To think schools should shut in 30' heat

[dragonflyglaze]

I'm a TA in an Infant School in the South East, we break up next Thurs. This week has been tough, the little ones can't cope in the heat and as much as we try and keep them indoors, hydrated etc some of them are just not coping. Never mind the staff who are doing their best to support the children whilst slowly melting.
Next week we are forecast to hit 30' and there's an extreme weather warning. We have to close if its too cold e.g. heating not working, or too windy. I can't understand why there's no rule for extreme heat.

surely parents trump the school when it comes to the health of your children and that shorts and T-shirt with a hat is the way forward. If not, why aren’t you challenging the school, governors etc

Well, quite. people bleat about parent-school agreements "well you signed it" - yes, and people don't get to choose their school, it's allocated, and they probably don't know if a school has ridiculous school uniform rules until they accept a place anyway. My son's school didn't have blazers, but if it had, or if there had been any suggestion that kids had to ask permission to take their jumpers off, I would have had words with those in charge.

Sadly with academies, there is little accountability and it's difficult to challenge. But LA schools have a bit more accountability and routes for complaints.

I live in a flat a

Hmm maybe not 30 degree but 35 like it’s looking to be next week, yes they should close. Or school hours change as others have suggested! And I also agree school holidays should start earlier.

Start again....I live in a flat and it is no cooler, working from home and melting and it's near 30 in here and will be unbearable soon so being home would be no different.

Let kids wear non school uniform, poss sit outside. I know money is tight but fans or small aircon units?

They were all bloody freezing when covid meant have all the doors open etc.

I havent RTFT bit we were talking about this at work today - some nurseries plan to close. We're saying our homes will be just as hot, maybe hotter and also it means unable to work as unplanned childcare is needed. I think don't close schools but be more relaxed about clothing rules and accept deviation from lesson plans and instead find more suitable activities for the weather

I haven’t RTFT but when I was at school in Germany we used to get the day off in hot weather (Hitzefrei) I can’t remember whether there was a specific number like 30C though.

I would immediately collect my child if they were so hot and distressed that they were unwell. A heatwave does not automatically mean my child is hot and distressed.

@Merrylegs456 I'm in the south east. Near Reading

@TuftyMarmoset in Germany did fewer mothers work? Or what happened with childcare?

@antelopevalley I don’t know the statistics on working mothers but the school day finishes much earlier in Germany as well, like usually around 1-1.30pm. Which is also good for avoiding the heat but does make childcare trickier during primary school. If the schools are off due to heat then a lot of workplaces close as well anyway, definitely there are laws about the temperature in factories.

I[m in Spain. How do you think my DD copes EVERY BLOODY YEAR? The teachers too.

Life goes on

Get a grip

I grew up in Australia, where it can hit 40+. School was never cancelled even then and I don’t recall being too badly affected (although water fights were popular at lunchtime). There was no AC.

Agreeing with @Bonheurdupasse

I’m British with milk-white skin that burns and a tendency towards heat rash and prickly heat, I can tell you I’m not acclimatised to 26 degrees at night either, not sure what’s macho bragging about that 😂

Wow. I thought UK is a developed country. That sounds pretty third world

Modify the hours - 8-12?
it’s too hot for small kids

Have you ever been abroad?
or come back to the uk from abroad when it’s a similar heat here? The heat here feels different and not in a good way.
You hear people from hot climates taking the piss out of us brits for not coping in this heat, until they visit here and experience it and eat their words.

Also @GreenestValley the kids at school in regularly hot climates will mostly be sat in air conditioned classrooms as well.

@ILikeHotWaterBottles

air con, sea breeze, swimming pool at your disposal.
also just generally this sort of heat abroad doesn’t feel as bad as it does here.

I doubt there is much care for the children here and just school staff not wanting to work in the heat. It seems whatever happens the first thing they say is 'close the schools'. Children will be just as hot at home.

(and to clarify my DC are already broken up so not just wanting my kids in school at all costs).

You really think a child sat in a classroom with 29 others and 2 adults all roasting hot is going to be the same level as hot at home with their families with a fan?

I have dd ( reception , aged 5) home today as she collapsed and vomited on way home from school yesterday. I believe she had heat exhaustion. She won't be going back until I have had the head teacher call me back ( I've made a request) to reassure me that school are taking measures to ensure kids aren't overheating from now on. If I'm not reassured , both my DC will stay home. To the posters saying other countries manage, I grew up and was schooled in the middle East. Their schools and school day looked nothing like ours. We started before 8 am and were done before 1, everything closed at 1pm for a couple hours. Also the play areas were shaded, and the floors tiled, with air con throughout.

So apparently a met office spokesperson has said that the heat feels harsher here due to higher humidity.
If humidity is high, it is harder for the human body to keep cool as your sweat doesn't evaporate as fast.

Hence why we cope better abroad, plus the conditions abroad because it’s a more common occurrence - air conditioning everywhere, tiled floors, different building materials. Everything in the UK is made to protect us in cold weather.

That’s disgraceful.

my kids primary haven’t even kept them indoors. They’ve been playing outside and the school hasn’t even told them to reapply their suncream (both lower primary, one reception)
absolutely appalled at the school for this.

Throw away remarks about teachers not caring are so frustrating. I've worked in schools (various roles but not a teacher myself) for over a decade. Most teachers I've met care deeply about their children. It certainly isn't the pay that sees them through extremely long days with work to take home on top.