Hundreds of UK schools plan to reopen as red heat warning eases

Schools across England and Wales are preparing to reopen after a rare red extreme-heat warning forced hundreds of closures and timetable changes during the week.

Many schools have told parents pupils will return on Friday, June 26, as the Met Office warning eases and conditions become less hazardous.

Closures during the heatwave

The red warning covered parts of southern England and Wales on Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures reaching record June levels and causing widespread disruption.

The Sun reported that more than 1,100 schools in England and Wales either closed fully or partially during the heatwave. It also reported 584 English schools closed entirely, with more than 500 schools closed in Wales.

In Hampshire, at least 20 schools were reported to have closed completely. The White Horse Federation in Swindon shut all 30 of its schools, affecting about 11,000 pupils.

Some schools avoided full closure by changing uniform rules or allowing pupils to wear PE kit.

Reopening on Friday

The immediate news peg is the shift from emergency closures to planned reopenings once the red warning ends.

Several schools and trusts have now confirmed they expect pupils back in class on Friday, June 26. The move comes after the Met Office extended the red warning to the south coast until Thursday evening, with amber warnings then expected for Friday and Saturday in some areas.

That means the main challenge for schools is moving from a short-term safety response to a normal timetable, while checking whether classroom conditions have cooled enough for full reopening.

What remains uncertain

Not every school is necessarily returning on the same schedule. Some local closures, partial closures or timetable changes may continue if buildings remain too hot or if individual schools decide conditions are still unsafe.

The broader disruption is part of a wider extreme-weather event that has affected transport, public services and daily life across the UK.

The key question now is how many schools reopen fully on Friday, and how many keep temporary measures in place for another day.