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.

DD’s SEN school have said they’d have no objection if I wanted to make the sensible and practical decision to keep her home Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. They get a lot of pressure to stay open because of the vulnerability of so many of the kids so that’s as close to “please keep her home” as they’ll get.

DS3’s primary is currently considering lunchtime closures for the rest of the week but will confirm this afternoon.

DS2’s secondary is PE kit and a battle over trainer colours. Lots of parents openly saying they’ll keep the kids off the rest of the week (mainly because lots are being sanctioned for wearing white PE kit trainers instead of black).

I have one left at senior school and had an email last night to let parents know they’ll be closing early every day this week. They have dropped form time so starting lessons immediately at 8:30, 5 minutes shorter break and 15 minutes less at lunch, lessons are 5 minutes shorter all to try and compensate for loss of learning time but probably the best they could come up with.
Happy that he’ll still be going to school but for less time, it’s a good compromise imo.

I think rather than closing schools should have an optional post lunch pick up. Those parents that can/want to can pick them up. My school did this a few years ago and it was really helpful as over half the children went home, meaning it was slightly cooler for those that stayed and we just laid the kids on the floor and watched a film. It was definitely better with less children.

Nope, we have sports day! But they're doing it first thing rather than end of the day as planned.

Our house is unbearable right now, I can almost guarantee that it's cooler at school.

Ours are sort of doing this - it's worded as no school in the afternoon but then with a line at the bottom saying if this is very difficult then contact the school so it sounds like there will be an option.

It’s really not. There’s massive H&S implications during a heatwave, not to mention the awful discomfort for EVERYONE crammed into a stifling classroom with little to no cool air circulation. The young and elderly are at greater risk of heat related illness or even death.

Many of the children and teachers/support staff will have medical conditions exacerbated by extreme heat. Far better for people to be able to manage themselves/their children at home, even though it greatly impacts working parents and is hard to juggle. Hopefully other employers will be understanding of this.

This week isn’t just a few hot days, it’s an extreme heatwave and we need to adjust accordingly.

I'm in the north so not really affected but it sounds like a good idea, especially in the places where it may reach 40.

Unfortunately though, this thread will be like a red rag for all the climate change denying reform voters who think not behaving like a dick is "wokism".

In the SE.

One local school has announced total closure We’d & Thurs. Several others have said they’ll be closing at lunchtime.

Our school has air con though so should be fine.

Our school is business as usual. Email sent out last night saying kids can full up their water bottles regularly and please bring a hat, only thing is the water is brown and tastes like shit, non of the kids will drink it. I wouldn’t either!

850 schools shut in France because of the heat today.

Growing up in Australia our school had a policy of shutting once the temp reached 42. That’s because although we are more used to regular heat, and have mechanisms in place to deal with it, once it gets to that it’s a struggle in small rooms with lots of people squished in. I think it’s perfectly sensible for uk schools and workplaces to shut. this heat that is not usual and school buildings are generally not equipped to deal with it. It’s safeguarding and I have heard people bemoaning weaker more snowflake policies, but honestly… 38 degrees in the shade by a pool is different to 38 degrees with 35 people, windows that may not open and no air conditioning. It doesn no one any good to deny the basic reality and limits we are working with.

Schools in a lot of hotter countries will have already broken up for Summer or be on half days (along with some businesses on “summer hours”) so there are existing measures structurally in place for the hot weather. I’m all for closures if it protects children’s health.

School announcement just sent out that school will finish at 1.30pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Most of the classrooms will be too hot to work in by mid afternoon.

Large Secondary School, old buildings, SW London.

Im in SE London, 3 different schools, none are closing and not allowed PE kits either.

My boss has just said we’re closing early every day this week so I’m kinda hoping my son’s school closes now, as then I can make sure he bloody drinks enough!

I put his hat with his clothes and told him to wear it today and he still left it. The kid is an idiot.

I agree. Close if it snows, close if it's hot! Crazy. Perhaps they need to provide extra days teaching to cover days missed.

Just had the email from DS’s primary.

closing at 1.30 tomorrow. Closed Wednesday and Thursday, but opening 11.30-12.30 for those entitled to free lunches or who have prepaid if they want to take their child in.

Normally I’d be in the school of ‘get a grip’ but if your area has been issued with a red warning then it’s a no brainier.
mine are both way past school age but they would not be going in on Tuesday/wednesday, and they have grown up spending July and August every year in Spain.
common sense has to prevail

Email from school - they will only be open for the morning session Tuesday-Thursday this week. And in a rare occurrence of joined up thinking they have coordinated with the transport providers, both the school buses and public buses (which only run to the school at start and end of the school day) to change their timetables.

I’m contemplating whether or not to go into the office as I’m worried about the commute! I’m already feeling it today so it’s only going to get worse!

I'm in Northumberland so no red weather alerts, met office is predicting a peak of 26 degrees. So we're not going to be too hot here. Im more sad the best weather for the beach will be on a school day.

They are shutting schools early where I live in Germany. I find Germany shuts schools often for bad weather, I think its great. I lived in the Netherlands and schools would stay open even when there were bad storms and people ended up dying.

Those who WFH in a room on their own can have blinds down, fans galore going, constant water, and whatever else is needed. A schoolroom with 30 pupils won't have that.

There is far too much Puritanism in the UK. Life doesn't revolve around being resilient, getting on with it, and ye olde wartime attitude to life. We have moved on and common sense and compassion is needed, not strict adherence to rules.

I am delighted to see many schools with a lot of common sense about this coming heat blast.

I get the feeling that a lot of people are put out by schools closing early as it will upset their own working day/ordinary schedule somehow.

Tough.

I am sorry to report that Germany must now be added to monicagellerbing's list of countries that are a joke.

No, DD’s primary school has just sent out an email detailing their plans to manage the kids in the heat, including no running games at break, stay in the shade, can wear PE kit all week if cooler etc. Met Office is predicting 39 degrees Wednesday and Thursday at the weather stations closest to us. Her class teacher currently has a few fans set up round the classroom and mists the kids with water every so often, which seems to delight a bunch of 6 year olds.