Toughen up! School that makes pupils play in rain

FURIOUS parents have claimed their children came home ‘drenched’ after being made to play in the rain during the school lunchbreak.

The head at their primary school believes playing in the rain is good for pupils and has implemented a new ‘wet play’ policy to combat ‘sedentary lifestyles’.

The policy has raised questions over how far schools should go to toughen up today’s youngsters, with some critics labelling the pupils – and parents – as ‘snowflakes’.

Annemarie Fletcher, who has children at Piper’s Vale Primary Academy in Ipswich, Suffolk, said: ‘It’s disgusting – they were made to stay outside in the pouring rain.

‘I wouldn’t have put my dog out there. They were wet and cold all afternoon – absolutely drenched. For my youngest daughter, we had to put her shoes on the radiator all night to get them dry.’

Mother of two Frances Horlock added: ‘Apparently they locked the doors so pupils couldn’t get in. That’s why I’m mad. They should be allowed to decide themselves.’

Ben Carter, acting head of the 381-pupil school, said it was ‘definitely not true’ that children were locked out.

In September, Ofsted inspectors said the school ‘requires improvement’ and it has since joined the Paradigm Trust, a multiacademy educational trust, to make changes. In a letter to parents, Mr Carter said: ‘Firstly can I apologise for the fact that the change in policy was not communicated to you before. Previously in wet weather the school supervised play inside the school building in almost all adverse weather conditions. Paradigm believes that “wet play” is good for pupils.’

A school spokesman said many children had ‘relatively sedentary lifestyles’ and wet play was part of their ‘normal development’.

Yesterday, the parents were criticised on Twitter with one user saying: ‘I fear for the future generation. My grandchildren love wet play, splashing in puddles.’ Another added: ‘Is it just the children that are snowflakes or the parents also?’