How a new era of heatwaves could shake up the school calendar

Over the past two weeks, children have returned to school in Scotland as their summer holidays concluded. Similar to other European countries, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland have their academic year starting in early September, with some holidays lengthier than Scotland's. However, in England and Wales, schools did not break up until late July, placing pupils in school during the peak of early summer heat.

Inside many classrooms, the heat became stifling as there was no air conditioning and limited ventilation, resulting in over 1,000 schools either closing or sending pupils home early. GCSE and A-level students sitting exams during extreme heat faced particularly challenging conditions. Baroness Brown, chair of the UK's Climate Change Adaptation Committee, warned that high temperatures can significantly impair children's concentration and performance in school.

Baroness Brown's concerns align with Ofsted's chief inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, who suggested reconsidering the timing of school holidays, stating that exams in May, June, and July are particularly challenging for children. The recent heatwaves have prompted some parents, such as Andrea Bigger in London, to join the call for action, as her daughter suffered from heat exhaustion at her primary school in the past.

The Met Office reported that this summer, 2023, is likely to become the hottest on record, with multiple temperature records broken, including the hottest June day ever measured in the UK, with 38C recorded in Norfolk. The heatwaves continued into July, with heatwave conditions affecting most of the month. Schools struggled to handle the situation, with some closing or declaring heat days due to unsafe temperatures in classrooms.

Experts predict that as human-induced climate change leads to hotter summers and more frequent heatwaves, disruptions like heat days could become more common. A study by the Met Office and University College London estimates that students could lose 8.2 days of learning annually due to extreme heat if average global temperatures rise above 2C above pre-industrial levels. Headteachers are left to make difficult decisions, balancing student safety with the need to maintain educational continuity.