School leaders’ union NAHT has written to all its members with guidance on dealing with the heat this week, including the impact on pupils and staff, the legal position, and when to consider closure.

Commenting as the UK experiences high heats this week, Paul Whiteman, general secretary for school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “As temperatures continue to rise, school leaders will be thinking carefully about how to keep pupils and staff safe and as comfortable as possible.

“While there is no legal ‘upper limit’ for temperature in schools, they will certainly be doing all they can to mitigate the effects of such high temperatures.

“For most, this will mean making straightforward adjustments such as limiting the time spent in the sun during breaks, ensuring additional water is available, making adjustments to uniform expectations where appropriate, and ventilating classrooms as best they can.

“If, as it appears, warmer summers are going to become the norm, then government really does need to act more urgently to improve and modernise school buildings, including a focus on ventilation and potentially air conditioning. School buildings need to be conducive to learning all year round.”

Read the guidance here.