School closure due to heat

Cossy

Diplomat

I took my O levels in that heat of '76. I'll always remember a girl near me who had a hot water bottle because of period pain!

I too took my “O” levels.

I’ve always find it daft to schedule so many exams in the summer! I get it fits with current school terms!

Public exams are as late in the school year as possible in order to accommodate the results coming out in time for the pupil to plan for September.

Jaxjacky

No Gilets Jeunes?

Pun intended?
(Jaunes/jeunes)

Grandma70s

Schools are not babysitters. Children are the responsibility of their parents.

Good point

While I do understand the inconvenience to parents, schools are not a childcare facility.

We had our DGD all day yesterday as her school was closed due to the heat. It was an added bonus as we love having her but she wasn’t happy about missing school as it was sports week where they get to try different sports with usually a visit from a famous athlete. It was sports day today but I guess that wouldn’t have happened anyway due to the heat. The school was closed from lunchtime Tuesday, yesterday and today. They gave her work to do at home which, luckily, she was happy to do but my daughter is cross because she said if they can’t concentrate on work at school how are they expected to do so at home with the added distractions? Fair comment!

Tuliptree

GrannyGravy13

Bellasnana’s DD is a teacher in Malta.

I have never seen a post from her which is not polite, even on this thread.

I share her frustration with regards to the U.K.’s response to curve balls whether it be a hot day, centimetre of snow, leaves in autumn (rail tracks)

Two schools in the same road, one allowing children to go home at lunchtime, one carrying on as normal. There is no across the board working.

As she’s a teacher there, she must know about the complaints over the years about the heat and schools and know about the hundreds of air conditioning units installed. It’s a matter of opinion as to her post being polite but imo it wasn’t and my robust responses was deserved as was my comment about her being factually wrong about other countries.

Read the post Tuliptree and get your facts straight. Bellasnana did not say she was a teacher in Malta but that her DD was.
She was also referring to when her four children went to school there before there was air conditioning in the schools.
Maybe you should read properly what people say in future before judging and checking Google to prove them wrong!

Well said dragonfly.

BNs post stated that the UK was making a fuss and that other hot countries were not. That is not the case - many many other countries are very concerned, expressing that concern and taking action. In Malta teachers and parents have been campaigning for years to improve schools in the hot weather with some success eg hundreds of air conditioning units installed in schools. I’m sorry that the tone of my post was seen as unacceptable and therefore deleted. However I stand by my view that BN’s post was inaccurate even if I should have said it in a kinder gentler way. But that’s a two way street isn’t it?

I have the 6yr old in our pool, his 11yr old brother is going to his friends further down our road as their pool is bigger.

According to the school gate mums there will be hardly any pupil in tomorrow morning, those that do turn up will finish once more at lunchtime.

The two GC who go to the other primary school in our road are particularly peeved not to be at home or at ours.

HelterSkelter1

I listened to an interview with the head of a 25 school academy this morning on You and Yours...I think.
He said only one of the schools had been built to resist heat.
All the schools had closed even the heat resistant one. The reason that one had closed was because the staff had to stay home to look after their own children.

I don't think he heard me shout at the radio...Why couldnt the staff take their own children to work for the day???

Perhaps on days school is closed, all working parents should just take their children to work for the day ? Problem solved.

(What could possibly go wrong?)

foxie48

The Oxygen Dissociation Curve - that made interesting reading!

When government gives out what many consider to be unnecessary advice during a heatwave it's likely that these biological processes are behind such advice. Easy to dismiss such warnings with comments like, "it's just summer, duh" - which one gentleman on FB observed; however heat-stroke is dangerous and, depending on age, physical condition - and activity levels - can and does kill. I notice that France is warning its younger generation to skip the jogging and exercise during this intense heat as they are not immune either!

Tuliptree
Whilst your response to BN's post might have been curtly dismissive, I believe it was in response to a scathing and rather contemptuous observation on our nation as a whole. And what constitutes 'moaning' or 'making a fuss' is anyway highly subjective.

I saw on the BBC news website a photo of a woman standing under a 'misting station' in, I think, Paris. I believe they're beginning to make an appearance on our high streets.

You can, according to my neighbour, actually buy dedicated misting hose kits which you attach to your Hozelock tap!

There’s something about health and safety, risk assessment, insurance, public liability. If the solution were that simple I think the head would have implemented it. Easy to be on the outside with no responsibility and accountability telling experienced professionals how to do their job.

That was to Helter Skelter

Dickens- thanks for that.

Tuliptree

BNs post stated that the UK was making a fuss and that other hot countries were not. That is not the case - many many other countries are very concerned, expressing that concern and taking action. In Malta teachers and parents have been campaigning for years to improve schools in the hot weather with some success eg hundreds of air conditioning units installed in schools. I’m sorry that the tone of my post was seen as unacceptable and therefore deleted. However I stand by my view that BN’s post was inaccurate even if I should have said it in a kinder gentler way. But that’s a two way street isn’t it?

Inaccuracy can easily be pointed out in a reasonable and polite way as opposed to the Trunchbull school of charm and diplomacy 😁
As it happens, I believe there’s a thread asking whether the present hot weather is making people short tempered .

This answers it I think!

At school, and I do know this because I was the Headteacher, we have an Adverse Weather Risk Assessment which covers all eventualities. Each school will have its individual policy because no two settings are the same in terms of the accommodation and heating systems, and staffing etc.

The final call is that of the school's Head. It's a tough one. Sometimes you have to weigh up many different things, but as long as you keep parents and staff informed of your decisions, things usually work out for the best. You can't always come up with solutions, but you must come up with strategies.

Miss Trunchbull 😂

MawsRosie are you really unaware of the irony in your post? And being charming and diplomatic is a two way street. Rubbishing the UK based on a false premise is not acceptable. Perhaps you could dispense your wise advice in the direction of people who do this? ? No, thought not.

Tuliptree

MawsRosie are you really unaware of the irony in your post? And being charming and diplomatic is a two way street. Rubbishing the UK based on a false premise is not acceptable. Perhaps you could dispense your wise advice in the direction of people who do this? ? No, thought not.

Absolutely.

MartavTaurus

At school, and I do know this because I was the Headteacher, we have an Adverse Weather Risk Assessment which covers all eventualities. Each school will have its individual policy because no two settings are the same in terms of the accommodation and heating systems, and staffing etc.

The final call is that of the school's Head. It's a tough one. Sometimes you have to weigh up many different things, but as long as you keep parents and staff informed of your decisions, things usually work out for the best. You can't always come up with solutions, but you must come up with strategies.

The final call is that of the school's Head.

I'd imagine that is a tough call.

Get it wrong, and the media and the public will be on you like a ton of bricks.

Hats off to Heads.

The CEO of the 25 school Academy said on You and Yours that the one school of his 25 schools which was built to be heat resistant (and therefore should have been able to say open) had to close as some staff had to stay home with their children.

I doubt if every single teacher or member of staff has children. But those that do I would hope would be able to keep that school open by bringing their children into school for the day.

I did not say all of the 25 schools, but the one which was "heat resistant". I expect the parents of those children in the heat resistant school would have been relieved.

With the Heads explicit permission a teacher can bring their child into school.
In this case the Head could have given permission if it meant keeping the school open.
As this current heatwave in June is not likely to be the only one this summer, schools will no doubt close again.
Just as well I am on the outside with no responsibility or accountability and dare to tell experienced professionals how to do their job. Never mind I don't think he heard me through the radio.

My sister is sweltering in France 40°
The schools in her region are all closed but.......
the freezers and cooler fridges are all working fine, in our local Tesco they are all empty due to extreme heat 🥵

Bellasnana

Why is it always the UK that makes such a huge fuss about extremes of temperature? The weather never seems to be right for some people, they moan about the cold, the rain, the snow, the sun whereas in other countries we just get on with it.

It is 37°C here today with 80% humidity but the schools are open and it will be the same in countless other hot countries the world over, and, no, they won’t all have a/c or shorter hours.

Common sense seems to have gone out the window. I usually sit on my hands and say nothing but I’m fed up of hearing about it.

That's a bit harsh and based on false facts

Tuliptree

Padstow13

Do the officials who make these decisions reckon the pupils will stay indoors at home, dutifully sipping tepid Vimto and responsibly staying out of the sun?

Not likely! They be out and about, very much IN the sun, having the time of their lives, playing, vandalising, starting grass fires "for fun", not to mention a little bit of light shoplifting.

And parents will be frantically trying to find emergency child care at very short notice.

Nope, I really think the powers-that-be don't think through the possible consequences of their snap decisions.

Gosh what a positive view of your fellow human beings you have . How sad to think so badly and negatively of others

Yes, Tuliptree, I truly have a tremendously positive view of the human race but I feel compelled to observe the likes of people such as yourself rather negatively as you obviously take everything you read at face value and immediately turn into Judge Jeffries - (refer to The Monmouth Rebellion.)

Does the word 'satire' register?

Ps: please stop being sad on my behalf........

Joanofarc99

Bellasnana

Why is it always the UK that makes such a huge fuss about extremes of temperature? The weather never seems to be right for some people, they moan about the cold, the rain, the snow, the sun whereas in other countries we just get on with it.

It is 37°C here today with 80% humidity but the schools are open and it will be the same in countless other hot countries the world over, and, no, they won’t all have a/c or shorter hours.

Common sense seems to have gone out the window. I usually sit on my hands and say nothing but I’m fed up of hearing about it.

That's a bit harsh and based on false facts

That's a bit harsh and based on false facts

Well, there weren't many facts to check, false or otherwise!

I believe it was more of an 'opinion-piece' and clearly one of low esteem.