Nursery closing on Monday due to heat

[MumofSpud]

GDC’s nursery is closed on Monday due- reason being the heat. They will be open on Tuesday til 12 (instead of 3).
This was emailed to parents on Friday.
My AIBU is - the nursery is in a hall (trees all around and in a park so outside space and shady outside areas if needed. So why does it need to close!

Are there no upper limits to nursery temperatures for children in the UK?

How is a paddling pool gonna help a six month old baby

Clearly that's for older toddlers. A nursery has all the same options a parent does to cool down little ones, they can sponge water from the paddling pool over little ones to help them cool.

The uk is a temperate country, its really not unsafe for babies here to attend nursery on a hot day.

@JenniferBooth they fill it with a small amount and let them splash about

It’s annoying but I’d be thankful the nursery was thinking of the kids and the staff and made the decision with them in mind.

I would have been able to take emergency carers leave when mind were in nursery and would have been ok with it, knowing I could look after my dc and make sure they were as comfortable as possible in the heat.

My living room won't have 32 people in it, it's definitely more comfortable at home than in my classroom at work.

Okay so you can in your specific living circumstances, it hardly means “you can put shutters up in the UK”. Most people could install a shutter any day they want.

There isn’t really an upper temperature limit for anything in the UK.
There is guidance on minimum temps but nothing for upper.

I hope that you get a refund… another Monday!

I think you're really underestimating the challenge the staff face with ensuring all chukdren are hydrated/okay etc. Yes, it's not ideal but if you don't trust their judgement, I'd say you might need to find another nursery.

Ours closed a couple of years ago, and it was completely understandable and much simpler for me to keep the children barely dressed at home and in an outdoor splash pool. Safeguarding wouldn't allow children to strip off. Plus water safety etc.

What kind of nursery is 'in a hall'? Is it more like a playgroup or preschool type situation? Either way doesn't sound likely to have air con so they're being cautious. Heatstroke is no joke (I had a child get this at school) so I"m glad they're putting the responsibility onto the parents.

This sounds annoying but then if they di not feel confident re keeping children safe in the heat then you surely wouldn't want your children there .

Given that babies' bodies aren't sufficiently developed to regulate temperature fully, and the potential dangers for them being too hot for too long, nurseries do need to think about whether they will be safe on their premises. It's prudent to have air conditioning in place, particularly for the room where they sleep.

I can understand closing depending on the design of the building. What I think is not good is leaving it until Friday and not earlier given the longer duration of weather forecasts in recent years.

It's pretty poor. I'd be expecting a refund.

Nurseries in buildings with heat issues really need to purchase a few portable AC units - I imagine it would pretty quickly work out cheaper than refunding multiple parents for their failure to invest in appropriate infrastructure.

Where would a setting in a hall keep portable AC units though? Usually everything has to pack away into a cupboard.

It does seem like late notice but maybe they were hoping to stay open, but this week they realised the heat in the hall was getting unsafe even in high 20s temperatures.

And the parents have to be in work - not all jobs can be done from home. At short notice parents have to find alternative childcare.

I understand the frustration, but if they feel unable to keep the children safe it is far better that they tell you that

Is the outside space secure @MumofSpud

Early 30s temperature days seem to be increasingly common each summer so longterm there needs to be a solution.

Wish my kids school would be this sensible. Kids shouldn’t be stuck at nursery / school
when its 30c +

I'd say Friday was the earliest they could call it, given how frequently the forecast changes day-to-day! Sunday evening would be short notice. I imagine they felt pressured to make a decision on Friday so parents could make plans.

Agreed.

It's rare for UK buildings to be bearable in these temperatures. My son's school will be BOILING tomorrow.

Agree with others upthread. This is no longer an unusual event. They need to prepare properly. Nursery staff should not be made to work in greenhouse style buildings, as a PP mentioned. The nursery owner needs to make sure their building is fit for purpose in all weathers.

So who do they suggest takes care of the children? The flower fairies? As last time I checked, most of us have to go into work, heat or no heat.
I'd love to say to the kids come on let's sack it off and head to the beach but sadly can't.