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).

Technically I could let them out but they’d get a 60 minute detention if they’re caught - I try to keep a big bottle of water in my room to allow them to fill up if needed but it honestly gets really warm and I run out of water myself. I doubt we’re the only school like this - albeit it’s not very good but unfortunately teachers don’t have the power to change that.

Fair enough - I thought it was 30 mins but perhaps I'm out of date. Workers (and schoolchildrens) rights just get chipped away at.

Every classroom should have 1-2 fans, children should also bring in their own mini fans and use them sensibly

No
But accommodations should be made, fans, indoor breaks, being allowed to wear shorts and no jumpers, extra water breaks.
Maybe lay off the Bunsen burners!
Your school sounds a bit like a prison tbh, why can’t you let them get water during the lesson?!

Please clarify your final sentence. As a teacher, I deeply resent your assertion that teachers “cant be arsed” (sic).

The OP is clearly trying to do his/her/their best under challenging circumstances, but the rigid rules which have been imposed by the Academy makes this really difficult. Perhaps if the OP had reworded the title to add “with the shoddy buildings which are clearly unsuitable for a changing climate”, you might have more sympathy for them.

OP, your school sounds awful. I use my discretion and allow students to fill up water bottles - generally they will take a handful including mine! Our lunch break is longer so they do get time to do this, use the toilet, have lunch and get some fresh air. We also have a couple of buildings which have air con, so those students who really struggle can go and cool down. In my main subject (Music) at KS3 we have included units which we can teach outside if we want to. I simply phone reception and say we’ll be in x location if anyone needs us (large rural school site with lots of shade). My SLT trusts me to do my job without regular scrutiny and my results in 2 subjects prove that. Zero learning walks in the last 2 years!

It literally has nothing to do with us 'not being arsed'.

My school day starts at 8, we get 20 minutes first break (bell rings at 10.45 to start break and 11.05 to end break) and 20 minutes lunch break (bell rings at 1.05 to start break and 1.25 to end break). Final school bell is 3.15. I'm teaching, on my feet, in a stifling classroom, from 8 in the morning to 3.15 in the afternoon - so roughly 7 hours, more actually because I arrive before and leave after. During this time, I regularly do about 15,000 steps - so roughly 7 miles just in school.

In other words, you seem to be saying that I'm just lazy if I'm concerned about walking one mile every hour in temperatures exceeding 40 degrees - because that's how hot classrooms get. Over period of 4 days, I'll have done the equivalent of running a marathon in these temperatures. Sure, yeah.

They’ll feel the same heat at home so no they shouldn’t close schools. Keep hydrated, stay in the shade etc.

I think the uniform policy should be relaxed when it's hot.
My dd is at secondary school and the only change they make is that they can wear their pe top instead of shirt and tie but still have to wear the skirt and blazer.
The pe top is thicker than the school shirt so it's pointless.

Meanwhile the teacher sits in a lovely cool, floaty summer dress with a desk fan pointing at her.

My DSs school has 20 minutes for lunch. He sometimes brings food back as he says he had no time to finish it (he has packed lunch).

Also, I hope they would allow kids not to wear fucking blazers...

We are on enrichment next week so will be more relaxed but I would get an absolute bollocking and labelled lazy if I put a film on or took them outside l.

@moltopianissimoA Learning Walk is where the senior leadership team watch you teach and give you feedback afterwards.

The buildings are built for them. Our new building was designed by some fuckwit who decided south facing almost floor to ceiling windows were wonderful and skipped the Aircon for some ridiculous cooling system that doesn't work. The rooms go hotter than outside.

Haven’t rtt but have you thought of keeping large bottles of water (could be refilled empty 2l of Coke bottles or cheap table water from supermarket) in the classroom in a chill bag to top up those that need it in class? You would need to refill everyday with fresh tap water.

Have you queried with the school why teachers can wear weather appropriate clothing but not the pupils? DT’s school was non uniform so they wore shorts and T-shirts all summer.

What happens is one kid says 'can I go fill up my bottle' and if you say yes immediately 15 other hands shoot up and ask to fill their. Kids deliberately gulp an entire bottle and then ask to go. So you say that only one person can go then the other kids try to hand him their bottle so he struggles out of the door with an armful of bottles, then takes 30 minutes to come back, then there is huge disruption as the bottles get redistributed.

OR your entire lesson is just one long relay race of kids going to fill their bottle, and you end up with chaos in the corridors as they all meet up for an extra break time.

Kids don't want to be in the classroom anyway because it's too hot.

They should fill their bottles at break and between lessons and sip their water, not down the whole lot in the first five minutes.

We get “learning walked” twice a week by different members of staff and are encouraged to “drop in” and leave feedback on each other. How I wish I could give the children “down” lessons when I know it’s not benefitting them to learn about mitosis in 35°C heat but we’re told to teach until the last day. I think my school is particularly strict for sure but I know it’s not the only one and us teachers are left dealing with hot, grumpy, dizzy kids.

Exactly.

My classroom is significantly hotter than it is both outside, and in my house. Because my house doesn't contain 32 sweaty kids and one sweaty teacher in extremely close quarters.

20 mins is not illegal. It’s the legal minimum if someone works more than 6 hrs.

in answer to the OP no of course they shouldn’t close but the school should mane sensible adaptations for the weather, including allowing water to be filled up and relaxing uniform policy

Does that make you feel angry @SquareSweetsThatLookRound? Teaching outside (properly planned) should be applauded, not considered lazy!

Usually in schools with a short lunch break, the year groups are staggered so all the pupils aren't trying to get lunch at the same time.

My daughter's one of the lucky ones and has air con in her classroom, otherwise I'd have no qualms letting her stay home.

If they are hot they are going to drink more - any additional time for filling up their water bottles and toilet breaks should be accommodated in the hot weather. Why not try and find a cooler part of the building or somewhere outside in the shade and adjust lessons for the few days when it’s hot.

Guess what, apparently we are not cancelling/postponing our Sports Day on Tuesday (primary school), Huge open field, no shade, 15 min walk back to school/toilets.

That's going to go well!!

But the UK isn't a hot country, it gets a few hot days a year.

I do agree that uniforms need updating however.