In the hope that summer may just be around the corner, we have reviewed our Sun Protection Policy and parents will have received a copy of the updated policy and a consent form to complete regarding the application of sun lotion in school. If you haven’t already returned the consent form please do so as soon as possible.
As you are already aware, sun safety is of major importance and keeping children safe in the sun is a priority. The NHS have produced the following tips for keeping children safe in the sun which we thought would be useful to share with our parents in preparation for hopefully a wonderfully sunny summer:
- Encourage your child to play in the shade – for example, under trees – especially between 11am and 3pm, when the sun is at its strongest;
- Cover exposed parts of your child’s skin with sunscreen, even on cloudy or overcast days. Use one that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher and protects against UVA and UVB. Apply sunscreen to areas not protected by clothing, such as the face, ears, feet and backs of hands.
- Be especially careful to protect your child’s shoulders and the back of their neck when playing, as these are the most common areas for sunburn.
- Cover your child up in loose cotton clothes, such as an over-sized T short with sleeves.
- Get your child to wear a floppy hat with a wide brim that shades their face, ears and neck.
- Protect your child’s eyes with sunglasses that meet the British Standard (BSEN 1836:2205) and carry the CE mark – check the label.
- If your child is swimming, use a water resistant sunscreen of factor 15 or above. Sunscreen should be reapplied straight after you have been in water – even if it’s “water resistant” – and after towel drying, sweating or when it may have rubbed off.
