School bans new toy craze
HARTSHILL School is the latest to ban a new toy craze sweeping the country.
Pupils are no longer allowed to bring fiddle spinners - also known as fidget spinners - to school.
Teachers say any they find will be confiscated and not handed back to pupils.
Instead parents will have to visit the school in Church Road, Hartshill, and meet a senior teacher to reclaim the toys.
A statement on the school website says: “Students from Monday are not permitted to bring spinners/fiddle spinners on to the school site. This is because they have unstable bearings/components that are a Health and Safety risk.
“There are no exceptions to this ban.
“If these are on school site from Monday they will be confiscated immediately. The spinner/fiddle spinner will not be returned to the student.
“Parents will be welcome to make an appointment to come in and see a college leader or mem- ber of SLT to collect.”
The toys were originally created to help children with learning difficulties such as autism and attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Some say the toys can help with stress relief and concentration. But soon after they were invented children without special needs wanted them too.
The tricks they can do are a particular draw and shelves are emptying fast.
But pupils sometimes say the noise the spinners make and the tricks their classmates do puts them off their work.
The Hartshill School website goes on to say: “If a student feels they need a stress coping device, then they need to speak to their tutor who will recommend them to the SEN department. These will be issued on a need only basis.”
The brightly coloured toys cost as little as £1.63 and can spin at high speeds on desks and table tops.
Among the other schools to ban the toys is Manor Park Primary School in Ulverscroft Road, Cheylesmore, Coventry. A message on the school website says the toys are causing problems and will be taken away by teachers if they are seen in school.
At Broad Heath Primary School in Hanford Close, Foleshill, Coventry, spinners are only allowed with special permission.