The Grove Primary School in Trowbridge is urging parents not to allow their children to bring sun screen lotion with them, fearing it will trigger allergic reactions among classmates.

Instead they want them to put it on at home before they leave in the morning.

Staff at the school, in Hazel Grove, are worried that youngsters putting their own lotion on during the day will not apply it properly and any excess not rubbed in could inflame allergies among youngsters in Key Stage One.

The school posted a message to parents on Facebook this week asking them not to send children in with sun screen lotion.

Headteacher Alistair Ponsford said: “We want to make sure the safety of all the children was put first. We are requesting sun cream is not brought in, but it is not a blanket ban.

“The safety of the children is of paramount importance to us and if there are exceptional circumstances then parents can raise them with the class teacher and suitable arrangements can be made.”

The school said it received one letter of complaint from a parent concerned about only applying sun cream on their child before school, but it was later withdrawn.

Key Stage One leader Anna Pemberton added: “We have three or four children in Key Stage One who have severe reactions to sun cream, so we are advising parents to apply it before school.

“The coverage and application would be much more affective if done by the parent, rather than the child doing it haphazardly.

“We have also spoken to the children about sun care and the Year One’s have done a display about being safe in the sun.

“We have extensive shade outside and we have asked parents to send their children to school with water bottles and sun hats labelled with the child’s name.”