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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to be a bit miffed they have closed school "because it's hot"?

79 replies

Aethelfleda · 20/06/2017 16:29

My DC go to a fairly large primary school.
At lunchtime today the parent alert system texted everyone to say school was closed due to the heat, and everyone to pick up their DC asap. Oh and it will be closed tomorrow too. Currently trying to sort out emergency cover with relatives for my three.

Last week we were given standard "hot weather" email/written info about hats, suncream, water bottles etc. Sports day was also cancelled "due to the heat".

Fair enough that they don't want to give the kids heatstroke by doing outside sports day if it's steaming.
But AIBU in expecting a school to have sensible contingency planning for hot weather? Ok, it's 31 degrees today (we live in the SouthEast). It is hot.
But surely all the schools in London/Surrey/Kent/Berkshire/Bucks aren't closed til it cools down, are they?

OP posts:
MoominFlaps · 20/06/2017 17:14

Some people just don't cope well with heat. I can barely function in it. Hence I am working from home.

I don't think they are BU

mummytime · 20/06/2017 17:14

In the USA they used to have long summer holidays partly because it got too hot to study. When they shortened the holidays they "had" to install air conditioning.

LittleBeautyBelle · 20/06/2017 17:17

I can see both sides on this. It is difficult for you to find childcare and that is a pain so I sympathize with you there. On the other hand, I can see why sometimes it's necessary not to keep children in such heat....I would worry about my child in that situation and would like for the school to be thinking about the children and staff first.

The schools should have adequate cooling, that would be the answer. But I don't know how that works in England, I'm in the US. I haven't seen that problem in my area, which gets very hot, but I'm sure there are schools here too that experience the same. More funding I guess is the answer.

Saracen · 20/06/2017 17:17

Depends on the design of the school. Some will be unbearable.

However, the school staff must be familiar with the problems their own school is likely to have. They had access to weather forecasts. I think it is surprising that they contacted parents in the middle of the day to collect their children. Seems like poor planning. Couldn't they have predicted yesterday that they would need to close today?

Kentnurse2015 · 20/06/2017 17:18

YANBU. Utter piss-take in my opinion. What about all the other nurseries/schools/places of work that carry on regardless?! I'' in the south east. Yes it's hot and horrid but I would expect any school or nursery to have a contingency plan and be able to cope!

eviethehamster · 20/06/2017 17:25

The UK is not set up for very hot weather conditions like tomorrow's forecast. As such, many schools are not air conditioned. I cannot see what benefit the children will have by being at school in that weather. Schools are for education, not babysitting.

YABU.

Blatherskite · 20/06/2017 17:30

I spoke to our Headteacher today who said that officially, there is no upper temperature for closing schools. I guess in the UK we need one so infrequently that it's never become a ruling.

Blueflowers2011 · 20/06/2017 17:32

would rather they closed the school rather than kids sitting lethargically in a hot and uncomfortable classroom all day.

i personally was thinking this morning they need to close workplaces down after my tube journey in today!

BeaderBird · 20/06/2017 17:34

YABU.

Schools aren't built for this heat and you have 30 warm people in a small room. Most secondary schools have blocks that are theee stories high and the heat becomes unbearable.

We are hitting highest temps ever and there's no point spouting shit about Australia, kids in England aren't acclimatised to it.

Schools can never win - perhaps the only true fact of Mumsnet.

AnnetteCurtains · 20/06/2017 17:36

A lot of newly built schools have so much insulation it feels like you are in a oven
The school won't do this lightly as it means they will loose a day somewhere else

Seniorcitizen1 · 20/06/2017 17:37

Schools should not be closing because of heat. In the winter it will be because of cold. When I was at school they never closed even when heating broke down - we put our hats gloves and coats on and carried on learning. I fear for the younger snowflake generation (no pun intended)

lalalalyra · 20/06/2017 17:41

It's not a school starting with P is it?

If it is then it's because of a double whammy - high temps in a building with no aircon and huge windows that barely open and a problem with the heating that means it keeps switching itself on.

I had to go in to ring around after-school care parents to let them know the building was closing and it was disgustingly warm.

drspouse · 20/06/2017 17:41

My school (1970s) closed due to no heating (probably during strikes).

It's not really that relevant whether the children are acclimatised, if they drink water and stay in the shade they will be physically fine, but it is very true the buildings here are not usually built for it.
I would be hoping they'd think creatively and take them to the park/shady spot in the playground/have a water fight, though, rather than send them home. If they have to send some of them home they may well not need to send them all home (e.g. those in a prefab type classroom but not others).
They should be able to do something in the morning tomorrow too - it won't be that hot for the first couple of hours.

FramptonRose · 20/06/2017 17:41

I do tend to roll my eyes when schools shut due to snow/heat but like pp have said, I suppose it depends on whether they can keep the temperature down inside the building.
We are in the south east, out school don't tend to close for anything to he honest but they seem to have planned ahead, there have been tons of gazebos set up everywhere to create lots of shade in the playground, lots of reminders about keeping hydrated, especially for the little ones, fans everywhere etc.
I am surprised no one in the school had a contingency plan considering it is not a total shock we are having this heatwave Hmm

Blimey01 · 20/06/2017 17:42

Yanbu- ridiculous!!

Original poster
Aethelfleda · 20/06/2017 17:43

Well, a bit of an update.
School has never closed due to heat before (nor have our previous school) but they've sent out a letter explaining several classrooms were too hot and too many kids
affected by heat for them to just shuffle about to cooler areas. And apparently they are looking into ways to prevent this happening again (shades/blinds/aircon).

My original post was mostly about the planning aspect, so it still stands, but I am at least reassured that the school is providing a bit of logical info. And the kids are v happy about a "sun day" tomorrow!

AIBU to complain on mumsnet simultaneously with getting out the icecream and sprinkles?

OP posts:
justkeepswimmingg · 20/06/2017 17:43

I don't think they are BU tbh. How would you feel if you received a call to say your child had collapsed due to the heat. They may not have great ventilation, fans or air conditioning units, and therefore the buildings are just far too hot.
I'd be pleased that they are taking health and safety seriously. I know it's a pain when you work, but I wouldn't be annoyed with the school, as they will have a policy that they are following. Some people have actually choose to keep their kids off school due to the temperatures. It's fair enough people saying some are over reacting, but others simply cannot bare the heat.

Original poster
Aethelfleda · 20/06/2017 17:45

PS: Mummytime: that's interesting what you say about US "long summer holidays"
Being due to the harsh temperatures in summer. That had never occurred to me, but makes perfect sense!

OP posts:
EyeHalveASpellingChequer · 20/06/2017 17:47

The NUT recommends that schools send pupils home when the temperature reaches 26 C.

Schools are required by law to maintain temperatures inside at a comfortable level. If they can't do that then they may have to send pupils home.

Babbaganush · 20/06/2017 17:48

My son goes to a special school, it is boiling in there and zero shade outside. Leaving doors open and the use of fans is restricted in many classes because of the challenging behaviour and needs of many pupils. Lots of pupils just weren't coping today and were collected early by parents - the head sent a letter home tonight saying that if parents choose to keep there children home during this hot weather there would be no adverse repercussions. A sensible common sense approach, school is open but parents can choose.

bettyboo40 · 20/06/2017 18:10

My classroom was 36 degrees today. I was sweating buckets and kept feeling faint. Impossible to teach as the kids were really hot and restless. I wish they shut my school!

BeaderBird · 20/06/2017 18:22

Let them play in a shady spot of have a water fight? Then the forum would be full of complaints that 'DD came home wet through - I want the school to pay to dry clean his blazer' and such like.

BoneyBackJefferson · 20/06/2017 18:24

Interestingly there was a thread yesterday complaining that the schools were open.

Just goes to show that schools can't win.

JustDanceAddict · 20/06/2017 18:25

Wish mine was - could've gone home! We were all boiling today.

AntiopeofThemyscira · 20/06/2017 18:26

I get so tired of the "well they manage in hot countries" argument. Well yes but they also have air con as standard and kids start school very early and finish by lunchtime just as the full heat of the day is hitting. Also in places like the UAE, they have three month summer school holidays where loads of them go away cooler countries for the duration. In the summer months you'll not see anyone on the streets between certain hours of the day and there are multiple indoor activities set up for kids because they can't be outdoors. Even if people don't have air con and a high standard of living they still take steps to alleviate the discomfort. I don't understand why people are so competitive in Soldiering On through difficult weather conditions in the U.K. I find the sneery get a grip attitudes on here quite puzzling and it makes me wonder if the people doing it don't actually know that much about how people in hot countries manage their lives in that weather.