Swindon school closures in extreme heat should not normally happen, the UK Health Security Agency says in updated guidance for schools and early years settings. The advice says schools should keep pupils on site in most cases and change activities instead of shutting because of hot weather.
The guidance was published on GOV.UK blogs in 2026-06 and sets out what schools should do under Yellow Alerts, Amber Alerts and Red Alerts. It says schools can sign up to receive Heat-Health Alerts using the form mentioned in the guidance.
UK Health Security Agency guidance
Under Yellow Alerts, schools and early years settings should consider actions to manage heat for those most at risk. Under Amber Alerts, they should consider actions for all pupils and staff as well as those most vulnerable.
Under Red Alerts, schools and early years settings should review actions to manage heat for all pupils and staff. The guidance says children are more at risk of heat-related illness than adults, which is why the alert levels are built into school planning rather than used as a trigger to close automatically.
Heat-Health Alerts in schools
The UK Health Security Agency says schools can keep children safe by monitoring pupils, ensuring regular hydration and making adjustments to keep them cool. It also says schools could relax uniform rules during hot weather.
The guidance adds that children should wear loose, light-coloured clothing and wide-brimmed sunhats, stay in the shade as much as possible when outdoors and take off blazers and jumpers. The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that children should not take part in vigorous physical activity on very hot days.
GOV.UK school advice
The guidance leaves schools with a practical choice before closure is ever considered: adjust the day first. That can mean changing clothing rules, reducing time in direct sun and limiting hard exercise, while using Heat-Health Alerts to decide which pupils need the most support.
For families and staff, the clearest takeaway is that hot weather does not normally justify a closure. The guidance points schools toward monitoring, hydration and classroom adjustments instead, with the alert level guiding how wide those changes need to be.
