School in the heat. Bloody nightmare. A rant.

[OhWhatFuckeryIsThisNow]

Secondary school, exams over, 11s and 13s gone. No fun trips. Sports day over. And it’s sweltering. Kids are basically refusing to work. (Year 9s whenever anyone mentions the heat pretend to collapse dramatically on the desk in synchronisation. Which would be funny if I wasn’t so hot and grumpy) One tiny little fan for the whole room. Kids bringing in frozen water bottles, genius, except for the crunching, crackling and rattling. I’ve re roomed the worst classrooms, but still complaining. (I know, I’m hot too.)
Any tips on what I can do? (I’ve got a week of very dull cover to get through)

hot

No way am I taking year 9 outside. There is one patch of shade, the rest, despite being tooooooooo hot, will lie in the sun, there will be headphones -sorry, earbuds and if anyone is a shit, guaranteed with them, slt will be dis chuffed at coming to look for us.

I’m cover manager, so everything. Yesterday was geography. It’s geography all week as 10s are doing fieldwork. Bonus is not many tens (who, if 9s are ogres are orcs)

not allowed

Strange. There's usually a staff dress code, especially in schools with a strict uniform.

not allowed

School buildings are notoriously bad in the heat. Not long to go.
I'm hoping for a (false) fire alarm so that we can all evacuate to the field!

Yes, it sounds like a recipe for disaster.
My problem is trying to stop them spraying Lynx liberally everywhere.

That ridiculous.

All our local schools have said tailored knee shorts and shirt or PE kit is fine for test of term!

I can't believe theres still some HTs who think kids will learn better due to how their dressed yet ignoring that they can't learn at all whilst cooking from inside out! .

If it's going over 35 degrees, going outside all afternoon is a stupid suggestion (not that any school can accommodate outdoor learning all at the same time in the shade anyway).

In this country, we have a really ignorant attitude to heat - we don't get much chance to get used to it. The forecast in the south next week is dangerous and schools should close the way they do for snow.

It's going to be much hotter than the nostalgic memories of outside lessons in years gone by. Our schools now are wildly overcrowded. There's a weather warning. I don't want my kids to miss more school but no learning is happening in 35+ anyway!

I think I'd put in a formal complaint. It cannot be healthy to make children wear stupid polyester blazers and tights in hot classrooms.

I don't want my kids to miss more school but no learning is happening in 35+ anyway!

I agree. Our children found it really difficult to focus yesterday, and it was only 30°. I can't imagine how much worse it will be next Monday. 😔

I teach food! I have 12 ovens in my classroom that are due to be on for 5 hours today, I sent a text home yesterday saying if you haven’t already bought ingredients then don’t and recipes will be sent home for students to cook at home if they prefer! My classroom is already saying 28°c before any students are in here. We’ve had several students already drop ingredients in so we will be cooking by the looks of things.

students are in PE kit all week, I was reminded about wearing my blazer yesterday by a member slt, I had taken it off during a very hot practical. I went to speak to the head about it (blazerless in his cool office with two fans) and he backed me up allowing me to not wear it during practical lessons thankfully.

Has the key material for the year been covered?
If it has, could you bring in a few board games, split the class into groups and each group gets to play each game and the winners from each game get to play one final game for a £10/£20 book token (not food so no issues with allergies here) or something like that?

FFS, what sort of prison camp do you work in that you have to have permission not to wear a blazer in a room full of hot ovens in a heatwave? Or even in a normal classroom? I assume they make the unfortunate children wear them as well?

Honestly, schools that do this need to be the subject of immediate safeguarding investigations and an immediate Ofsted fail. There is no excuse.

I hadn't realised it was going to be so hot on Monday! I think I will keep my two off school as that is insanely hot.

We were in Valencia a few years ago when it was 35 degrees and it was unbearable just sitting in the shade so no way can they go to boiling hot classrooms.

DD's head has kindly said they can leave off their blazers and tights but shirts and ties must still be worn but as a treat they can leave their top button undone! He is a crazed fool about uniform all year long but this is ridiculous.

It's tough doing cover in various different rooms and teaching other people's cover work- you have my sympathies. Start with a wordsearch on the topic (something non taxing to ease them in and help settle)...bribe them to work for 20-25 on the main work with offer of a video at the end of the lesson- if it's geography then there should be lots of options...Blue Planet is nice and calming(!)... Top Gear where they travel about.. I'm no geographer but these could work?!
It's all about not expending too much energy, getting the main stuff done but keeping everyone sane & safe in this heat- and doing whatever is necessary to coax year nine along in this weather! Best of luck.

At least one of those is autistic.

don't ask how I know

Yep, definitely a thing for autistic students to still be wearing their blazers in this weather - and refusing to take them off.

The other one is girls in jumpers who don't want boys to be able to see their bras through their shirt.

My DDs school is doing everything outside these 2 weeks - activities week, sports day, PE outside, outdoor performance etc - it was all planned months ago but I’m concerned that they’re spending all day everyday outside in this heat.

Can you get one of those really big round air circulators and aim it at the ceiling. They're really good at cooling the air or making a strong and pleasant breeze

Agree! Also teacher (primary though) and the kids are just moaning and are unable to work due to the heat. I can barely summon the energy to teach so don't blame them for not wanting to listen. Also agree that frozen bottles are so annoying!!!

It's not 40 degrees. Some of the models are showing that, but it's not going to happen as the models often show very high temperatures. However, the fact that it is even coming up on the model is seriously worrying. But all of you who like to keep the aircon going while keeping the engines running on your SUVs, crack on

As for schools, I saw a boy out this morning wearing a tie. What on earth is wrong with school headteachers when they won't modify the uniform in summer (also )

And making the problem of climate change even worse.

It's not 40 degrees. Some of the models are showing that, but it's not going to happen as the models often show very high temperatures.

There is, however, an extreme heat weather warning for Sunday which I assume that the Met Office wouldn't have issued if they thought the temperature wasn't actually going to be an issue next week.