How to Keep Your School Safe and Cool When Temperatures Rise

When the British weather occasionally decides to turn up the heat, classrooms can get incredibly stuffy.

Because children’s bodies find it harder to regulate temperature than adults, young people are much more at risk of getting ill on scorching days. Luckily, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Department for Education have strict guidelines to make sure your school stays safe.

Here is a breakdown of how schools handle hot weather, what the rules are, and the signs of heat illness you need to look out for.

Do schools close when it’s hot?

The short answer is no, schools don't usually close just because it’s hot.

Missing school disrupts learning, so the official advice is to keep schools open and manage the heat safely. Headteachers and school leaders are expected to make whatever adjustments are necessary to keep everyone safe and comfortable.

Changing the Rules: Uniforms and Activities

When a heatwave hits, standard school routines have to change. Schools are encouraged to adapt in two major areas:

1. Relaxing the Uniform

Teachers should encourage students to take off blazers and jumpers. Some schools often relax the dress code entirely during hot spells, allowing pupils to wear loose, light-coloured clothing. When students are outside, wide-brimmed sunhats and high-factor sunscreen are essential.

2. Ditching Vigorous Exercise

The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that children do not take part in vigorous physical activity on very hot days. This means PE lessons might be swapped for less strenuous, seated activities, and events like Sports Day might be shifted to earlier in the summer term when it is cooler.

How to Keep Classrooms Cool

Windows: Windows should be opened wide early in the morning to let trapped heat escape. However, once the air outside becomes hotter than the air inside, windows and blinds should be closed to block the heat out.

Powering Down: Electric lights, computers, and interactive whiteboards generate a lot of hidden heat. Turning them off or keeping them off standby mode helps drop the room's temperature.

Fans: Mechanical fans are great for moving air around, but only if the temperature is below 35°C. If it gets hotter than 35°C, fans can actually make dehydration worse by blowing hot air directly onto your skin.

Hydration: You should be give extra opportunities and permission for staff and students to drink plenty of water throughout the day, including during lessons.

Is there a legal maximum classroom temperature?

There is no legal maximum working temperature in UK law. However, employers are legally required by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure a "reasonable" and safe working environment.

The National Education Union (NEU) strongly believes that 26°C should be the absolute limit for a classroom. If a room gets hotter than this, schools are urged to trigger emergency cooling measures, move the class to a cooler room, or, in extreme cases, close an unacceptably hot classroom.

Health Warning: Spotting the Signs of Heat Illness

If everyone takes the right precautions, you will stay perfectly safe. However, it is vital that both students and staff know how to spot the warning signs that someone is getting too hot.

1. Heat Stress

This is the early warning stage. Children might seem out of character, irritable, or show signs of physical discomfort. For younger children or toddlers, dark urine or dry nappies are a surefire sign of dehydration. These signs get worse with physical activity.

2. Heat Exhaustion

This is a more serious stage. Symptoms include:

• Extreme tiredness and dizziness;

• Headaches, nausea, or vomiting; and

• Excessive sweating alongside pale, clammy skin

How to treat Heat Exhaustion: Move the person to a cool area immediately. Give them cool water to drink. Cool them down rapidly by spraying or sponging them with cool water, using fans, or placing cold packs around their neck and armpits. If symptoms don't improve, call NHS 111.

3. Heatstroke (Medical Emergency)

If heat exhaustion isn't treated, it can turn into heatstroke, which is a life-threatening medical emergency. Symptoms include:

• Confusion, lack of co-ordination, or slurred speech;

• Seizures (fits) or loss of consciousness;

• A body temperature at or above 40°C;

• Red, hot skin (which can be sweaty or completely dry); and

• A fast heartbeat and rapid, shallow breathing

What to do: If you suspect heatstroke, call 999 immediately. While waiting for the ambulance, move the person to the shade and do everything you can to cool them down. If they lose consciousness, place them safely in the recovery position.