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.

Agree...

Hospitals, Supermarkets, trains, buses...
Feel free to add more

All trying to do their best on minimal staff as those without childcare have to leave to be at home with their DC.

Isn’t the whole point of weather warnings precisely to protect people from adverse weather? If it was a storm with a red warning would you just go along with your life as if it isn’t happening?

countries that have these temps regularly have different buildings, pubic transport has air con etc etc. we need to move in that direction but as we aren’t there yet then we need to make some short term changes

I get that it's tough, but ultimately they are your child and if it ends up being a mandatory closure, you'd have to collect them. Schools aren't childcare facilities, they are places of education, after all, and if the education can't be safely delivered, they have to close.

Our primary school has kindly said children are allowed to not wear their blazers and cardigans 🫠

I was replying to your post about “always going to be one parent”, yes those that need to work, either for money or in an essential service.

It’s crap for them as well as the teachers,

Another fact about the uk, heatwaves are usually once or twice a year and it could potentially rain for the whole summer holidays afterwards. Sorry for wanting to make the most of the sun with my small child, christ.
That's enough mumsnet for today.

School is not childcare
Its an actual health warning not just ‘cos teachers want a day off’

Children are vulnerable, many suffer ill affects from extreme heat, this isn’t just a bit warm. We already have seen an increase in breathing issues in children and older adults this last week as it’s warmed up. Add to that pollen, allergies, people with chronic illness like diabetes for example where your body can struggle in heat. Heatstroke/injuries.

Schools on the whole are not equipped or built to deal with it. Having many bodies in a room with no air con or ventilation or blinds is not the same as home!

Heatwaves many years ago when we grew up were not this hot!!

Countries that are often this hot, have better infrastructure, people are often used to the heat as it’s more prolonged and not just short bursts of crazy heat. Even schools in europe are closing too

Sensible…. To make the kids travel home in the hottest part of the day? We’re a 30 min walk from our school so that would be an hour round trip for me….. very much the opposite of sensible in my situation

Yeah really good reason to keep a child off! It might rain during the summer holidays!

May half term, weather was great? Not enough?

And if it’s so hot, taking a child to the beach a good idea? Surely inside in the cool, with curtains closed?

This is such a good compromise - well done to SLT at your school! I think we’ll swelter on, but it’s not forecast to be quite as bad where we are. We have a few events this week (not sports related) that make it more difficult to close early/do something like this, otherwise I would be suggesting it to our SLT.

It's not expected to be cooler at 3 than 12.30 here so that makes no difference. I would have thought the classrooms will get hotter and hotter over the course of the day. If I had an hour round trip walking in this weather I would be keeping him off entirely.

Yes, I think they are choosing to be wilfully ignorant. Having our new school built next year with no air con. Apparently we won’t need it as it will be self cooling, despite upstairs windows that barely open. Can’t wait.

How strange it usually gets much hotter between 12 & 3.

Not really. My son has been sent home from his secondary, as he has vomited. They said heat stroke. Its not the heat outside thats the problem, its that the classrooms are not set up to stand this heat.

Lots of year 10s are sitting mocks. They are suffering! are on a red weather alert with 39 degrees predicted for Wednesday and Thursday.

Our schools (secondary) are finished anyway since end May bar exam years but I cannot imagine primaries would close, have not heard of any anyway. Ours is a yellow status warning though not red. It would definitely be a first that i have come across in Ireland if any did close and would be talked about for decades to come!

Yes, hence not cooler at 3 than at 12.30. Your post is agreeing with mine isn't it?

Your poor DS. Is he okay now he's home?

You do realise that a lot of teachers are also working parents. The school I teach in is staying open but if my DD’s nursery closes, which is likely, I’m also going to have to find childcare to go to work. But it is what it is as I know they will be closing for the safety of my child. So many people fail to realise that teachers are actual human beings with a life 🤦‍♀️

Oh yes sorry I misread 🤦

Not here. Just a hot weather email on clothing etc

Yes but it’s not a mandatory closure so there may not be much they can do. You can’t get emergency dependents leave if the school is open. The parent could easily be teacher in another school where they aren’t closing.

I think it is all quite new to us Brits to have weather warnings for heat so everyone is struggling to believe quite how awful 40 degrees is, even on holiday with easy access to a pool it can be unbearable, you basically just roll off the lounger in to the pool to cool down then roll back out again and look forward to the sun going down!

It is quite amusing/bemusing that they are closing schools at lunchtime though, slap back in the hottest part of the day, all the kids will be out and about in the scorching sun travelling home from school either on foot/bus/train. Also tempted to wander off to the local quarry or river. They'd be better off not opening at all!

Neither do the NHS, but we still have to turn up every day to work in a sweat box office which is currently over 30°.

He is thank you. I'm being careful to cool him down slowly. We've got fans at home which help a little. Sadly the classrooms get so overheated. When I got him they said they'd sent a few kids home today.