Six-year-old schoolboy suspended for having Mini Cheddars in his lunchbox

[DirtyDog]

So mini cheddars are unhealthy

Mcvities Mini Cheddars Cheese 7Pk - Groceries - Tesco Groceries

but dairylea dunkers which have more saturated fat and more salt in, as well as fructose syrup, are fine.

Mcvities Mini Cheddars Cheese 7Pk - Groceries - Tesco Groceries

As I said, completely arbitrary rules based on nothing but some jumped up Hitlers opinion of what is good. Lots of talk about how parents don't have the rights to decide which rules to follow but surely those making the rules have a duty to employ a modicum of reason and sense when formulating them? Seriously if you are going to ban mini cheddars you'd need to ban at leasy half the other stuff the kids are eating as well.

The only thing that says that the child was suspended because of Mini Cheddars is the headline. The rest of the article (and the statement from the school) says that it was because the lunch was unhealthy, but doesn't pinpoint any particular item in the lunch which makes it so.

[d000hg]

Does the school issue a list of exactly what foods one may eat?

[doodab]

I do not know what the school's policies are or what else was in the lunchbox so I cannot really answer that. For all I know she had nothing but a sack of mini cheddars.

I assumed that they had been warned several times not to put mini cheddars in as the school did not consider them to be appropriate?

The school, near Slough, had implemented a healthy eating plan from the beginning of term, which asked parents to provide a balanced meal and refrain from giving their children chocolate, sweets, crisps and fizzy drinks.

The school, which was placed in special measures after Ofsted deemed it inadequate in 2012, sent a letter to parents in January asking that packed lunches be "healthy and balanced.”

But after a meeting with head teacher Jeremy Meek, Riley’s parents were told that they had been “continuously breaking school rules” and were sent a letter saying that the child would be suspended from Wednesday until Monday.

Doesn't sound like repeated warnings to me.

Riley’s lunch usually consists of a sandwich, yoghurt tube, Dairylea Dunkers cheese spread snack, a packet of Mini Cheddars, and water.

So mini cheddars are unhealthy

Mcvities Mini Cheddars Cheese 7Pk - Groceries - Tesco Groceries

but dairylea dunkers which have more saturated fat and more salt in, as well as fructose syrup, are fine.

Dairylea Dunkers

As I said, completely arbitrary rules based on nothing but some jumped up Hitlers opinion of what is good with zero use of actual facts. If this is the head teacher at work it's no wonder the school is in special measures, he's barely got KS1 critical thinking skills himself.

Lots of talk about how parents don't have the rights to decide which rules to follow but surely those making the rules have a duty to employ a modicum of reason and sense when formulating them?

[DirtyDog]

If the parents break rules, it's not OK to punish the child.

Suspension should be a final resort for serious misbehaviour. Bringing a savoury snack to school doesn't, IMO, justify suspension.

<pedant>Expulsion would be the final resort</pedant>

[MyUserName]

The suspension will go on the child's school record. Which may matter in the future.

From when he was 6?

[mudskipper]

Whether this disruption punishes the child or parent is not clear cut. There will be a disruption to the parent's day where they would normally not have to worry about that child. The child is likely to love having extra days off school, it is not as if he is studying for exams or anything.

If the parents continually refused to follow the uniform policy then the child would be punished. The parents would have been warned that these measures were on the cards so this would not be a surprise.



And that is not what happened. They did not see the snack and suspend the child on the spot for daring to have a mini cheddar. He was suspended for repeatedly breaking the same rule, if you repeatedly break a rule (even if it is one you do not agree with) then you will be suspended.

The suspension will go on the child's school record. Which may matter in the future.

[MyUserName]

If the parents break rules, it's not OK to punish the child.

Whether this disruption punishes the child or parent is not clear cut. There will be a disruption to the parent's day where they would normally not have to worry about that child. The child is likely to love having extra days off school, it is not as if he is studying for exams or anything.

If the parents continually refused to follow the uniform policy then the child would be punished. The parents would have been warned that these measures were on the cards so this would not be a surprise.

Suspension should be a final resort for serious misbehaviour. Bringing a savoury snack to school doesn't, IMO, justify suspension.

And that is not what happened. They did not see the snack and suspend the child on the spot for daring to have a mini cheddar. He was suspended for repeatedly breaking the same rule, if you repeatedly break a rule (even if it is one you do not agree with) then you will be suspended.

[minestrone]

Parents have no right to expect that their child should be exempt from one particular rule. The parents would have been warned about persistent rule breaking, and continued to break the rules, so they should face sanctions.

The exclusion of a pupil is no light-hearted matter, nor is it an immediate sanction (unless there has been a significant problem).

If you don't want to follow the rules, then you find somewhere that you can send your child where you are allowed to break the rules, or doesn't have rules that you feel you cannot comply with.

Dear God, you must have had one pathetic life so far to be so subservient to such stupidity.

Behaviour like that can only come from an unloving family with an unwanted child or have been drummed in by a part of the education system reserved for the most stupid and feckless children.

[mudskipper]

Would you think it was okay to suspend them if they repeatedly and intentionally broke a different school rule?

If the parents break rules, it's not OK to punish the child.

Suspension should be a final resort for serious misbehaviour. Bringing a savoury snack to school doesn't, IMO, justify suspension.

[DirtyDog]

WHS. I can't believe how many people think this is fine.

OP, can we have a poll please?

There you go - http://forums.contractoruk.com/gener...-excluded.html