Anyone else's school shutting this week?

[HiZev]

We just had an email saying they're shutting at lunchtime on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday because of the heat. Seems fairly sensible to me.

Wow, what area are you?

Good god. This country is a joke sometimes

Given that schools generally don't have air conditioning nor blackout curtains it sounds sensible to me. What's your problem with it?

SW London

We're in the South West. It's now a red Heat Health Warning here for Wed/Thu so I'm surprised they are opening at all.

Optional lunchtime pickup tomorrow and mandatory lunchtime pickup Wed and Thu. Going to be a pain juggling it with trying to WFH, but at least I can keep an eye on DC and make sure they are drinking enough etc.

Neither do most homes.

No message but mine won’t be going in at those temps. I’ve worked as a TA for years, I know the reality. My son also fainted last year in history.

They will spend it in the pool/shade sipping a Fanta. Or by a fan. I understand if you cannot do this due to work, then fair enough. But if you can keep them off, then I would, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.

Most homes don't have 30 children squashed into one room.
Plus we are being warned not to go out in the heat of the day which is pretty much exactly school finish time.
Plus this way parents can ensure their children don't overheat, drink enough, don't get sunburnt.
At least in homes parents have the ability to put up black out curtains to keep heat out if they want to.

Our school is lovely but is basically a massive greenhouse and the rooms all have 35 bodies in them. It is much much cooler at my house where I keep blinds shut and we have a north facing garden with a paddling pool fully in shade where he can sit in his pants.

Obviously it depends but it'll be hugely more comfy at my house than the school this week.

Yes, shutting at lunch times.

Schools get sweltering on normal days, it's not practical to have a classroom stuffed full of kids at 39-40c.

And before anyone starts on about how it's woke to change behaviour in a heat wave, no summer did not get to 35-40c in the 90s.
When I was at school a 30c day was ridiculously hot.

Most homes have curtains or blinds, and windows that open, and fans. Imagine if your home was south facing, no blinds, and you could only open the windows an inch (due to security restrictors on all windows above ground floor).

Temps in south facing rooms with no blinds will get well into the 40s. Now add 30 near-adults into that room, with no way of circulating air, and you are looking at an extremely unpleasant work environment - not one that any office-type work environment would tolerate. Oh, and some schools are still insisting that not only blazers and ties, but jumpers are still to be worn.

France has closed 100s of schools too. Some of these school buildings will be an absolute furnace in this kind of heat so I doubt any meaningful learning will take place anyway.

Not just this country - loads of schools shutting in France this week.

We've got a red weather warning for Wednesday and Thursday in South Wales. I'm hoping my son's Primary School will give some info today on what their plan is.

We had a message last night that they were allowed to go without their ties. But he's still in a short sleeve collared shirt and uniform shorts. I was hoping they'd suggest PE kit at least for tomorrow.

@mrsbowes

Exactly. 30 degrees was a scorcher back then. We used to all go out on the field under the trees and paint or sit and big circle and play duck duck goose. It is not just a sunny day. What is wrong with people 🤦‍♀️.

Most homes don't tend to have 30 people crammed into one room...

There is a new red weather warning in some areas, i would imagine that is why.

Honestly I think some people refuse to accept these heatwaves are happening because if they do, they have to accept climate change is happening and that's some kind of left wing woke conspiracy 😐

Yep, same. I wonder if it’s the same school

Ours are in PE kit all week and cracking on with it. One of mine is meant to play in an interschool rounders fixture all day tomorrow. 😂 I’m assuming it’s going to be cancelled, but so far, not yet.

The heatwaves will keep happening, so assume the govt needs to start calculating the impact of closures on attainment.

Is your school primary OP?

Mine is offering optional early pick up after lunch on Wednesday.

I’m in two minds. It’s not the being at school but being on the tube coming home that is worrying me. DD has been known to faint in the heat

We currently have sports day on Thurs AM, although assuming they will cancel it (red alert London). I'm pretty certain they won't close though. They didn't when it reached 41 degrees about 4 years ago.

Edited to add, it's an urban school with no playing fields or trees, so difficult to keep them cool.

Yes it's a primary.