A MOTHER claims her daughter became dehydrated and upset after she was refused a drink of water at school on one of the hottest days of the summer.

Staff at Stamford Bridge Primary School have apologised to Bev Robinson, of Full Sutton, after she claimed the school had failed in its duty of care to her nine-year-old daughter Katy.

She said the problem arose on a day when temperatures were in the high 20s and Katy could not find her water bottle at school.

She asked for a cup so she could have a drink from a water dispenser in the reception area, but was told there weren’t any cups.

She claimed Katy then asked a teacher, who said they couldn’t do anything about it, and she spent the day with no drink other than half a cup of milk in the lunch break.

“When I came to pick her up, she looked bright red and sweaty, and was in a bit of a panic, and asked to go to the shop to buy a drink,” she said.

“She had had a headache all afternoon and was dehydrated. I decided to take her back into school to get a drink and she told me what had happened. I went in and found a cup in a classroom and got her a drink. I just felt really upset."

Mrs Robinson said she raised concerns with both Ofsted and Safeguarding at her local council, who indicated there was nothing they could do, and complained to the head.

She is now transferring Katy to another school but wanted to ensure other pupils at Stamford Bridge would be able to have a drink in future.

East Riding of Yorkshire Councillor Andy Strangeway criticised the school's failure to supply a drink.

He said that all the school needed to do was provide a few beakers, adding: “All schools need to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

Head teacher Trudi Fitzhenry recently wrote to Mrs Robinson, saying: “On behalf of the school I would like to apologise in writing with regard to the incident we discussed last week. Please accept my sincere apologies.”

The head teacher told The Press today that the school had addressed a complaint and dealt with it appropriately.

"Some revised procedures have been implemented in light of the parent's concern," she said.

"The school is confident that water is available to all children at all times."