Sun Safety Policy

Reviewed by:	Suzanne Deadman, 19 05 2025
Ratified by:	Resources Committee, 05 06 2025
Next Review:	Summer 2027

Contents

Introduction
Rationale
Partnership
Education
Protection
Risk Assessment
Further Reading
Policy Review
- SAMPLE LETTER TO PARENTS

Introduction

Schools have a responsibility to ensure that pupils are protected from overexposure to UV rays from the sun, and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for skin cancer prevention (2011) recommend that schools “develop, implement and monitor a specially tailored policy to ensure people are protected as much as possible”.

The new version of the DfE’s statutory safeguarding guidance came into force in September 2020. Under the new PHSE (Health and Prevention) curriculum, primary schools must now teach pupils about safe and unsafe exposure to the sun, and how to reduce the risk of sun damage, including skin cancer.

Rationale

Too much exposure to ultraviolet light (UV) radiation from the sun causes sunburn, skin damage and increases the risk of skin cancer. Sun exposure in the first 15 years of life contributes significantly to the lifetime risk of skin cancer.

There is enormous potential for schools to help prevent skin cancer in future generations. Schools are central to protecting children’s skin this is because:

Children are at school five out of seven days a week at times when UV rays are high.
Most damage due to sun exposure occurs during the school years.
Schools can play a significant role in changing behaviours through role modelling and education.
Pupils and teachers are at risk of sunburn within 10-15 minutes of being exposed to strong sunlight.
Students spend an average of 1.5 hours outside per school day, more if involved in sports and outdoor activities.
Skin cancer is largely preventable through behaviour modification and sun protection during early years.

The main elements of this policy are:

Partnership: working with parents/carers, governors, health professionals and the wider community to reinforce awareness about sun safety and promote a healthy school.
Education: learning about sun safety to increase knowledge and influence behaviour.
Protection: providing an environment that enables pupils and staff to stay safe in the sun.

Partnership

Sun safety will be promoted through working with parents, governors and the wider community to improve our understanding and provision to avoid the harmful effects of too much exposure to ultraviolet light (UV).
Staff should act as positive role models and set a good example by seeking out the shade whenever possible and wearing suitable clothing, hat and sunscreen.
Relevant professionals and health promotion officers will be invited into the school periodically to advise the school on ‘sun safety’.

Education

Annually a special assembly will be dedicated to ‘Sun Safety’. This will emphasise the 3 S’s of Sun

Safety including:

SLIP – SLIP ON A T-SHIRT

SLOP – SLOP ON THE SUNCREEN

SLAP – SLAP ON A HAT.

At appropriate times during the year children will be reminded through our assemblies about ‘How to be Sun Safe’.
The curriculum for all year groups will include aspects of ‘Sun Safety’ annually.
Parents and Guardians will be asked through letters/newsletters to support this policy by encouraging their children to adopt the Slip, Slop, Slap message and act as role models.
Children will be encouraged to use the shaded areas of the school during playtimes.

Protection

Shade:

The school playground has shade provided either by the school building, outdoor shelter(s), trees and/or we have temporary structures i.e. gazebos, etc for use on sports days and other outdoor events.
Children will be encouraged to use the shaded areas of the school during playtimes when appropriate.

Clothing:

The children will be encouraged to wear clothes that provide good sun protection. Hats- shorts etc Sunscreen:
Each pupil will supply themselves with sunscreen (minimum SPF 30, with broad spectrum UVA protection) to apply themselves when appropriate and used on or off site for any prolonged outdoor school related activities.
Parents are advised to apply sunscreen to their children before school.
All sunscreens held by the school will be checked to ensure they are suitable and do not contain allergens that may cause pupils to suffer and allergic reaction.

Drinking Water:

Children are encouraged to increase their water intake in hot weather and are encouraged to drink water during break times and lunch times. Every child should bring a water bottle to school every day. Drinking taps are available in all classrooms

Extreme Weathers:

When there are periods of extreme temperatures (over 29 degrees) Head of school may decide that it is safer to restrict children’s outside play or change the times to cooler times of the day.

Risk Assessment

A risk assessment has been undertaken and reviewed annually by the Executive Headteacher and Governing Body. Consideration in the risk assessment will be given to outside activities / sports events / weather conditions / ventilation in classrooms / timings of breaks / individual pupils needs / water availability.

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed every two years by the resources committee or sooner if required.

SAMPLE LETTER TO PARENTS

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Now the summer term has started, I wanted to write and tell you about our new sun protection policy. We have developed this with the help of parents, teachers and pupils to ensure that we can all enjoy the sun safely over the coming months.

The sun’s rays are particularly strong over the summer, and they can damage children’s skin. This may not seem like a problem right now, but it can lead to skin cancer in later life.

Your child’s health and wellbeing are very important to us, which is why we have decided to:

Increase the amount of school time spent learning about sun protection.
Provide more shade in the playground.
Encourage pupils to wear hats and t-shirts when outside.
Encourage pupils to use at least SPF 30 sunscreen in summer months.

More details of these and other new sun protection plans can be found in our sun protection policy which I am attaching to this letter. I have also included a SunSmart information card which will explain how to keep your child safe from the sun at home.

Your support is very important if our new policies are going to work.

You can help by:

Providing your child with a suitable water bottle which can be easily refilled. Together I hope we can have a very happy and safe term to come!
Talking to your child about the importance of sun protection at home.
Sending your child to school with a wide-brimmed hat.
Ensuring you apply sun cream before your children come to school
Returning the sunscreen permission slip to allow the school to provide the school sun cream for them to self-administer (which they will be supervised undertaking).