Are hot schools putting pupils and teachers at risk?

Here is the latest breaking news from around the world: Are hot schools putting pupils and teachers at risk? 3 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleLouise ParryBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and BuckinghamshireGetty ImagesTemperatures can become unbearable in some schools in hot weather, say parents and teachersSchool communities are raising concerns about the welfare of children and staff as a red warning for a heatwave is issued for parts of the UK. In France, more than 800 schools have shut due to the heat, but it is rare for British schools to close for that reason.

The has heard reports of teachers and pupils passing out and exam halls reaching temperatures of 33C (91F) in recent years. "My daughter Amelia has a condition meaning she can't regulate her body temperature – she was going unresponsive in the classroom last summer," says Bedfordshire mum Victoria Everitt. But even children without Amelia's condition can struggle when schools get hot.

The Details

Michael Conley, head teacher of St Peter's Church of England Primary School in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, says: "We've had children become excessively warm, where they've become sick or ill, dysregulated or out of control. "Ridgeway SchoolAmelia, eight, has dysautonomia which means she cannot regulate her body temperatureThe Department for Education (DfE) says while there is no maximum limit for temperature in UK workplaces, including schools, it is "carefully considering" proposals to change that by the Climate Change Committee (CCC). The CCC's latest report states: "High indoor temperatures can disrupt learning in schools by causing discomfort, reducing concentration, and increasing health risks for students and staff.

"The Trades Union Congress has campaigned for a legal maximum working temperature to be introduced, while the National Education Union says a maximum indoor working temperature of 26C (79F) is appropriate. So how does heat impact pupils' learning and welfare, and what can schools do to cool down? Lucio PoliTeacher Lucio Poli believes schools should consider opening and closing earlier on very hot daysTeacher Lucio Poli recalls two particularly hot spells at Ely St John's Community Primary School, Cambridgeshire.

"In the mid-2000s, I remember passing out, and I saw children pass out, too. About three or four of them went down like a stone," he says. "I was wearing formal clothing – that taught me not to overdress in hot weather.

What Experts Say

"Poli says his school had a very "reasonable head teacher" who allowed staff and pupils to be flexible with clothing during heatwaves. He says teachers raised concerns in 2022 when temperatures reached 40C (104F). "But the message from county was there's no limit on maximum temperature.

The priority was to keep the schools open. "Cambridgeshire County Council said while the DfE provided schools with heatwave advice, the council had also sent guidance to all schools "outlining steps to take, including a heat checklist" in 2022.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.