dinner eat in our hall, with a few spaces made available for children with health conditions or when they are convalescing from an illness.’
The headteacher said after the arrival of new picnic benches on Monday – more outdoor seating was created for the children.
‘This arrangement enables more children to eat together freeing up staff so we can offer a greater range of play activities and enables a longer time to enjoy them,’ Ms Farrell explained.
She said the school – which is rated as Good by Ofsted – regularly collects the views of children about aspects of school life.
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