The Education Hub has published guidance on Wales school closures during heatwave, saying schools and early years settings normally should not close during hot weather. It sets out what schools should do instead when heat-health alerts are issued.
The guidance places the first responsibility on school leaders and staff: monitor pupils, keep them hydrated, and make adjustments to keep them cool. It also says schools can sign up to receive Heat-Heath Alerts so they can act when conditions change.
Education Hub hot weather guidance
The Education Hub said the advice applies to schools and other education settings during hot weather and heatwaves. The UK Health Security Agency has already published updated guidance for schools and early years settings, and the alerts used to guide decisions come from the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office.
The practical message is simple. Schools are described as the safest place for children in most cases, and children may not be any cooler at home than in school. That leaves leaders looking at classroom conditions, supervision, and whether the day needs to be adjusted rather than automatically closing the building.
Yellow, Amber, Red Alerts
The alert level changes the focus. A Yellow Alert indicates possible health risks to the most vulnerable, so schools and early years settings should consider actions to manage heat for those pupils. An Amber Alert raises the concern to the wider population, so schools and early years settings should consider actions for all pupils and staff as well as those most vulnerable.
A Red Alert points to possible significant health risks to the wider population, and schools and early years settings should review actions to manage heat for all pupils and staff. The guidance also says schools could relax uniform rules, with children wearing loose, light-coloured clothing, sunhats with wide brims, and staying in the shade as much as possible outdoors.
School day changes
Teachers should encourage children to take off blazers and jumpers, and sunscreen with high sun protection factors should be used to protect skin. The Department of Health and Social Care recommends that children should not take part in vigorous physical activity on very hot days, and schools are encouraged to adapt lessons when sedentary activities are more appropriate.
That leaves a clear tension for parents and staff: schools are normally not advised to close during hot weather even though Red Alerts indicate possible significant health risks to the wider population. The guidance points school leaders toward mitigation measures first, not closure, and asks them to use the alert level to decide what changes are appropriate during the day.
What it does not set out is a fixed temperature or alert threshold that would require a school to shut. Instead, the document puts the decision in the hands of senior leaders, who can make changes they consider appropriate while using the alert system as the guide.
