Are hot schools putting pupils and teachers at risk?

Are hot schools putting pupils and teachers at risk? 3 hours ago Share Save Add as preferred on Google Louise Parry Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire Getty Images Temperatures can become unbearable in some schools in hot weather, say parents and teachers School communities are raising concerns about the welfare of children and staff as a red warning for a heatwave is issued for parts of the UK. The BBC has heard reports of teachers and pupils passing out and exam halls reaching temperatures of 33C (91F) in recent years. "My daughter Amelia has a condition meaning she can't regulate her body temperature – she was going unresponsive in the classroom last summer," says Bedfordshire mum Victoria Everitt. But even children without Amelia's condition can struggle when schools get hot. Michael Conley, head teacher of St Peter's Church of England Primary School in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, says: "We've had children become excessively warm, where they've become sick or ill, dysregulated or out of control. They do fall asleep." Ridgeway School Amelia, eight, has dysautonomia which means she cannot regulate her body temperature The Department for Education (DfE) says while there is no maximum limit for temperature in UK workplaces, including schools, it is "carefully considering" proposals to change that by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) . The CCC's latest report states: "High indoor temperatures can disrupt learning in schools by causing discomfort, reducing concentration, and increasing health risks for students and staff." The Trades Union Congress has campaigned for a legal maximum working temperature to be introduced, while the National Education Union says a maximum indoor working temperature of 26C (79F) is appropriate. So how does heat impact pupils' learning and welfare, and what can schools do to cool down? Lucio Poli Teacher Lucio Poli believes schools should consider opening and closing earlier on very hot days Teacher Lucio Poli recalls two particularly hot spells at Ely St John's Community Primary School, Cambridgeshire. "In the mid-2000s, I remember passing out, and I saw children pass out, too. About three or four of them went down like a stone," he says. "I was wearing formal clothing – that taught me not to overdress in hot weather." Poli says his school had a very "reasonable head teacher" who allowed staff and pupils to be flexible with clothing during heatwaves. He says teachers raised concerns in 2022 when temperatures reached 40C (104F). "But the message from county [council] was there's no limit on maximum temperature. The priority was to keep the schools open." Cambridgeshire County Council said while the DfE provided schools with heatwave advice, the council had also sent guidance to all schools "outlining steps to take, including a heat checklist" in 2022. "In extreme weather conditions, [schools] would be expected to undertake a risk assessment," a spokesperson said. "Very few schools closed completely." Pol