UK parents warned as over 1,000 schools closed amid red warning

Despite this, the Education Secretary has urged parents to send children to school if they remain open, warning “every day of absence and lesson missed has a cost”.

It comes as forecasters said temperatures could hit 40°C on Wednesday and Thursday in some spots, with a red warning from the Met Office for extreme heat.

This covers an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham, as well as in Brighton, Portsmouth and Southampton.

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Hundreds of schools have made decisions to either close completely, send children home early or make other adjustments such as relaxing uniform rules to help keep students and staff safe and comfortable.

A series of fundraisers has also been launched by parents in London, Berkshire, Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire and Cumbria to buy air conditioning units and fans for their children’s schools.

Bridget Phillipson said: “I know hot weather can be a struggle. But my message to families is simple: if your child’s school is open, you should keep sending them into school.

“Teachers are relaxing uniform rules, keeping classrooms cool, making sure children are hydrated, teaching critical skills like water safety, and avoiding vigorous activity on the hottest days.

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“If your child has medical needs, which mean you’re especially worried about the heat, talk to your school about what they can do.

“Every day of absence and lesson missed has a cost – and that cost falls hardest on our most disadvantaged pupils and working-class communities. So, pack a water bottle, put on the sunscreen, and trust that your child’s school has got this.”

More than 100 schools will be at least partly closed over the next days in Bristol, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire.

In Somerset, more than 200 schools will be shut or operating on more limited opening hours.

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Pupils will also either not be able to attend school or head home earlier than usual at settings in London, Essex, East Sussex, West Berkshire, Devon, Worcestershire and Herefordshire.

Many schools have explicitly cited red weather warnings and extreme heat for the reasons behind closures, with some explaining that classrooms lack air conditioning and that travel to and from school could be risky in the high temperatures.

Parkfield School in Taunton said: “Such exceptionally high temperatures present significant challenges in maintaining a safe and comfortable learning environment, particularly during the hottest parts of the day.

“Despite exploring all available options to remain open safely, we believe that the anticipated conditions will make it increasingly difficult to ensure the well-being, comfort and safety of both pupils and staff throughout the school day.

“While every school must make decisions based on its own circumstances, we believe that closing for these two days is the most responsible course of action.”

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Many pupils are set to receive work during closure periods, while many schools have offered provision for students who cannot work at home or whose parents cannot collect them early.

One parent teacher association has raised more than £3,500 in 16 hours to buy portable air conditioning units, fans and playground gazebos for Dulwich Hamlet Junior School in south London.

The organisers said: “This is an urgent and unbudgeted expense that would have an immediate impact and improve the learning environment in the summers to come.”

Meanwhile, more than 11,500 people have signed an online petition calling for a maximum temperature at which schools can remain open to be established.

Teachers’ union NASUWT has previously also urged a legally enforceable maximum classroom temperature to be set.