Schools in UK begin to shut early due to exceptionally high temperatures

Schools move first as heat warning intensifies

Schools across the UK are beginning to shut early, relax dress codes or close altogether as an exceptionally hot spell prompts official warnings and wider disruption.

The changes are being driven by a rare Met Office red extreme-heat warning covering Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures forecast to reach around 38C to 40C in parts of England and Wales. The UK Health Security Agency has also issued a red heat-health alert for six English regions, according to reporting on the warnings.

The response is already visible in timetables and classroom rules. Some schools are cutting the day short, others are moving afternoon teaching online, and several are allowing pupils to wear PE kit while they decide whether further closures are needed.

Which schools are changing

Wren Academy in Enfield is ending the school day at 1:50 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The school has cancelled after-school clubs and moved afternoon teaching online.

Kingdown School in Warminster is dismissing pupils at 12:25 pm from Monday to Thursday and says normal hours should resume on Friday 26 June.

Falkland Primary School in Newbury has told pupils they may wear PE kits while it waits for guidance on whether it will need to close early. Kingsholm C of E Primary School in Gloucester is also reported to be finishing at 1:30 pm and asking pupils to wear PE kits.

Isebrook School in Kettering, a special educational needs and disabilities school, is reported to be closing fully on Wednesday and Thursday.

The reported measures show that schools are not using a single approach. Some are protecting pupils by reducing time in the hottest part of the day, while others are changing uniform rules or closing entirely where buildings or pupil needs make that more practical.

Why leaders are acting now

The decisions appear to be precautionary responses to the forecast heat rather than reactions to a single incident at one school. Reporting suggests leaders are trying to avoid the worst conditions during the hottest part of the week, when classrooms, school transport and after-school care are likely to come under pressure.

The Department for Education position, as reported, is that closure decisions are for individual schools rather than local authorities. School leaders' union NAHT says there is no legal upper temperature limit for schools and that leaders typically try to manage heat through measures such as extra water, uniform adjustments and ventilation.

That leaves schools to balance safety, supervision and continuity of learning locally. The result is a patchwork of decisions based on building conditions, pupil needs and the timing of the hottest weather.

Wider disruption and stakes for families

The story is not only about classroom time. Early dismissals affect parents' work plans, childcare arrangements and transport at the end of the school day, especially where clubs have been cancelled or online teaching has replaced normal lessons.

The stakes are higher for vulnerable pupils and staff, including in schools with less flexible buildings or additional care needs. In that context, the move to shorter days or full closures reflects a welfare decision as much as an educational one.

The broader heatwave is already affecting public services beyond education, including transport warnings and health alerts. For families, the immediate impact is practical: rearranged pickups, disrupted afternoons and short-notice timetable changes.

What happens next

More schools may announce changes as temperatures peak on Wednesday and Thursday. The main questions are how far the disruption spreads, whether the red warning or heat-health alert is extended, and whether local authorities, school trusts or government bodies issue broader guidance before the hottest period.

For now, schools are acting ahead of the most severe heat rather than waiting for conditions to worsen further. That is turning the heatwave into a fast-moving logistics problem for parents, pupils and school staff across affected parts of the country.