Sweltering Classrooms: UK Schools Struggle Through Record Heatwave

During the third UK heatwave of 2026, temperatures peaked at 35 °C, with classroom thermometers recording more than 10 °C above safe working levels. In England and Wales, over 1,000 schools either closed or operated partially at the height of the June heatwave. Department for Education (DfE) data show that one-in-five school sessions in England were missed, the highest daily absence rate recorded in the 2025-26 academic year. Teachers reported pupils and staff fainting, suffering heatstroke, nausea and headaches, and resorting to makeshift cooling measures such as wet paper towels, floor-level seating and water trays for their feet.

The Guardian

Round Our Way, a climate-impact research group, estimated the economic cost of the June heatwave between £100 million and £200 million. A survey of 1,000 UK parents commissioned by the group found that more than half had a child miss at least one school day; 40 % said children returned home overheated and exhausted; 46 % reported children could not play outside; and nearly two-thirds described UK summers as “starting to feel genuinely unsafe for children.”

The Guardian

A DfE spokesperson reiterated that schools retain discretion to remain open but should do so “wherever possible.” The spokesperson added that schools have “well-established measures to manage hot weather, including ensuring children stay hydrated, adapting uniforms where appropriate and avoiding strenuous activity during the hottest parts of the day.” The National Education Union (NEU) collaborated with Round Our Way on a teacher survey highlighting severe impacts in London schools.

The Guardian

Roger Harding, co-director of Round Our Way, argued that “we need to see a plan from government to protect people, including children in school, when extreme weather hits.” He warned that reliance on individual schools to cope with climate-driven heat is untenable. Lorna Powell, an NHS urgent-care doctor and co-director of the Mothers Rise Up climate group, emphasized that schools must remain safe learning environments and noted a growing public awareness linking fossil-fuel interests to extreme weather.

The Guardian

• “The adults barely coped and most of the children were calling for their mummies and daddies. There was no learning, just surviving the best we could.” — Primary school teacher

The Guardian

• “We need to see a plan from government to protect people, including children in school, when extreme weather hits,” — Roger Harding, co-director, Round Our Way

The Guardian

• “Our schools should be places where we can learn and teach safely. A place for children whose homes are not safe. Extreme heat and other climate impacts are jeopardising this.” — Lorna Powell, NHS urgent-care doctor, co-director, Mothers Rise Up

The Guardian

• “Schools have well-established measures to manage hot weather, including ensuring children stay hydrated, adapting uniforms where appropriate and avoiding strenuous activity during the hottest parts of the day.” — DfE spokesperson

The Guardian