All schools and colleges in areas covered by a rare red heat health alert have been instructed to perform an immediate risk assessment to determine whether they should close on Wednesday, June 24, as extreme heat poses a risk to life. The red warning, issued by the Met Office, will be in effect from 9 a.m. on Wednesday until 9 p.m. on Thursday, covering parts of England and Wales, including London, parts of the Midlands, south-east Wales, and southern England.
Union and Government Guidance
The NASUWT union stated that the red alert necessitates an immediate, additional risk assessment, which could result in full or partial school closures. The Department for Education (DfE) advised that schools should review actions to manage heat for all pupils and staff, noting that red alerts indicate significant health risks to the wider population. Hertfordshire County Council recommended that schools conduct appropriate risk assessments and implement reasonable adjustments, emphasizing that extreme heat poses an increased risk for special schools.
Worcestershire County Council said: "While responsibility for risk assessments and actions to reduce risk, including changes to school hours, rests with individual schools and their governing bodies, we expect all schools to review their arrangements and take appropriate steps to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of children, young people and staff."
Impact on Schools and Travel
Temperatures are forecast to rise to around 37-38°C in southern England, with a possible maximum of 39°C on Wednesday. The Met Office warned of serious illness or danger to life, as well as potential loss of power and essential services like water, due to heat-sensitive system failures. Delays on roads, trains, and planes are also expected. Hundreds of schools across England and Wales are closing fully or partially, and rail passengers are advised to avoid non-essential travel.
Queensbury Academy in Bedfordshire announced closure on Wednesday and Thursday, stating: "The safety and wellbeing of our pupils and staff must remain our highest priority." More than 300 schools across England and Wales plan to be either partially or fully closed this week. Some schools are closing early on Wednesday and Thursday, while others allow pupils to wear PE kit instead of uniforms.
Health Warnings and Expert Advice
A red heat health alert has also been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) from 01:00 on Wednesday until 23:00 on Thursday. Prof Robin May, chief scientific officer at the UKHSA, said this was only the second time such a warning had been issued, the last being in July 2022. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said the warning signals a "very widespread threat" from the heat, including threats "to people who generally think of themselves as not being particularly threatened by heat." He added: "Often we are warning about the vulnerable, the elderly, the young, but in this case we’re also warning otherwise healthy people in their prime of life to take very cautious steps, because this heat is going to be quite intense and can have very serious life threatening effects even in people who are completely fit."
Matthew Hopkins of the acute and ambulance network for the NHS alliance told the Today programme he expected demand on emergency services to increase over the next few days during the extremely hot weather period.
List of Affected Schools
Schools closed or partially closed on Wednesday across various regions include:
London: Sydenham School, Lewisham; Fielding Primary School and Nursery, Ealing; Cheam High School, Sutton; Oaks Park High School, Sutton; Belmont Junior School, Haringey; Archbishop Tenison's Church of England High School, Croydon; All Saints Benhilton Primary School; Wren Academy, Enfield.
Bristol: Ashton Gate Primary School; Badminton School; Badock's Wood E-ACT Academy; Bishop Road Primary School; Bristol Cathedral Choir School; Cathedral Primary School; Chester Park Infant and Junior School; Cotham School; E-ACT Fairlawn Primary School; Easton Primary School; Elmfield School For Deaf Children; Fairfield High School; Filton Avenue Nursery School; Holymead Primary School; North Star 265; Nova Primary School; Orchard School; Redcliffe Nursery School & Children's Centre; Redland Green School; Soundwell Academy; Southville Primary School; St Bernadette Catholic Primary School; Westbury-On-Trym Church of England Academy; Willow Park Primary School.
Hampshire: Crestwood Community School; Four Lanes School; Swanmore College; Testbourne Community School; John Hanson Community School; Peter Symonds College; Rucstall Primary School; Henry Tyndale School; Purbrook Park School; Woodcroft Primary; The Clere School; Hatch Warren Infant School; Harrow Way Community School; Stoke Park Infant School; Smannell Field School; Grateley Primary School; Petersgate Infant School; Brighton Hill Community School; Ranvilles Infant School; Perins School; Itchen Abbas Primary School; Wyvern College; Brookfield Community School; Locks Heath Infant School; The Costello School; St Faith's Church of England Primary School; Horndean Technology College.
Buckinghamshire: Gerrards Cross School; Hughenden Primary School; Princes Risborough Primary School; Ley Hill School; Farnham Common Infant School; Chalfonts Community College; Denham Village School; Haydon Abbey School and Pre-School; Dropmore Infant School; Kingsbrook View Academy; Iver Heath Junior School; Bedgrove Infant School; The Misbourne School; Iver Heath Infant School and Nursery; St Paul's Church of England Combined School; Stoke Poges School; Farnham Common Junior School; Overstone Combined School; Marsworth Church of England Infant School; Brookmead School (closed from 1.15pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday); Bearbrook Combined School; Buckingham Park Church of England Primary School; Buckingham Primary School; Ash Hill Primary School; Steeple Claydon School; Buckinghamshire Primary; Green Ridge Primary Academy; St Mary's Farnham Royal Primary School; Iver Village Junior School; West Wycombe Combined School; The Disraeli School and Children's Centre; Weston Turville Church of England School; Great Kimble Church of England School; Great Kingshill Church of England Combined School; Turnfurlong Infant School; Bierton Church of England Combined School; Denham Green E-Act Primary Academy; Oakridge School; Quainton Church of England School; Wooburn Green Primary School; Waddesdon Village Primary School; Chalfont Valley E-ACT Primary Academy; Chepping View Primary Academy; Ivingswood Academy; Orchard View Primary Academy; Bedgrove Junior School; Waddesdon Church of England School; Waterside Primary Academy.
Somerset: Shepton Beauchamp Church School; St Mary and St Peter’s School; Nerrols Primary School; Bishops Lydeard Church School; The Mendip School; Fiveways Special School; Kingsmead School; Whitstone School; St Dunstan’s School; Wadham Community School; Reckleford Infant School and Nursery; St Andrew’s Church School; St James Church School; Elmhurst Junior School; Staplegrove Church School; Norton-Sub-Hamdon Church School; Norton Fitzwarren Church School; Meare Village Primary School; Kingsbury Episcopi Primary School; Keinton Mandeville Primary School; Herne View Primary School; High Ham Primary School; Horsington Church School; Curry Rivel Primary School; Chidden Fitzpaine Primary School; Cheddar First School; St Joseph's Primary School; Burnham-on-Sea Infants School; Westover Green Community School; Charlton Mackrell Primary School; Creech St Michael School; St Nicholas Primary School; Lympsham Academy; Nether Stowey Primary School; Puriton Primary School; St Pauls Junior School; St Cuthberts Junior School; St John and St Francis Church Primary School; West Coker Primary School; Bishop Fox's School, Taunton; Fairmead School; Holway Park Primary School; North Petherton Community Primary; Tor School.
Oxfordshire: All Saints Church of England Primary School; Brightwell-Cum-Sotwell Church of England Primary School; Carterton Primary School; Cheney School; Didcot Girls' School; Ducklington Primary School; Europa School UK; Gillotts School; Hagbourne Church of England Primary School; Hailey Church of England Primary School; Harwell Primary School; John Watson School; Ladygrove Park Primary School; Long Wittenham (Church of England) Primary School; Northern House Academy; Orion Academy; Shellingford Church of England (Voluntary Aided) School; St Francis Church of England Primary School; Stephen Freeman Primary School; Stockham Primary School; Sutton Courtenay Church of England Primary School; The Oxford Academy; Trinity Church of England Primary School; Valley Road School; Willowcroft Community School.
Gloucestershire: Archway School; Finlay Community School; Kingsholm Primary.
Devon: Clyst Vale Community College; Holywell Church Of England School; Ottery St Mary Primary School; The Park Community School; The Promise School; The Shoreline Academy; Tiverton High School.
Sussex: Mulberry Academy; Heathfield College.
Wales: Corneli Primary School; Afon-y-Felin Primary School; Llanwern High School; Cardiff High School; Newport High School; Caerleon Lodge Hill Primary School; Central Primary School; Godre'rgraig Primary School; Llangiwg Primary School; St Joseph's Catholic Infant School; St Therese's Catholic Primary School; Tairgwaith Primary School; YGG Cwm Nedd; YGG Pontardawe; YGG Rhosafan; Ynysfach Primary School; Ysgol Hendrefelin.
