AIBU to think school should re think the half day closure?

[Letbartletbebartlett]

I’ve copied below the message we just received from school. AIBU to think they should re think having the kids in until midday and then expect them to travel home - hottest part of the day? (It’s a senior school.)

Last night we had a message to say PE Kits all week, which was welcomed. The weather warning was still Amber then.

But now our area is in the middle of the upgraded red warning.

More or less 40 degree heat.

The school is semi rural. Most kids travel in by various school buses or by train - station is 10 mins walk from school.

So based on this, on Wednesday (Concertina Day) rather than use the now tried and tested method of TEAMs teaching, the kids are going into school in the morning and travelling home in the height of the mid day sun. When the red warning means often transport will be disrupted.

Or parents will be picking up, on a day when we’re told to only travel if necessary.

I realise school is necessary but surely, common sense should prevail? Surely they are better at home with less bodies so less heat?

And don’t get me started on the fixed time they have to fill up water bottles in a heat wave. I realise kids can be shits and the messing about must be awful/time consuming/frustrating and just rude, but I think sticking to the same rigid times for filling up water in 40 degrees as it is when it’s 0 degrees is poor.

The message …

Dear Parents and Carers,

Following our message on Friday - an update on our hot weather preparations. Students are expected to attend school as normal and we are making adjustments to support students during the next few days.

A reminder, due to our concertina day this Wednesday we finish at 1pm on this day for students as previously advised.

• Students are permitted to wear PE kits in school until further notice. We expect this to be until Friday the 26th of June. We will update you when this changes.

• We are providing more indoor spaces at lunch time for students to eat comfortably and shelter from the sun.

• Strenuous activities like football will not be permitted at lunch time for a small number of days to avoid the risk of heat related exhaustion.

• PE, Science and Food are adapting their lessons to minimise the impact of heat - and some alternative rooms are being used in the school for our classrooms most exposed to the heat to make students and staff as comfortable as possible.

• Please ensure your child has bottled water - they can fill this up at the start of the day, break and lunch.

Thank you for your time

What is Concertina Day? I’ve googled and it gave me date in February celebrating the inventor of the concertina instrument . Does it being this day make a difference with the heat?

Ha ha! I’d never heard of it before either. It’s a half day!

Yawn

😂 they shorten each lesson so they don't miss too much content

Heat or no heat I don't see the point in a half day especially when you've got to travel by train school. Why not combine two half days then actually have a day off?

Because you have to open, even for a shorter day, unless it's an emergency. You can get fined for a school closure deemed unnecessary.

But I don't understand, why is it a half day anyway? Is this a one-off or does it happen on Wednesday every week? And why is shortening the lessons described as a concertina when concertinas go in and out?

Our school is doing half day tomorrow and home learning wed & thurs.

3-4pm is going to be hotter than 1pm.

If you think it will be too hot though, keep your kid at home? You are the parent.

Then what's your problem with the water thing? They can fill up two bottles, twice in four hours. And the size of bottles that kids take to school is ridiculous. There's really no need for those huge water flasks.

They don’t have huge bottles, not Stanley type. Metal water bottles that hold maybe 500ml in each. They take two now because of the problems / lac, of water fountains.

Not every week no, although every Wed, the day starts 30 mins later (but finishes at usual time). Tbh, I didn’t actually no the6 shortened the lessons although that would make more sense with the name. I’m pretty sure my kids have only ever taken in what they need for the first 4 hours. But I may be wrong!

Sensible. Although no doubt some parents will complain.

There's an obvious solution....

If it’s a planned half day then I don’t think they should have to change it at the last minute and cancel whatever the staff were meant to be doing in the afternoon. It’s going to be just as hot at 3pm as it is at 1pm.

As for water, if they start the day with a full bottle then fill it twice more that’s 1.5l which is plenty for a six hour period even in the heat! Drinking masses of water without electrolyte replacement is just as dangerous as not drinking enough.

YABU.
School are being sensible & closing early (lunchtime) to avoid students having to travel home over the hottest part of the day (3-5pm).

Wasn't this hot in the 70s though was it?

I read this earlier...
theconversation.com/the-dangers-of-romanticising-britains-1976-heatwave-260046

Goodness, if only I have thought of that. Or indeed tried it!

I still don't get this obsession with children having to sip from water bottles all the time, but given that is how it is, could people not fill up extra empty water bottles, put them in the fridge and give the child an extra 2 or 3 bottles for school?

My DCs primary school have said they can leave at 2pm if we want to pick them up. They won't allow them to leave on their own at 2pm (yr 5 and 6 who can walk home) as this would be irresponsible in the heat. However they can walk home alone at 3.30, when it will be 2 degrees hotter than 2pm. Possibly though there may be more shade, which may make it feel more bearable.

Go for it.

Trying to not go off on a rant here but….

Just had to pick our daughter up from school as she was nearly passing out with heat exhaustion.

The secondary school my daughter is in is an old and is absolutely unbearably hot during the summer months despite the school following the guidelines of you can wear your pe kit etc

Why isn’t there a sports drinks machines available in reception like we used to have back when I was in school. Does anyone else’s school have them or is it just ours? They don’t have enough fans to cool the school either is absolutely stifling, I feel so sorry for the staff who have to go in to work in this heat to.

I disagree that 1pm is he hottest part of the day. 3-6pm is the worst in my opinion

It was colder in the winter, though, and many didn't have central heating.