How a new era of heatwaves could shake up the school calendar
Teachers warn it could be increasingly difficult for classrooms to function during the hottest months.
Over the past two weeks, children have returned to school playgrounds in Scotland after their summer break. In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, pupils will return early September, experiencing similar holidays but with later breaks. Many schools in England and Wales had students in class during the height of early summer heat, with temperatures reaching or exceeding 30C. Inside many classrooms, the heat was stifling, and over 1,000 schools either closed or sent pupils home early due to the extreme conditions.
Baroness Brown, chair of the UK's Climate Change Adaptation committee, warned that high temperatures can significantly impair children's concentration and performance during exams. Ofsted's chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver suggested reconsidering the timing of school holidays, particularly in May, June, and July when the weather is typically hot.
Some parents, like Andrea Bigger in London, are concerned about the dangers of extreme heat in classrooms, having experienced heat exhaustion in the past. BBC analysis shows that the first 30C day is occurring earlier, with 19 June in the 2020s compared to 13 July in the 1960s.
The Met Office predicts this summer will be the hottest on record, with multiple temperature records broken and five widespread heatwaves. June saw one of the UK's most intense heatwaves, with temperatures exceeding 38C in Norfolk, while the UK Health Security Agency issued multiple amber warnings. As human-induced climate change brings hotter summers and more frequent heatwaves, summer heat is arriving earlier and disrupting school operations.
Some experts estimate that students could lose an average of 8.2 days of learning per year due to extreme heat if global temperatures rise 2C above pre-industrial levels. Teachers face challenges in ensuring safe learning conditions during heatwaves, and there is growing concern about the need for better investments in schools or a potential shift in the school calendar to accommodate climate change.
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