‘Internal temperatures within the building are now exceeding external temperatures and we are unable to maintain a safe environment for pupils and staff’ is message sent to parents of one Croydon school
Schools in Croydon and Sutton are among nearly 1,000 across England and Wales which have decided to close today and tomorrow, or adjust their hours to cope with the Red heat warning that has been issued by the Met Office.
A Red heat weather warning, the most severe level of alert, meaning the weather could bring a risk to life, came into force at 9am today.
The heatwave temperatures could reach at least 38C in some parts of south-east England and London – that’s 100F. Some forecasts say the mercury could top 40C – breaking all records for heat in June.
When temperatures top 30C, farmers are advised to stop transporting cattle and sheep to protect animal welfare. There’s no equivalent upper temperature limit on when you should stop putting children in classrooms.
Under Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, employers have a legal duty to their staff to ensure temperatures are “reasonable” – which for office workers is generally pitched at 30C. And many more offices have aircon than schools.
Off the back of the covid years, many teaching staff remain concerned about their pupils losing teaching time. Many parents, meanwhile, remain concerned about having to take time off work for unscheduled childcare when their kids are off school.
There has been little or no leadership from Whitehall about how schools should respond, leaving individual headteachers to take unilateral decisions.
Cooling off period: special school Bensham Manor has made special arrangements
According to the BBC, there are 578 full or partial closures of schools in England, though that is only based on a trawl through council websites which may not have complete details of schools which have to close unexpectedly due to extreme weather.
Lots of schools are also part of multi-academy trusts, which may not appear on council lists if they’re closed.
Most secondary schools have now finished the annual round of public exams – GCSEs and A-levels – meaning that two of their seven years groups (where a school has a Sixth Form) are already on exam leave.
Some of the adaptations suggested for continuing going to school in the heatwave have been a tad eccentric. One school is reported to have eased its uniform rules, saying pupils can dispense with ties and jackets – yet they still need to bring their jacket with them to school.
Other schools have told pupils they can wear PE kit rather than full school uniform. Many after-school clubs and trips have also been cancelled.
At Bensham Manor Secondary in Croydon, which includes many SEND – special educational needs and siabilities – children, they announced on Monday that they will be closed today and tomorrow (June 24 and 25) “due to exceptionally high temperatures and continued extreme weather conditions”.
A note to parents said: “Despite implementing a range of measures to reduce heat levels, internal temperatures within the building are now exceeding external temperatures and we are unable to maintain a safe environment for pupils and staff.
“As many of our pupils have complex medical needs and travel via school transport, the risks associated with extreme heat are significantly increased.”
The note suggested a hope that school life will return to normal from Friday.
Archbishop Tenison’s High School is closing at 12.45pm today and tomorrow.
According to a report in the Standard, headteacher Richard Parrish wrote to parents: “From Tuesday to Thursday pupils should come to school in their PE kit, without having to wear a blazer, but with pens and equipment for lessons and with their fobs for the school canteen.
“On Wednesday and Thursday, when the temperature will be hottest, we will have lunch earlier during Period 4 (at 12.05pm). After lunch, pupils will go to their Form Room, to be registered and accompanied from there by their Form Tutor to the gate for dismissal at 12.45pm.”
Exams for Year 10 – 14- and 15-year-olds – have been postponed until next week, while other activities, such as an art exhibition, have been cancelled.
At Cheam High School in Sutton, their 2,000 pupils will be expected to attend school but for shorter days until Friday. The school website even offers advice about filling water bottles and using sunscreen.
“We are going to run compressed days from 8.30am to 1.10pm from Tuesday. This will ensure that students will still have five lessons each day, although each lesson will be slightly shorter. This will mean that they will not have to be out at lunchtime in the heat but disruption to their education will be minimised.” And school dinners are still being provided for those who want it.
Adopting an earlier start and finish to the school day – as has been the practice for many European schools for decades – has also been the policy at Oaks Park High School, which will close from 12.20pm today and tomorrow, and at All Saints Benhilton Primary School, while children will be finishing their school day at 1.15pm for the rest of this week.
- What special arrangements has your children’s school taken for the hot weaather? What impact have the re-arrangements had on your family or work life? Email Inside Croydon at inside.croydon@btinternet.com with your take (your confidentiality will be maintained if you wish), together with any letters you have received from the school
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