Orrell Holgate Academy

The headteacher Miss Worrall thinks offering prosecco to parents driving around with children is acceptable.

On hot days offering glasses of alcohol that is twice the strength of beer is dangerous and irresponsible.

All government advice from police to drive-wise UK states. If you plan to drive then do not drink at all! This is if you plan to drive alone never mind with young vulnerable children.

You are not guaranteed to be under the limit or impaired even after 1.5 units.

Drinking while in the care of young children is questionable. Drinking while driving with young children is unacceptable.

The Department of Education and the school refuse to address this so I am continuing to be proactive in getting answers to how anyone thinks this is by any stretch of the imagination to be a safe practice. I hope with patience and time I will reach the right person to take action.

If a parent were to drink a can of beer and jump on the car with children then the school or social care would certainly have concerns. A glass of prosecco contains more units than a can of beer yet here it is encouraged. Double standards from people in professional roles are another concerning element to this scenario.

These children are very young and on evidence are at the most impressionable age. They look at parents and teachers as role models protectors and someone to guide them through setting standards with safety being of utmost priority no exceptions.

If we show that drinking alcohol and driving soon afterward is acceptable then we are misguiding our children. This is a school that has been entrusted with children from all backgrounds. Some of these children are likely to have witnessed some form of alcohol abuse whether past or present.

Studies have also shown drinking in plain sight of children causes mistrust and some levels of anxiety.

We banned the advertisement of smoking many years ago. reasons being The ban was expected to decrease cigarette smoking, the assumption being that the commercials induced people, particularly young people, to take up the habit, and also that the “public service” anti-smoking ads were ineffective.

We now have a strikingly similar situation where alcohol is more devastating than ever in our society more so than smoking.

Just recently The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on 'Restricting alcohol advertising and promotion', which proposes restricting advertising of alcohol on television, outdoor billboards, through sports and events sponsorship, and branded merchandise and online

The message is simple. Alcohol has no place in a school or around young children especially where parents are driving.

To the school, I say this.

Parents who raise safeguarding concerns at the very least need to be listened to. The overwhelming evidence says what you are doing is wrong. Is Dangerous, and has many contraindications to be considered.

I only hope that as a result of writing this review, the school takes serious consideration of its policies regarding alcohol and its use on school premises in the future.