Should schools be closed at 35°C?

[DancingThroughLife02]

Not really an AIBU but looking ahead at the forecast for next week and it’s looking like a scorcher.

I work in a secondary school in a science classroom (which seems to get extra hot during practicals) and we have no fans or AC or anything at all to keep the children cool. Open windows don’t seem to help much. The thermostat in the classroom got above 30°C in the afternoon.

The children need to have their water bottles filled at break times and lunch times only and are not allowed to fill them during lessons - which I disagree with as so many come to me saying that they didn’t get a chance to fill theirs up in the 20 minute lunch break.

Last week I had children saying they were dizzy and feeling sick, and they’re made to go outside during breaks. I’m also not sure that anything I taught them during the extra hot days actually stuck in anyway as they all seemed melted onto the desks.

I know there is a legal lower temperature limit for classrooms/workplaces but maybe with the increasing summer temperatures over the last few years we need to start considering investing in ACs as the heat in summer seems to be more prolonged than a couple hot days and in the meantime consider health and safety of the students (and teachers as even I was beginning to feel a bit dizzy).

No, they shouldn't.

And, to be frank, I think we all need to learn to live with some hot weather, now and again.

One of my children’s schools just finished this year covering all their roof space in solar and fencing off what field they do have so the children cannot play on it. Long live academies 🤣🤣

My personal opinion is children are treated pretty badly in school. Adults have much more rights than children do. Things said such as. I can't leave the class to get water i can't leave the class to go to the toilet we have to wait till break time as well. But do adults have to wait in long ques ? Based on just the girls toilets dd just told me there are 3 toilets for year 10 and 11 students. Thats for around 180 students. There are 6 water fountains for whole of the school. Do teachers have to que for water?

How many students go without a meal because the ques are to long. If children are on fsm its not as simple as take lunch . Fsm is there for a reason.

Are teachers made to wear awful polyester blazers in the hot weather. Apprently according to schools children can't decided if they are to hot for their blazer. Yes blazer wearing is more relaxed in the hot weather. But its often not put into place until its way to hot.

I'm not saying its teachers fault. Its decisions by people higher up. I'm just saying teachers vs students have to wait can't be compared.

It seems children dont have many rights.
There are many things I have heard about schools that if a parent done them same things social services would be at the door.

Anyway I will be keeping my younger children of school on the very hot days dd has recently left

The PTA does everything via Charity Commission rules. They will not be able to just spend money like that.

Also, the Red Cross and others say not to use fans when it is over 35 degrees anyway (unless they are ceiling fans): https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/heatwaves-uk/advice-and-tips/keep-home-cool

There's an article in the Independent about this. Raises some good points-temperatures used to be lower than now. School buildings are (often) terrible compared to others.
Also education has changed from the Victorian days (even if some school buildings are nearly that old!) where children sat still and were quiet. Classroom atmospheres aren't the same, plus more parents wfh these days, so there isn't the same need for them all to go in, high school anyway.
I see no sense in any workers/students having a minimum temperature without also having a maximum.

You are being negative, and there are ways to make it less difficult. This was 2years ago at my daughters primary school, I ran the fundraising committee and bought very strong fans from Macro and was paid back by cheque from the pta, same way I was paid for food and drink purchased for school events, or entertainers booked etc, Things are only as difficult as you make them sometimes, there might be 10 rooms on the 3rd floor of the OPs school that would benefit from some black out curtains put up with velcro and and fans bought and PAT tested. It could make a huge difference.

No need to close. It's not that hot. Take a couple of large bottles of water into each class with you.

Make sure all dcs are wearing summer uniform, ie shorts and a short sleeve shirt. Open windows wherever possible.
Avoid lessons that are too energetic.

Are you paying? Some schools are struggling paying staff

Not sure I want schools to close either, but do you really consider 37 to be 'not that hot? Also not sure the 1-2 inch of opening window will make much difference

We were able, and we did!..

• Chair and Treasurer can approve routine spending up to £100–£500.
• Committee approval required for spending above £500–£1,000.
• Full membership approval (at a committee meeting, AGM or EGM) for larger projects, often £2,000–£10,000+.

Some PTAs have no fixed monetary thresholds at all and simply require all significant expenditure to be approved by the committee.

The children have proportionally more toilets than the adults at our school.

We have access to the staffroom at lunchtime where there is a tap. Other than that, I don't have any more access than the children to drinking water. Also, I can't leave my room so have to ask a child to fill my bottle when they are filling theirs. I will take several in this week.

I obviously can't leave the class to go to the toilet either as then the children would be unattended?

On hot days, I encourage children to take off their blazers as soon as they arrive.

I am not aware of any child missing out on lunches due to the queues. I wait with my class (even though it is my lunchbreak) to check they are all fed anyway.

I would say all the above is pretty usual? Sorry to hear you have had a bad experience.

We've just had a message (yes on a Sunday) graciously granting pupils permission not to wear blazers this week. DS will ignore this - he's a creature if habit and has pockets full of "essentials". It's mock exams for 2 weeks.

Shorts and short sleeves shirts are not allowed in secondary their idea of "summer uniform" is blazer but no jumper your still expected in tights skirt long sleeve blouse and blazer and tie

YABU OP.
Would impact on children's education.
What about staff working in kitchens, health care staff providing care in environments with same conditions?

Trust me I’ll do my best to deliver normal lessons but they won’t be learning much this week seeing as their heads will be slumped on desks the same way they were on Friday. No real education taking place this well that’s for sure.

That's good news for your school! Our PTA thresholds are a bit different. (anyway, I am not the Headteacher so couldn't decide to ask for the money anyway).

No. It’s no cooler at home and parents still have to work.

It is cooler in many homes

We were extremely lucky at that school and worked closely with the head and teaching staff, very different now my children are at secondary school. I can't imagine teaching in a room with big glass windows (as all the classrooms I can think of have), no blinds, no fans, and very little ventilation. It's far cooler in my house, and I find the heat tiring.

In what world is 39 degrees not that hot? That would be too hot for me on holiday around a pool all day.

Our primary divest have a pta. The old school fund raised loads with lots of events but the new school nothing.

With respect, I am just a class teacher. I am neither the headteacher nor on the PTA. I do not manage the PTA spending priorities or activities.

I do have some historic knowledge about how tight the thresholds are and it was because the school wanted the PTA spending to be managed very carefully. In a large school, there can be quite big sums involved and also a lot of competing ideas about what to spend it on.

I have air conditioning at home so it will be cooler. We also have a paddling pool and unlimited access to water. They are also not surrounded by at least 30 other people trying to learn.

Will Ofsted be likely to still carry out visits this coming week do you think? That could be so dreadful for teachers just trying to get their kids (and themselves) through the day.

Exactly the same here, @bigfacthunter! I've never been a sunbather because ten minutes in the direct sunlight and I have a headache. I've missed out on daytrips when abroad because the heat gives me a stomach upset. Anything much over 23C is hell for me. And I never, ever get the SAD blues in the winter.

I was not built to cope with this weather AT ALL. My natural environment is around the position of Helsinki - which is 18 or 19C next week, which is more like it!