Schools Split As Thermometers Soar

As Britain braces for a 40°C heatwave, more than 200 schools are closing or cutting hours while the UK government insists classrooms should stay open, raising deep questions about who is really looking out for children’s safety and parents’ rights.

Story Snapshot

Hundreds of schools across England are closing or sending pupils home early as extreme heat hits.
The Department for Education says schools should “normally” stay open, with no legal maximum classroom temperature.
Teaching unions urge strict heat safety steps and say closures are justified under red alerts, but headteachers are left to decide alone.
Parents face mixed messages, with some schools shutting and others staying open despite similar heat risks.

Record Heat Pushes UK Schools To Shut Despite Official Advice

Across England and Wales, more than 200 schools are closing or cutting hours this week as forecasts warn temperatures could hit 40°C, close to Britain’s all-time record.^[1] Local reports show primaries, secondaries, and nurseries in regions from the South East to the West Country confirming full or partial closures to protect children from heat in overcrowded, poorly cooled classrooms.^[1]^[3]^[10] Weather officials have issued a rare red extreme heat alert, warning of “severe and significant impacts” and a real risk to life, even for healthy people.^[1]^[5]

Lists of affected schools now run into the dozens, covering sites in London, the South West, the East Midlands, and the East of England.^[3]^[10] Many are dismissing pupils around lunchtime, moving afternoon lessons online, or closing entirely for the hottest days.^[3]^[10] Headteachers cite rising classroom temperatures, limited shade, and concern for both pupils and staff, especially in older buildings that trap heat and lack modern cooling.^[2]^[10] Parents are told shorter days will cut exposure to the worst afternoon heat and reduce chances of heat exhaustion.^[3]

Government Clings To Attendance As Safety Fears Grow

The Department for Education’s own hot weather guidance states that “during hot weather, we don’t normally advise schools to close,” arguing that attendance is the best way for children to learn and that heat “can usually be managed safely.”^[5]^[6]^[8] Crucially, there is no legal maximum temperature for classrooms, so closures are never required by law, even when thermometers inside older schools push into the mid-30s.^[2]^[3]^[6] Instead, ministers urge schools to stay open, promote hydration, change uniforms, and tweak timetables while keeping lessons running.^[5]^[6]

Teaching unions and school leaders say that line ignores real risks in buildings that were never designed for this kind of heat.^[2]^[3] Union guidance highlights classroom temperatures above 26°C as a serious concern and calls for extra risk assessments when red alerts are issued.^[7]^[10] The Joint Union Heatwave Protocol tells school employers to carry out “immediate, additional risk assessment” during extreme heat and says full or partial closure may be necessary if children and staff cannot be kept safe.^[7] Yet the final decision is left to individual headteachers, creating pressure to balance safety with government expectations and funding tied to attendance.^[1]^[5]

Parents Left Confused As Rules Differ Street By Street

Government guidance places responsibility on each school to decide whether to close, stressing that schools are “generally not anticipated to shut down during warm weather” and must judge for themselves.^[10]^[15] That has produced a patchwork map of closures: some councils report over 140 schools fully or partially shut in their region, while nearby schools with similar heat stay open and try to cope with fans, open windows, and relaxed uniform rules.^[3]^[6]^[10] Parents now face mixed messages, with one child sent home by midday while a sibling at another school is expected to stick out a full sweltering day.

Officials say simple steps can keep children safe without closing, such as moving lessons to cooler rooms, cutting outdoor sports, and ensuring constant access to drinking water.^[5]^[6]^[10] The UK Health Security Agency advises schools to manage ventilation carefully, closing windows once outside air becomes hotter than indoors, and warns that fans may stop helping and even worsen dehydration above 35°C.^[3]^[10] But many families remember how quickly schools were closed nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic once risks were taken seriously and now question why extreme heat drawing red alerts does not trigger clearer, stronger safety rules.^[6]^[13]

Calls Grow For Clear Heat Safety Law And Honest Data

Conservative parents and taxpayers watching this confusion see a familiar pattern: officials speak about safety but keep rules vague and push accountability down the chain. Without a legal temperature limit or firm national standard, headteachers must carry the risk while central government protects its attendance targets and its image of “business as usual.”^[2]^[5] Union leaders and climate committees are now urging a formal maximum classroom temperature, arguing it would force investment in better school buildings and make decisions fair and transparent.^[2]

Multiple schools across England began shutting down early on Tuesday, with more closures expected to follow as a severe heatwave grips the United Kingdom and threatens to break long-standing temperature records. https://t.co/HGOEhRyBMr #UK #Heatwave

— FirstDaily (@FirstDailyMedia) June 23, 2026

Several obvious steps could finally bring clarity. Freedom of Information requests could uncover internal Department for Education emails on this heatwave and any discussions about allowing or discouraging closures.^[5] Health agencies could release anonymous data on heat-related illness among pupils during the week, so parents can see the real impact of keeping schools open or closed.^[3]^[10] A simple comparative study between closing and non-closing schools could show whether early dismissal truly lowers cases of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.^[3]