London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 06, 2025

Heatwave: Schools to close or let children wear PE kit to keep cool

Heatwave: Schools to close or let children wear PE kit to keep cool

A number of schools are closing next week and others are ditching uniforms, as temperatures in parts of the UK are predicted to hit 40C (104F).

A national emergency has been declared after a red extreme heat warning was issued for Monday and Tuesday.

Schools are not being ordered to shut, but are being encouraged to take steps to ensure pupils are safe.

Teachers say schools will need to judge whether or not to fully or partially close in some instances.

But one teaching union said widespread closures were "unlikely at this stage".

Simon Kidwell, head teacher at Hartford Manor Primary School and Nursery in Cheshire, told the BBC he had advised parents to send children to school in cool clothes to prevent overheating.

"Uniform policy is out of the window for Monday and Tuesday," he said.

"Polo shirts aren't always the lightest weight so just making sure that they can wear their clothes which are the coolest and which feel most comfortable."

He said he was "lucky" and did not have to consider closing, because classes could rotate around air-conditioned rooms, and there was lots of shade outside.

A number of local authorities, including Somerset County Council and Portsmouth City Council, told the BBC they were not expecting closures.

Head teachers in North Northamptonshire "have the discretion to close their school if they deem it necessary", while Cambridgeshire County Council told the BBC it had asked schools "to do all they can to remain open with the appropriate adjustments".

However, some schools have taken the decision to close altogether on Monday and Tuesday.

They include Dr Challoner's High School in Buckinghamshire, where head teacher Alan Roe said many classrooms "are very uncomfortable" even when temperatures are about 25C.

Kemnal Technology College in Sidcup, Kent, called the decision to close "unprecedented".

It told parents that work would be set remotely and that a few members of staff would keep the school open for parents with no childcare alternatives.

Other schools have adapted opening hours and rescheduled sports days.

In advice issued for England, the Department for Education said school leaders should "make sure they take any steps necessary to make sure children are safe and comfortable".

That includes avoiding lessons that involve "vigorous physical activity" and suggesting pupils wear loose, light-coloured clothing with sun hats.

Schools are also advised to provide children with plenty of water.

It said there was no temperature at which schools have to shut by law, but temperatures should be "reasonable".

Similar advice has been issued in Wales.


The NEU teaching union has also suggested using less heat-generating equipment - such as computers and ovens - and adapting school lunch menus.

Kevin Courtney, its joint general secretary, said that "in some cases, heads may decide that their school needs to close fully or partially during the red weather warning".

"Head teachers will be... using their professional judgment to cancel or reschedule any activities involving strenuous exercise, so as to protect children and staff," he said.

James Bowen, director of policy for school leaders' union NAHT, said "widespread closures would seem unlikely at this stage" and would be "a last resort".

He added that ventilation should be improved in school buildings as the UK experiences warmer summers - an issue brought to the fore in the pandemic.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
×