Plans drawn up by the NHS and UKHSA warn that children should avoid “vigorous physical activity” on days where temperatures exceed 30C. “Some schools have been forced to close classes where conditions are too hot,” the plans add. Sports days were canceled on Monday, while schools could also rearrange start, finish and game times to avoid the hottest parts of the day, the official Heatwave plan for England suggests. No mandatory heat notice has yet been sent to schools by the government, but it is understood one could be sent later this week. An Education Department source said any heat-related school closures were “comparable to a snow day” and therefore “a matter for headteachers”, as Covid-era laws that allowed ministers to block such closures no longer applied. A DfE spokesman pointed to NHS guidance as the current benchmark for schools.
