Pupils are arriving at school exhausted, lethargic, and over-emotional after stifling nights of extreme heat, with classroom temperatures soaring to 40C. Instead of studying maths and English, primary school children have spent their week watching films with their feet in trays of cold water to stay cool.
Schools have adopted novel measures to mitigate the heat, including asking pupils to wear PE kits, setting up makeshift shelters in playgrounds, and handing out ice lollies. One teacher told the Mirror: 'On the hottest day, my children were sat watching a film adaptation of our book in English with their feet in trays of water. We were given permission to come off timetable and spend our days doing art and music.'
Impact on Learning and Wellbeing
Teachers warn that children are struggling to cope. A primary school teacher in inner London noted that many pupils from hot flats arrive 'very sleep deprived and uncomfortable.' She added: 'The children were overtired and lethargic, and often quite emotional. I saw quite high levels of anxiety... I really noticed a lapse in their concentration and focus – but also a lapse in mine.'
School buildings are ill-equipped for modern heatwaves, with artificial grass and concrete playgrounds insulating heat. Air conditioning is rare, so teachers rely on fans. In May, the government's climate advisers recommended installing air conditioning in all schools within 25 years, warning the country is 'built for a climate that no longer exists.'
Calls for Legal Maximum Temperature
Matt Wrack, General Secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, told the Daily Mirror: 'Teachers have told us that extremes of temperature in their classrooms are their biggest concern... We believe that a legally enforceable maximum classroom temperature should be introduced, along with investment in greater ventilation, insulation, shaded areas and flood defences.'
The primary teacher admitted feeling immense anxiety but acknowledged schools' vital role: 'I teach younger children who are highly susceptible to overheating... I can understand why schools stayed open – we have a duty to safeguard our vulnerable children, to be that safe haven for them, and to make sure they've had a proper meal.'
Free School Meals and Parental Divide
Over 2.2 million children in the UK are eligible for free school meals (26.5%), with all Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 pupils receiving them automatically. For some, this meal is the only dinner they get. The teacher noted: 'I think it's a very hard dilemma, as for a lot of our children, school is such a needed place and creates routine and safety.'
With no legal maximum temperature for classrooms, hundreds of schools shut early or closed entirely. TOWIE star Lydia Bright called the closures 'madness' on Instagram: 'At 7.15pm on Monday night, I received an email to say the school would be closing at 1pm on Tuesday... Children all over the world sit in classrooms in these temperatures every day... It feels like we're solving one problem by creating another for hundreds of working families.'
Mum-of-two Amy Rankin, 33, agreed: 'My son's school sent me an email saying they were going to close at 1pm but my daughter's is remaining open... They have ordered gazebos... and have said they have air con... I feel like they are going to be looked after in school.' She accused schools of hypocrisy, adding: 'We have enough half terms so I am sure the kids would survive a couple of days with a bit of hot weather.'
