Salisbury school closure due to heatwave
Decision 'not taken lightly' amid Met Office extreme weather warning
Last updated 17th Jul 2022
St Joseph's Catholic School in Laverstock, Salisbury has announced it will be closed tomorrow (Mon 18 July) as a result of extreme heat warnings for the next couple of days.
St Joseph's is the first local school Greatest Hits Radio Salisbury has reported will close, in what could soon become a number of other schools choosing to remain shut as a Met Office Amber weather warning for heat lasts through till Tuesday. Temperatures are set to soar to at least 37 °C in Wiltshire on Monday, and even hotter in the South East of the UK. The UK's in a national emergency.
The Governors, Headteacher, and Senior staff at St Joseph's say the decision has not been taken lightly.
They do not feel they have adequate facilities at the Church Road site to accommodate pupils comfortably and safely in the extreme heat.
It's not clear if the school will re-open on Tuesday, but a decision will be taken during Monday.
The school has also said that work for pupils will be set online via "Show My Homework"
In a message on the school's website a spokesperson said:
"Please rest assured that the closing of school on Monday is not a cancellation of booked enrichment activities - we will be looking to host the activities at the earliest opportunity in September so that pupils do not miss out."
The UK Government held an emergency Cobra on meeting on Saturday, saying that Health and social care, schools and the transport network are the government's main areas of concern, as extremely high temperatures hit the UK.