Hampshire schools urged to relax uniform rules in hot weather
Last updated 13th Jun 2023
Hampshire county council has urged schools to consider being flexible on uniform rules to help children stay cool during the heatwave.
The authority has also suggested that schools readjust the amount of time spent outdoors, while also flagging up national advice to consider rearranging school start, finish, and play times due to hot temperatures.
Climate change is making heatwaves in the UK more likely and more extreme.
The county council has expressed its concerns and advised schools and practitioners to keep children cool since most classrooms do not have air conditioning to maintain a stable temperature.
After asking the county council what equipment or resources schools have to maintain neutral temperatures, they said that desk or floor-mounted fans could be found in schools to encourage air movement.
But overall ‘the majority of classrooms do not have air conditioning.’
The council said: ‘Some more recently constructed or refurbished schools will have individual classroom ventilation units designed to bring in cooler outside air and some rooms, such as IT spaces, may have comfort cooling to help keep temperatures down.’
To be prepared for this scorching weather, the county council has issued guidance to schools on how best to cope with high temperatures.
‘Our expectation is that schools and early years settings work in accordance with the national guidance on managing hot weather,’ it said.
‘This includes making sure that children stay well hydrated, apply sun cream and keep to the shade while playing outdoors, as well as managing indoor temperatures safely and effectively.
‘Staff are also advised to ensure that children do not take part in vigorous physical activity on very hot days, such as when temperatures exceed 30 degrees.
‘Schools are advised to communicate with parents and carers about all of these measures and where their support is required to make sure that children are well prepared for the hotter weather.
‘We suggest that individual schools and early years settings consider being flexible in terms of relaxing uniform rules to help children stay cool and readjusting their time spent outdoors as appropriate.’
According to the ‘Looking after children and those in early years settings during heatwaves: for teachers and professionals’ national guidance, children under four years of age, who are overweight, or who are taking certain medications are more susceptible to high temperatures.
They children cannot control their body temperature as efficiently as adults during hot weather because they do not sweat as much and so can be at risk of ill health from heat.
In line with the guidance, early years settings and schools should open windows as early as possible in the morning before children arrive, or ‘preferably’ overnight to allow stored heat to escape from the building.
When the outdoor air becomes warmer than the air indoors, settings are advised to ‘almost close windows’.
Other measures included keeping the use of electric lighting to a minimum, using oscillating fans to increase air movement and if necessary, consider rearranging school start, finish, and play times to avoid teaching during very hot conditions.
Water sprays could also be a funny way to keep children’s body temperatures cool while spraying water on the outside playgrounds could help to cool the air.
Teachers, practitioners, and those working with children must know how to identify symptoms of heatstroke.
Some of them are red, hot skin and sweating that suddenly stops, fast heartbeat, fast shallow breathing, confusion or lack of co-ordination.
During the period of hot weather, the UKHSA advises people to:
Check on family, friends and neighbours
Know the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke
Stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm
Exercise or walk dogs at cooler times of the day, such as in the morning or evening
Close windows and curtains in rooms which face the sun
Wear suitable clothing if going outside, including a hat and sunglasses, and apply sunscreen
Drink plenty of fluids and limit alcohol intake