South East schools shut as red heat warning takes effect

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Schools across South East England are closing classrooms, shortening timetables and moving lessons online as a rare red extreme heat warning comes into force, with forecasters predicting some of the highest temperatures on record for the region.

Rare red warning drives wave of school closures

The Met Office red warning for extreme heat, in place from Wednesday morning until Thursday evening, covers a broad swathe of central, southern and south east England, including many of London’s commuter belts. Public forecasts indicate that daytime temperatures could reach 38 to 40 degrees Celsius in parts of Surrey, Kent, Sussex and the Thames Valley, conditions more commonly associated with southern Europe than the UK.

In response, hundreds of schools are confirming full or partial closures, according to regional news reports and local authority updates. Coverage from outlets following the heatwave indicates that decisions range from shutting sites entirely to limiting in-person attendance to specific year groups, particularly those preparing for exams, while other pupils are being taught remotely.

The closures are most widespread in densely populated urban areas where older school buildings are difficult to ventilate and playgrounds offer limited shade. Some secondary schools in London and the South East have announced that they will close on both days of the red alert, citing internal classroom temperatures well above comfortable learning conditions.

The UK government has not ordered a blanket shutdown of education settings, and there is no national maximum classroom temperature. Instead, the Department for Education has reiterated existing guidance that headteachers should assess local risks and take steps to protect pupils and staff, including temporary closure where heat cannot be safely managed.

Shortened timetables, remote learning and exam adjustments

Where schools remain technically open, many are adopting emergency measures to reduce exposure to peak afternoon heat. Common approaches include earlier start and finish times, cancelling assemblies and nonessential activities, and moving as many lessons as possible into the coolest available rooms.

Reports from across the South East describe primary schools asking families to collect children early on red-warning days, while secondary schools are shifting to reduced timetables or online teaching for non-exam cohorts. Some multi-academy trusts are standardising responses across their schools, while others are leaving decisions to individual headteachers based on building conditions.

Examinations and end-of-year assessments are a particular concern. Published guidance indicates that schools are encouraged to keep exam rooms shaded, provide access to water and allow more frequent breaks where appropriate. In some cases, schools are moving scheduled assessments to earlier in the day or to cooler rooms, while maintaining statutory requirements for external qualifications.

Attendance policies are also being relaxed in many settings. Publicly available information from several local authorities advises that parents who keep children at home because of heat-related health concerns should inform schools in the normal way, and that such absences are likely to be recorded as authorised where the red alert applies.

Local authorities coordinate regional response

Councils across the South East are issuing their own updates as the red warning takes effect, consolidating information on school arrangements and wider public services. Urban authorities in particular are highlighting the combined pressures of heat, poor air quality and the risk of transport disruption on already stretched education and childcare systems.

Some councils are using established heatwave action plans to frame their advice to schools, including recommendations to limit strenuous outdoor activities, stagger break times to avoid peak temperatures and ensure continuous access to drinking water. Guidance shared publicly stresses the importance of checking in on pupils with underlying health conditions and adapting uniform rules to allow lighter clothing and hats.

In more rural parts of the South East, transport is a critical factor in closure decisions. Bus operators have warned of potential timetable changes or cancellations where road surfaces are affected or where vehicles cannot be kept within safe temperature limits. Headteachers in these areas are factoring travel risks into their risk assessments, particularly for pupils who rely on longer bus journeys to reach school.

Local education leaders are also drawing attention to the uneven impact of closures on families. Parents working in roles that cannot be performed remotely may struggle to accommodate sudden changes to school hours, while others face the challenge of keeping children cool and supervised at home for extended periods.

Health risks drive caution as temperatures climb

The red warning level reflects a shift from typical summer discomfort toward serious health risks, including heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Public health agencies have stated that impacts are expected across the population, not only among traditionally vulnerable groups such as older people or those with pre-existing medical conditions.

Schools are being reminded through publicly available guidance that children can be particularly susceptible to dehydration and heat stress, especially in crowded indoor spaces. Many settings have introduced additional water breaks, relaxed rules on drinking in class and encouraged pupils to refill bottles frequently throughout the day.

Outdoor activities are being scaled back across the region. Sports days, school trips and leavers’ events planned for this week have been postponed or reshaped to take place earlier in the morning or indoors where possible. Playgrounds with limited shade are seeing restricted use during the hottest hours, with staff encouraged to monitor pupils closely for signs of overheating.

Public information campaigns are urging families to apply high-factor sunscreen, use light and loose clothing, and consider keeping younger children indoors during the central part of the day. Schools are echoing these messages in newsletters and text alerts, seeking to align classroom precautions with what families are doing at home.

Transport disruption and wider travel impacts

The heatwave is also affecting how pupils and staff travel to and from school. Rail operators covering London and the South East have warned of slower services, temporary line restrictions and potential cancellations as tracks and overhead lines are exposed to prolonged extreme temperatures. Commuter routes used by secondary students are particularly vulnerable to disruption.

On the roads, highway authorities are monitoring for surface damage such as softening tarmac, which can increase the risk of accidents and require short-notice lane closures. Some councils are advising families to avoid nonessential car journeys during the hottest periods, and to ensure that children are never left in parked vehicles, even for short periods.

For families planning holidays or long-distance travel at the end of the school term, the red warning adds another layer of uncertainty. Airports and coach operators serving the South East have published generic heatwave advice for passengers, while also cautioning that knock-on effects from rail and road disruption may lengthen journey times to terminals.

Travel analysts note that the current situation highlights how closely education, transport and public health systems are intertwined during periods of extreme weather. With climate projections pointing to more frequent and intense summer heat events in the UK, campaign groups are using the latest school closures to call for long-term investment in cooler school buildings, shaded outdoor spaces and heat-resilient transport infrastructure across the South East.