As the UK braces for a historic heatwave with temperatures soaring up to 38C, over 75 schools across England have announced early closures to safeguard students and staff. The Met Office has issued a Red Extreme Heat Warning for Wednesday and Thursday, forecasting the breaking of June’s all-time daily temperature record.
Responsibility for deciding school openings lies with each individual school rather than local authorities, according to the Department for Education. Nonetheless, the department has advised schools and early years settings to review measures to protect pupils and staff during extreme heat spells.
Hampshire County Council has provided schools with general advice on keeping buildings and students cool but emphasized that closures remain a school-level decision. Among those taking precautionary action, the Maiden Erlegh Trust in Berkshire will close schools at 1:30 pm on Tuesday and remain shut until Friday, prioritizing health and safety despite the inconvenience to families.
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St Birinus School in Didcot will end the day early at 12:15 pm from Tuesday to Thursday to ensure safety in these unprecedented heat conditions. Similarly, Henry Box School in Witney will close at 11:30 am on Wednesday, with headteacher Wendy Hemmingsley highlighting that rising temperatures compromise the comfort of learning environments.
Several other schools in southern England are following suit with early finishes and partial or full closures, including:
- Sydenham School, London
- Cranbourne School, Basingstoke
- Eggar’s School, Alton
- Grateley Primary School, Grateley
- Swanmore College, Swanmore
- Cheam High School, Surrey
- Reading School, Reading
- The Willows Primary School, Newbury
- Oaks Park High School, Sutton, South London
Many primary and secondary schools in Oxfordshire, Somerset, Surrey, and other counties have implemented either partial or full closures amid escalating temperatures.
These unprecedented early closures underscore the serious impact of extreme weather on educational settings as schools prioritize health and safety in anticipation of this intense heatwave.