Nursery closing on Monday due to heat

We need to school holidays in England to move in line with the Scottish ones, as that’s when the hot days usually are these days - late June/ early July. It’s cooled by mid August usually.

Now that doesn’t help with nurseries but we as a country need to better understand better when it’s hot and how to deal with it. Nurseries could probably do with air con more than anywhere else.

What shouldn’t be happening is for care for small children on very hot days to be put on to grandparents.

But surely the operative word there is emergency? I.e. not usual.

Yeah, we are suffering from this as well. Flat hasn't got below 28 degrees for several days now.

You want the news to warn the whole country that some nurseries might close

No authority is going into individual nurseries to risk assess. Nursery managers have to do it themselves as they have ultimate responsibility.

Other nurseries or other countries managing is really irrelevant, the manager has to consider the building they have.

Don’t send them then

If it was that bad it would be on the news to warn parents that their nursery may be closed in the morning. Other countries manage to operate in hot weather and not all are in new purpose built air conditioned buildings.

Long term, with climate change, countries are going to have to plan and adapt to higher temperatures.

Living in Spain, school is earlier in the day, with a long break in the middle, at the hottest point. Returning when it is cool for wider subjects.
Summer holiday breaks are longer too. Twelve weeks in the summer, less breaks across the rest of the year.

Our nursery was the same and still closed. They really wouldn't unless it was necessary. They know the building and the practicality of caring for all the children in, let's face it, extreme heat. 31 degrees is much hotter than the usual mid-20's we are used to.

OK but the nursery has risk assessed and decided that even with taking all the measures they can, there is a serious risk of harm to the children.
If they open under those circumstances anyway and children come to harm, the staff will all lose their jobs and the parents will all lose their childcare anyway.

Realistically it's a few odd days, not every year.

Would your preference be all nurseries in village halls, Victorian school buildings and upstairs in soft plays just permanently close because they may be unsafe occasionally?
We already have problems providing enough childcare spaces for all the children who qualify for funding, I really don't think closing loads down will be the answer.

Interesting! In Ireland the Regulations state 16-20 for sleep and between 18-22 the rest of the time. Not that we automatically have to close over 22 obviously but you would have to risk assess and show you are adapting routines etc to keep children safe which may include early or complete closures. For example the really hot weather in was it 2022? we couldn't allow naps in our service as even with fans, air con etc it just wasn't safe so parents had to take children home for naps

The last 2-3 years I’ve been seeing more and more hyperbole, hysteria and sensationalism over fairly normal UK summer temperatures. It’s ridiculous.

The nurseries would need to keep windows closed during the heat of the day, set up fans, close curtains or blinds, encourage drinking plenty of water, limit running around and get out water play activities - same as you would do at home.

Nurseries are businesses. They should take this into account when doing their strategic planning and not undertake to provide services where they may be unable to.

For example, if nurseries have a maximum safe operating temperature, they should make it clear to parents that they may be closed for chunks of the summer so parents can choose alternative provision if this doesn't work for them.

What's the alternative though? If the nursery isn't actually safe?
They could open and have toddlers get heat stroke and the whole place would be shut down permanently.

My sons pre school did this too

Many nurseries are not in purpose built buildings though, and a hall in a park is going to be particularly hard to heatwave-proof.
It would be great if all nursery and school buildings were rebuilt or improved to withstand heatwaves but I imagine that would cost billions.

dont know what area youre in but tuesday is meant to be hotter sp dont understand why theyb would open up then

This could include your children’s teacher having to take time off, your GP cancelling appointments - not practical to find emergency childcare at such short notice

The point is that it should be safe. Nurseries should take steps to ensure that their premises are a safe temperature for young children. Heatwaves are only going to become more frequent. They need to build this into their strategic planning.

While I have the utmost respect for most individual childcare workers (who are usually tremendously underpaid for the work they do), I've never known any other businesses which are as unreliable in the service they provide as nurseries, but still have the view that parents should pay them for what are essentially business or operational issues.

My AIBU is - the nursery is in a hall (trees all around and in a park so outside space and shady outside areas if needed. So why does it need to close!

Enough said. Get the paddling pools and water trays out!

They expect parents to explain to their employers that the nursery is closed. Not the flower fairies. I understand it's frustrating.

I would probably be looking for somewhere else, they could be closing a lot.