Will Schools Close If Too Hot? What Parents Need To Know As Britain Faces 38C June Heatwave

Will schools close if too hot? That is the question facing parents, teachers and headteachers across England and Wales as a severe June heatwave pushes classroom temperatures towards levels that unions say can make learning difficult and, in some buildings, unsafe. The Met Office has warned of extreme heat from Monday to Thursday, with temperatures widely exceeding 35C and expected to reach up to 38C in southern parts of England, leaving schools to manage packed classrooms, warm playgrounds, PE lessons, exam routines and children who may be more vulnerable to heat stress, The WP Times reports.

The official answer is not a simple yes. There is no automatic national temperature at which schools in England must close, and the Department for Education does not normally advise closure during hot weather because attendance remains central to learning. But schools are expected to carry out risk assessments, adapt the school day, relax uniform rules where needed, reduce strenuous activity, improve ventilation, move pupils away from the hottest rooms and act quickly if children or staff show signs of heat exhaustion. The result is a local decision-making system: most schools are likely to remain open, but some may shorten the day, move classes, cancel outdoor activities or, in exceptional cases, close if leaders judge that conditions cannot be managed safely.

Will schools close if too hot in the UK

Schools in the UK do not close automatically when outdoor temperatures reach 30C, 35C or even 38C. The Department for Education’s current position is that schools should usually stay open during hot weather, provided leaders can keep children safe and comfortable. That means parents should not assume a heatwave will bring a day off in the same way that heavy snow sometimes disrupts transport and access. In practice, a school closure would usually depend on local conditions: the design of the building, the temperature inside classrooms, access to water, the ability to move pupils to cooler spaces and the health needs of children and staff. A modern building with shaded classrooms and good airflow may cope very differently from an older block with west-facing windows, dark roofing, limited ventilation and no cooling system.

The key point for parents is that closure is a last resort, not the default response. A school may stay open but change how the day works. It may cancel PE, move assemblies, stop outdoor break in direct sun, allow pupils to wear PE kit, remove ties and blazers from uniform rules, encourage water bottles on desks or move lessons into halls, libraries or ground-floor rooms. Some schools may ask parents to apply sunscreen before the school run or send children with a hat. Others may organise shaded lunch areas, reduce movement between buildings or check more frequently on pupils with medical needs.

What parents should expect from schools during heatwave conditions

Parents should expect practical changes rather than instant closure. The school should tell families what uniform changes are allowed, whether PE is cancelled, what pupils should bring and how the school is managing vulnerable children. Communication matters because heat risk can change quickly across the day, especially when classrooms warm up after lunchtime.

Typical measures include:

For working parents, the most important message is to check emails, school apps and text alerts early in the morning and again before the afternoon pick-up. A full closure may be unlikely, but a partial change to the timetable can still affect family arrangements.

What temperature do schools close in the UK?

There is no legal maximum classroom temperature in UK law that forces schools to close. This is the central reason the question causes confusion every time Britain enters a serious heatwave. Workplace rules require employers to manage health and safety risks, but they do not set a single upper temperature limit for classrooms. The National Education Union argues that 26C should be treated as the maximum indoor working temperature for schools, while the Climate Change Committee has recommended that learning environments should remain between 16C and 25C as part of long-term climate adaptation. Those figures are important, but they are not the same as a statutory closure trigger.

That means a classroom can become uncomfortably hot without automatically creating a legal duty to shut the school. The responsibility falls on school leaders, academy trusts, local authorities and governing bodies to assess the risk. They must consider whether the heat is causing illness, whether children can concentrate, whether staff can work safely and whether the building can be cooled by reasonable measures. If the answer is no, leaders may decide that some rooms should not be used, that certain activities should stop, or that the school should close temporarily.

Why classroom heat is different from outdoor temperature

Outdoor temperature is only part of the story. A forecast of 35C may produce very different conditions inside two schools only a few miles apart. One classroom may stay bearable because it is shaded, well ventilated and used early in the day. Another may become oppressive because it faces west, has poor airflow, sits under a dark roof or contains many pupils and computers.

The practical risk rises when several factors combine:

• high outdoor temperatures for several days;
• warm nights that stop buildings cooling down;
• direct sun on windows and roofs;
• crowded classrooms with limited ventilation;
• children unable to refill water easily;
• long assemblies, exams or PE lessons;
• pupils with medical needs, disabilities or heat sensitivity;
• staff expected to teach for hours in rooms above comfortable working levels.

This is why parents may see one school remain open while another nearby school changes its timetable. The decision is not only about the number on a weather app; it is about the real temperature inside learning spaces and whether the school can reduce the risk.

School closures due to heat: what DfE advice means for parents

The Department for Education’s guidance is clear in tone: schools are not normally advised to close because of hot weather. The reason is that attendance is still considered the best way for pupils to learn and reach their potential, and most hot-weather risks can usually be managed. However, that does not mean schools should ignore the heat. The guidance places responsibility on leaders to take reasonable steps so children remain safe and comfortable. In a severe heatwave, that can mean changing routines throughout the day rather than simply carrying on as normal.

For parents, the practical meaning is this: assume the school is open unless the school tells you otherwise. Do not keep a child home simply because the forecast looks high unless there is a specific health reason or direct advice from the school or a medical professional. At the same time, parents should prepare children properly. A refillable water bottle, lighter permitted clothing, sunscreen before leaving home and a hat for outdoor time can make a real difference. Younger children may need reminders to drink because they often wait until they feel unwell.

What schools should do before closing

Before any closure, schools are expected to consider reasonable adaptations. These may include moving lessons, changing break times, avoiding direct sun and reducing activity. In some cases, the safest option may be to use only part of a site or to close specific areas of the building rather than shutting the whole school.

A serious heat plan should include:

1. A morning risk check
   Senior staff should review the forecast, classroom conditions, water access and staffing levels before pupils arrive.
2. Clear parent communication
   Families should know whether uniform rules are relaxed, whether PE is cancelled and whether children need extra water or sun protection.
3. Room-by-room decisions
   The hottest classrooms should be avoided where possible, especially in the afternoon.
4. Protection for vulnerable pupils
   Children with health conditions, SEND needs or medication affected by heat should be checked more often.
5. A plan for heat illness
   Staff should know how to respond if a child becomes dizzy, faint, confused, unusually tired or sick.
6. A threshold for escalation
   Leaders should know when conditions have become too difficult to manage and when parents may need to collect children early.

This is the balance schools must strike: keep education going where possible, but not at the expense of safety.

Why unions want a maximum temperature for schools

Teachers’ unions argue that the current system leaves too much uncertainty. Their concern is not only that children feel uncomfortable, but that learning can collapse when classrooms become excessively hot. Teachers report that pupils become tired, irritable, less focused and less able to engage with lessons during intense heat. Staff also have to manage their own working conditions while supervising dozens of children who may be dehydrated, restless or struggling to concentrate. In exam season, the pressure becomes sharper because high temperatures can affect performance and fairness.

The NEU has called for a maximum working temperature for schools, arguing that a clear limit would push the government and school estate managers to invest in heat-resilient buildings. The union’s position is that 26C is an appropriate maximum indoor working temperature in education settings. The Climate Change Committee has also warned that public services, including schools, need better adaptation as heatwaves become more frequent and intense. The debate is therefore moving beyond one hot week in June. It is becoming a question about whether Britain’s school buildings are ready for a warmer climate.

What the debate is really about

The argument over closing schools is often framed as a simple question: should children be sent home or not? But the deeper issue is infrastructure. Many UK schools were not designed for repeated extreme heat. Some have large areas of glass, poor insulation, limited shade, dark playground surfaces and old buildings that trap heat. Air conditioning is not common across the school estate, and installing it at scale would raise cost, energy and maintenance questions.

The policy choices are difficult:

This is why the issue will not disappear after the heatwave ends. The question is no longer whether Britain can have an unusually hot school week. It is whether the education system has a long-term plan for summers that increasingly test buildings, staff and pupils.

Will schools close early if temperatures hit 38C?

Some schools may close early, but this is likely to be a local decision rather than a national order. Early closure can happen if conditions inside the school become unmanageable, if pupils or staff are becoming ill, if transport is disrupted, or if the building cannot provide safe spaces for the afternoon. It may also happen where a school has very young pupils, limited shade or a site that overheats badly. However, early closure creates safeguarding and childcare issues, so schools generally avoid it unless they believe it is necessary.

Parents should therefore watch for three types of message. The first is a routine heatwave notice, which tells families about water, sunscreen and uniform. The second is an operational change, such as cancelled PE, no outdoor lunch or a move to PE kit for the week. The third is an urgent safety message, which may ask parents to collect children early or confirm arrangements. Only the third type suggests a major disruption to the school day.

Signs a child may be struggling in the heat

Parents and teachers should take heat symptoms seriously, especially in younger children who may not explain clearly how they feel. Heat exhaustion can develop when the body becomes too hot and loses water and salts. It is more likely during crowded indoor conditions, outdoor sport, long periods in direct sun or when children do not drink enough.

Watch for:

• dizziness or faintness;
• headache;
• unusual tiredness or confusion;
• nausea or vomiting;
• heavy sweating or hot skin;
• muscle cramps;
• fast breathing or heartbeat;
• irritability or sudden loss of concentration;
• a child saying they feel weak, sick or “too hot”.

If a child shows these signs, they should be moved to a cooler place, given water if they can drink safely and monitored closely. Schools should contact parents or seek medical help if symptoms are serious, persistent or worsening.

What parents should do now as the UK heatwave intensifies

Parents do not need to panic, but they do need to prepare. The safest approach is to assume school will continue, while being ready for local changes. Check the school’s official communication channels before leaving home. Send children with a full water bottle and, where allowed, a second bottle. Apply sunscreen in the morning, especially for primary-age children who may play outside. Choose the lightest permitted uniform and make sure children know they should drink regularly even if they are not thirsty.

It is also worth speaking to the school if your child has asthma, heart problems, diabetes, epilepsy, medication that affects temperature regulation, a disability, sensory difficulties or previous heat-related illness. Schools can usually make reasonable adjustments if they know the risk in advance. For exam pupils, parents should check whether exam rooms are being ventilated, shaded or changed. For children travelling by bus or train, the journey home may be as important as the school day itself, especially in the late afternoon heat.

Parent checklist for a 38C school day

• Check school app, email and text messages before leaving home.
• Send a refillable water bottle.
• Apply sunscreen before school.
• Pack a hat if outdoor time is expected.
• Use permitted lighter uniform or PE kit if allowed.
• Tell the school about medical risks.
• Ask children to drink at break, lunch and before travelling home.
• Avoid unnecessary after-school sport during peak heat.
• Make sure the school has updated emergency contact details.
• Be ready for timetable changes or early collection if the school escalates its heat plan.

The conclusion is practical rather than dramatic. Will schools close if too hot? Most will probably stay open, because national guidance does not normally advise closure and there is no automatic legal maximum temperature. But the heatwave changes the responsibilities inside every school. Leaders must assess real classroom conditions, protect vulnerable pupils, reduce unnecessary exertion and communicate clearly with families. If a school cannot keep children safe and comfortable, closure or early finish remains possible — but it will be a local safety decision, not a guaranteed national rule.

Read about the life of Westminster and Pimlico district, London and the world. 24/7 news with fresh and useful updates on culture, business, technology and city life: Kostyantynivka: Russia presses Donbas gateway as Ukraine denies encirclement