Hot weather: When is it too hot for the classroom - and can pupils be sent home if temperatures rise?

• Temperatures have shot up across the UK this week
• There is currently no legal maximum temperature for classrooms
• But there are still laws and official guidelines schools must follow to protect pupils
• Parents should keep in touch with school leadership - and make sure their kids know how to stay safe in the heat

Schoolchildren across the UK have endured a truly summery start to the summer school term, with another ‘mini-heatwave’ hitting parts of the country this week.

Temperatures have rocketed upwards in recent days, after the hottest start to May since records began. While a thunderstorm warning was issued for some parts of the country on Monday, temperatures are set to hit the mid-20s in parts of south east England.

Children are more susceptible to the effects of extreme heat, and the NHS says they can even be more at risk of heat exhaustion or heatstroke. But in the classroom, they have little agency over their own behaviour - and can be at the mercy of their school’s rules.

So what are schools legally required to do to protect their pupils when temperatures rise? Are they able to be sent home if it gets too hot - and is there anything parents at home can do to keep them safe? Here’s what you need to know:

What rules do schools have to follow in extreme heat?

According to the National Education Union, people work best at temperatures between 16 and 24C. The teaching union recommends classrooms are kept below 26C so children can focus on their work and avoid heat stress. Just like in offices, however, there are no specific maximum temperatures for schools set out in law - and no maximum temperature where children would automatically be sent home.

But this doesn’t mean that students have no protection. There are several pieces of legislation that apply to schools, including the Health and Safety at Work Act, and the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations, which require working temperatures to be kept at a “reasonable” level - and for schools to protect students from excessive heat. Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - which also has its own code of practice for schools and workplaces - can issue notices to legally force schools to meet these requirements.

The HSE code of practice says schools need to have fresh air flow, so when it’s hot windows need to be opened. If they can’t be, the school needs to have some kind of artificial ventilation like air conditioning. Shade should also be provided by using window blinds if it’s extremely bright or sunny, and schools also need to consider special measures like electric fans or portable air cooling equipment if conditions become extreme. 

They need to take action as soon as students or staff complain that working conditions are becoming unreasonable, but the NEU says schools should also prepare themselves based on the weather forecast.

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What else are schools advised to do - can they send children home?

As there is no legal upper temperature limit for schools, your child’s school does not legally need to close if it gets too hot. This also means you’re not supposed to keep them home from school just because the mercury is rising. However, in rare cases pupils may be sent home - with headteachers able to temporarily close the school if they consider the heat is becoming a risk to student safety.

Contrary to popular belief, although in general children need to have access to water while in school, schools are not legally required to let students have water bottles or drink in classrooms. However, this is something the NEU disagrees with. Schools are also not required to loosen their uniform rules, but official government guidance from the Department for Education encourages them to do both - especially if it reaches heatwave conditions.

Some schools also don’t allow students to bring in sunscreen, national accreditation service Sun Safe Schools says. When they do, teachers often won’t help children to put it on - even less-abled children - either due to having little time, or out of concern about child abuse allegations. On this, HSE says that health and safety legislation “does not prevent school staff from applying or helping pupils apply sun cream” - and the Department for Education also makes it clear that schools are expected to take a “sensible approach” to the issue.

The Department for education also recommends a number of other hot weather adjustments, including adjusting lesson plans so children don’t have to take part in vigorous activities on hot days; opening windows before kids arrive to release hot air built up overnight; not leaving electronics in ‘standby mode’ as this creates heat; and using fans to increase air movement if temperatures are below 35C.

What can parents do to help keep their children safe?

Make sure you send your child to school with a full water bottle do they can remain hydrated. If your child’s school prefers water bottles be kept out of classrooms generally, check with teachers and school leadership about making a temporary exception when the weather is hot.

Packing plenty of fresh fruits and veggies in their school lunch can also help students stay hydrated - and if you use a thermal lunch box or cooling gel backs, they can be a welcome treat on a hot day.

If your child will be playing outside, you should make sure they bring an approved, wide-brimmed sunhat and apply a high SPF sunscreen before they head off to school. To protect their skin from burning this should ideally be reapplied every two hours or before they go outside. Again, it’s worth checking in with teachers about making exceptions so your child can bring sun cream to school with them.

Make sure to talk to your child about drinking enough water and taking off their jerseys or blazers in class. You should also make sure they know to let their teacher know immediately if they start to feel too hot, dizzy or unwell at all, so they can get immediate help if they start suffering from heat exhaustion or other heat-related conditions.

We have plenty of other hot weather coverage available too that you might be interested in. For tips on keeping your house cool when it gets hot, try this one. To find out when it’s too hot to walk your dog, try this one.