Hundreds of schools in England and Wales to close in heatwave

Hundreds of schools in England and Wales are closing early or changing hours as a rare red heat warning turns the heatwave into a major school-operations disruption.

The Met Office warning covers Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures forecast to reach about 38C to 40C across southern Wales and a large swath of southern and central England. Schools are responding in different ways, from full closures to shorter days, early pickups and relaxed uniform rules.

One of the clearest examples reported by The Guardian was St John's Marlborough in Wiltshire, which told parents it would close from lunchtime Tuesday and remain shut on Wednesday and Thursday. The paper also reported that many primary schools in London were allowing parents to collect children early as conditions worsened.

School-by-school disruption

The response has varied by school and trust. Some schools are moving lessons online, others are sending pupils home before the hottest part of the day, and some are reducing outdoor activity to limit exposure to the heat.

A number of schools are also changing dress codes, allowing PE kit instead of full uniform so pupils and staff can stay cooler. The Financial Times reported that some schools are seeking fan donations or other cooling help, while parents in some cases are paying for air-conditioning units themselves.

Wales has also told council education directors to prepare for hot-weather disruption, including possible problems with school transport. That adds another layer of uncertainty for families who depend on buses and arranged transport to get children to and from school.

Official response

The Department for Education says school attendance is normally best for learning, but that hot weather can usually be managed safely. Its position is that school leaders should use their judgment and take the steps needed to keep children safe and comfortable.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has taken a similar line, saying schools should decide how best to manage the situation in the short term. She has also pointed to the need to improve school buildings over time.

That long-term point has been echoed by the National Education Union. It says many Victorian-era school buildings become dangerously hot and need major investment in ventilation and climate-resilient cooling.

Why schools are vulnerable

The pressure on schools is exposing the limits of the existing estate. Older buildings, limited ventilation and a lack of built-in cooling make it harder to keep classrooms safe during extreme heat, especially when temperatures stay high through the school day.

The immediate consequences are practical as well as medical. Short-notice closures and early pickups disrupt childcare and work schedules for families, while extreme classroom heat can pose risks for pupils and staff, particularly children with medical conditions or special educational needs.

What happens next

More schools may announce closures or early dismissals while the red warning remains in force. Schools are also likely to keep adjusting uniform rules, transport arrangements and outdoor activities if temperatures stay near 40C.

The wider question is whether this episode prompts more urgent pressure for cooling and ventilation upgrades across the school estate. For now, the heatwave is being felt not just as a weather event, but as a test of how England and Wales’ schools cope when classrooms become too hot to use normally.