to think that the school should be reorganising some of tomorrow's activities?

[JackSparrow]

There's a whole school dress up day tomorrow. Lovely.

I have just had an email to say that the children will be spending large parts of the day outside tomorrow with no shade or shelter, so need to remember the suncream and water bottles.

AIBU to expect, given the predicted temperatures for tomorrow (am in SE) that amendments might be made to the plans? It is not sensible to keep children outside, with no shade, throughout the hottest parts of the day when temperatures will be soaring.

And yes, I know there are hotter places in the world. And that children live there, and go to school, and everyhting. I was one of them. And we didn't ever spend hours on end outside with no shade or shelter (let alone in fancy dress).

It is the first week of Wimbledon and just after Glastonbury. When the school thought of tomorrow's activity they would have expected dull weather and rain probably.

A nuisance to rearrange though I think they should do so. I would have expected them to have done so, even if out of fear of being sued if a child suffers sunburn or a heat related illness.

First thing I learnt when I lived in the tropics is that everyone seeks the shade between 10am and 4pm.

yanbu. that's too hot for kids to be stuck outside all day.

I love the sun but wouldn't expect my kids to cope with it.

Ds has a trip to Cadbury world with spending money for the shop. I have explained that it would be best not to buy any chocolate as it will melt in seconds. Ds says they are not allowed to eat chocolate there and then but have to bring it home instead .

I wish I'd thought of a parasol last week! I do have a brolly somewhere, but doubt dd would be persuaded... Keeping home not an option - she has been looking forward to it for weeks. And has a couple of important rehearsals for a concert later this week (at least she'll be indoors for those!)

I do understand that it was all organised with typical June weather in mind (but then, if rain were expected, there should be shelter organised too?), but fact is, hot weather has been predicted for a week or more. And clearly nothing has been rearranged, because the email advisory about tomorrow stated the children would be outdoors for most of the day (despite the back peddling in the subsequent email).

The only time my children have ever been sunburnt has been at school/nursery. And we have travelled around Australia, California, parts of Africa.

Barbarianmum: quite. It's not the outdoors I'm objecting to so much. It's the planning to be outdoors with no break or shade, and making out that that is ok. It's not.

They should be making some plans. DS is going to the zoo tomorrow on a school trip and we have has a letter home asking for the normal extra drinks, suncream etc but also highlighting the fact they will be taking extra breaks out of the sun during the day.

Dd's school has postponed sports day which was meant to be on tomorrow.

It's not so much sunburn that's the issue rather heat stroke, my pupils have been really struggling today and tomorrow is just going to be worse. They are not in the sun all day but with the climbing temperatures I'm surprised we've only had a handful in the medical room having been faint or passed out.

When I lived in the Med, we used to call the North European tourists jellybabies because they went boiled red and lay in the sun.
We covered up, stayed out of the sun if possible at the hottest point and wore hats. You could tell the tourists in town, few clothes and walking on the sunny side of the street.
We ought to be sunsmart by now, lots of my local schools have a hot weather plan and use it. Just like wet play in winter, sometimes it doesn't make sense to be out of doors.

Really Suffolk? I don't remember anyone fainting or being ill at school from heat, and I was in primary for the jot summer of '76. It's sensible to keep out of the sun, but we all seemed to manage without fainting when I was a kid...What's the reason, do you think?

How do you know the school hasn't made provision for the hot weather?

My DD is dressing up tomorrow, too. I know all the staff will be keeping a careful eye on the children. Some of them have young children themselves. I trust them to bring activities indoors or use gazebos if necessary.

I know the school hasn't made provision as they told me (as per OP). The children will be outside, for large parts of the day in the sun. Hence the sunscreen reminder. If the activities were being moved inside, I assume we wouldn't have been told they were going to be outside.

There are activities which require setup going on. They will not be able to love at a moments notice.

Tbh, I don't trust the 'careful eye' line. As I mentioned earlier, the only time my chdren have been sunburnt (more than once, each of them) has been in school/preschool care. I would prefer it doesn't happen again.

Ours are off to Longleat. Not going to be fun. Hoping the coach is air conditioned for them.

My DS does an after school club which is normally out of doors. The school has made the decision not to run it tomorrow.

DDs had sports day today. She (not sporty at all) was told late yesterday that she had to run the 1500m at midday. No rescheduling of anything.

She survived but I was not impressed by the school. They did not even acknowledge the heat. And to make someone run that distance with NO previous practice in this heat is dangerous I think. DD is 11 - I'd be even more concerned for younger children.

I'm in France. It's been in the low 30s since last week and predicted high 30s tomorrow. DD's primary have not only cancelled all PE lessons but have banned running around at lunchtime break. They have to stay in the shade and play calm games like marbles, cards etc!

Sports day is next week for us. I'm hoping the weather breaks . The plan is equally ridiculous. Sports from 11.30-3.330, on a field with little shade. Maybe it'll rain

Calm games like marbles - sounds wonderful!!!
Not much shade at our place - because shade would usually equate to dank and dreary.

Agree. Sports Days should be rethought and/or rescheduled.

My Dd has a multi sports day at another school tomorrow, all outdoors. She'll be coated in sun cream and wearing a baseball hat and has extra drinks (water) heat doesn't seem to bother her, he has already turned a lovely shade of brown from the first whiff of sunshine, lucky girl. I'm milky white and turn beetroot colour if I hang washing out and take too long.
Some kids aren't made for the heat and schools need to provide shade when they are doing all day outdoor stuff.

Will they still be at the school? If so then the teachers will be in a position to take children indoors if necessary. I would hope that common sense will prevail (the teachers won't want to be outside in hot sunshine all day).

I live in southern France and some areas have ordered schools to shut because of safety concerns (over 40C forecast in central France this week). I was in my kids' school this afternoon for a meeting and even with shutters down it was unbearably hot. Fortunately school is pretty much out already (the last week of term is very optional) and I am keeping both mine at home for the rest of the week.

I'd take advantage of health and safety scare mongering and send in an email (ie paper trail in advance of the event!) request to see the risk assessment (or whatever they are now called) that has been done for the event, particularly in relation to the risk of heat stroke, sun burn, dehydration, etc etc as outlined on here, and given that the planned activities as outlined currently to the parents go directly against the advice published by the government (insert that link above) and Cancer Research UK (www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/sun-uv-and-cancer/ways-to-enjoy-the-sun-safely) which is linked to in the government link but also has lots more back up advice about not being out in the sun and the Cancer word might scare them too.

I'd also ask them what provisions they are making for those children that have problems with sun screen - whether that's applying it or wearing it at all, or that have very fair skin and so can only be out for an hour at that time of the day maximum (or whatever is appropriate for your child) despite wearing the strongest sunscreen as 'obviously they are aware that even the strongest sunscreens do not provide 100% protection and are not to be used to prolong the length of one's exposure to the sun outside'.

And any other awkward questions like how often are children going to be asked to put on their sun cream, what provisions are there to ensure they are doing it properly and using enough, what happens should a child get sun burnt on some or all of themselves, what happens when their water runs out, etc etc.

And then see how they respond - I bet they won't have done a proper assessment for the really hot weather and if you set the email up with all the facts showing how government advice about best practice is basically the opposite of what they are doing, they are going to have some explaining to do. Especially if you could copy it to the education board or governors or somebody that would make them realise that others will be looking at them to see what they do too.

Are there any class email lists that you could enlist too - or other parents you know - to copy in or to send in similar emails? And tweet and send a facebook message too, if they have them, just to get the message to them loud and clear.

Just because some people can cope with it and just because it's hotter in other places isn't any reason for your school to ignore best practice!

I think YABU, there's no need to rearrange. It's just about being careful and flexible with any issues that may arise.

I have an U8 Rounders fixture on a shadeless pitch at 2pm tomorrow. There hasn't been a thought of cancelling afaik. Nobody's complained to me. My own daughter will be playing, maybe that reassures the other parents, I don't know. We'll have a break at half time for water and orange segments and they'll all be wearing hats with neck protectors and suncream (and what's all this about not helping them apply their suncream?? I always help)

Apart from anything else, the weather forecast/British weather isn't accurate/predictable enough to go cancelling things. It could easily be degrees cooler than they're saying and rainy tomorrow!

We just don't do summer do we.

I remember 1976 too. I was 10. It wasn't hot for 1 day it was 90 degrees for weeks.

Respectfully get a bloody grip!

Heatstroke is a real danger tomorrow YANBU.

We're talking about kids that are simply not used to spending this amount of time in the heat - their bodies are not used to it, not acclimatised to it. Water and hats is one thing but shade and cool are also critical.