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.

Are there any gcses or a levels scheduled for this week or are they all done?

Sports day cancelled tomorrow but no closure announcement yet. SE, 37-39 forecast. The WhatsApp groups have started clamouring for it though, off the back of other local schools saying they will be closing or doing early pick up.

Personally I think heatwaves are here to stay and we need to sort out how to deal with them. Our school was only built in 2018, why they didn’t put aircon in I don’t know. All new schools should have it.

My village (primary) school that has just over 40 pupils announced on our village Facebook page on Saturday afternoon at around 3pm, that it will be closed all week. Because it's late June, it's not affecting any of their education, and it won't go against the children (like recording them as absent.)

They have said to contact them via the Facebook post if there are any issues/if someone has no-one to look after them, and so far, out of 33 sets of parents (a few have more than one child there,) not ONE has come forward to say it will be an issue. Just lots of very excited comments and relief for the children (and from the children too!)

There are only 43 pupils though. At schools that have 500+ pupils, I would imagine it's more difficult to do this.

The county where I work are shutting from lunchtime. Nothing from my own schools as yet although all sports days, trips, clubs etc cancelled.

Wow! Only announcement do far is my daughter receiving an email to say PE will most likely be indoors on Wednesday, so bring swimsuit.
She's in lower 6th though, and has gone in with her massive water bottle. 🤞🏾that'll keep her going.

The construction of the school is key. The Victorian builds cope far better than the 60s onwards construction schools. We need a review of what we build and how. I feel for kids that have homes that resemble sweat boxes, or with no access to facilities to cool down.

No but we’re in the frozen north. Friday is the hottest day forecast for us at 27c.

We have early close at secondary school - so dd will be walking home when it’s 36 degrees.

“I’ll be fine,” she says.

I said to her, “you do realise heatstroke isn’t a matter of willpower, don’t you?”

Surely you just send him in whatever clothes are appropriate for his health? You don't need to wait for the school's permission to dress your child appropriately. It doesn't strike me as the kind of thing they have any meaningful authority over.

At the moment, still open, but I’m hoping they’ll at least offer a lunch time pick up, if not just close the school which I think would be most sensible. If not I’m not actually sure about them going in…..

All those parents saying that their children will not be able to do any learning in this extreme heat.

I bet many of you will be fine letting them stay up until 11pm Tuesday night watching the football.

Hope not!

Were SW, they’ve cancelled two Sports days, and the school disco so far. All but a few classrooms at our school have AC so hopefully will stay open.

No but a rumour went round the school parents that our head teacher got into trouble because she refused to open the school when we hit 40 degrees. The schools in area closed early anyway. She’s probably hesitant to use common sense again. My son has medical issues that are made worse with this weather.

Seems sensible. I travelled through Wandsworth London today and noticed the forecast said this. You'll get people saying how they worked down mines at 50C and never needed a glass of water etc.

why? So the teacher can go and enjoy the weather! I was at school in the 1976 heatwave and we just carried on! It’s ridiculous to close just because it’s hot, what about working parents with no notice of this!

@FlappyDappyDoo

What on earth has that got to do with heat? Going to bed at 11pm because of an England World Cup match really isn’t the end of the world. Sitting in that heat with multiple children lounging across the tables fanning themselves with books or paper is a completely different beast.

Was teaching last week, all windows.open made zero difference plus one fan in a big room. Unbearable. Pouring with sweat.

@LoudTealHare

Janet love it wasn’t 40 degrees in 1976 for the love of god 🤣🤦‍♀️

SW London primary, staying open but pupils to wear PE kit (shorts and polo shirt), bring sunhat, wear sunscreen etc. Blackout blinds will be down in the classrooms and fans will be on, though each classroom only has one, which isn't adequate IMO at the top of the tall Victorian building where DD's classroom is.

They'll modify PE lessons and break to make sure the kids don't overheat.

If they close early or I keep her off, I'll have a problem with work, so she's going in.....

Enjoy the weather ? people die, crops suffer ( your food costs more ) , infrastructure fails ( you may lose electricity, your electrify bills go up because they need to build infrastructure to a higher standard) etc etc

at 40 your body is under huge stress to keep you alive

as as a PP said - it barely hit 35 in 1976.

I’m pleased they are taking the Red Warning seriously, but question the logic of closing at lunchtime.
Surely that means travelling home in one of the hottest parts of the day?

Read this: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-issues-red-heat-health-alerts-across-england

A red heat-health alert indicates that a severe heatwave could have impacts beyond health and social care with potential effects on transport systems, food, water, energy supplies and businesses, and indicates a risk to life for even the healthy population.

Mine would be as I was a working parent finding childcare. But I suppose if you’re a nurse, doctor, firefighter, refuse collector and half the team didn’t turn up so services weren’t provided, that would be fine?

I mean you wouldn’t moan about waiting hours for an ambulance, because it’s hot?

Schools are closing all around us, but our council are leaving it up to individual heads to decide.

Dd's secondary hasn't even relaxed blazer and tie rules yet. And it is one of those awful new build schools that look like a giant greenhouse.

Quite. It was persistently hot but rarely got above 30c. It was the length of the ‘heatwave’ not the height of it.

We are East Anglia and predicted 33c on Friday. The school has said it will remain open - when we had 39c temperatures in 2022 they still opened but authorised absences if parents weren’t comfortable sending kids in. I’m hoping they will at least do lunchtime pick up. My son really, really struggles in the heat and they are currently taught in a mobile classroom!