UPDATE 18 July: How are nurseries and childcare settings coping in the #Heatwave22?
Are you open all day, closing at lunchtime? How are you keeping children cool in the heat - is it all paddling pools and ice pops?! How are staff keeping cool? What are your plans for the very hot days on Monday and Tuesday?
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Weather alerts
Previously an amber warning had been put in place until the end of Tuesday, but this has now been upgraded by the Met Office (Friday morning).
London is forecast to hit 38°C on Monday and Tuesday, close to the highest recorded temperature in the UK of 38.7°C, which was recorded in Cambridge in 2019.
Tuesday is forecast to be the hottest day and temperatures could reach as high as 40°C in the south-east, which is unprecedented in the UK.
The Met said the Red Extreme heat national severe weather warning will cover Monday and Tuesday (18 and 19 July) for parts of central, northern, eastern and southeastern England.
An Amber Extreme heat warning, has been in place for much of England and Wales for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday (17 – 19 July) since earlier this week. Today the amber areas are also being extended to cover Cornwall, west Wales and parts of southern Scotland.
The Met Office advises people 'should take action now to keep yourself and others safe' and avoid travelling, where possible.
According to the Met Office the red warning means:
- Population-wide adverse health effects, not limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to serious illness or danger to life
- Substantial changes in working practices and daily routines will be needed
- A high risk of failure of heat-sensitive equipment, potentially leading to localised loss of power and other essential services
- More people visiting coastal areas, lakes and rivers, leading to an increased risk of water safety incidents
- Delays on roads and road closures, along with delays and cancellations to rail and air travel.
Very hot weather can put a strain on the heart and lungs, with children, older people and those with pre-existing conditions particularly at risk.
The warning from the Met Office has led to some schools and nurseries cancelling events and warning they will shorten days.
Parents of children attending the Kindergarten Pre-school and Day Nursery in Hendon, North London have reportedly been told that they will close the setting at 1pm on Monday and possibly Tuesday.
DfE guidance
The Department for Education (DfE) are not advising early years and childcare settings to close.
Individual setting leaders are responsible for managing their own local circumstances. They should refer to the Emergency Planning Guidance and carry out risk assessments in line with government guidance on looking after children and young people, as well as those in early years settings during heatwaves.
This includes the use of ventilation, closing rooms that are too hot, keeping children hydrated, avoiding vigorous physical activity, encouraging children to wear loose, light coloured clothing and sunhats with wide brims, to use sunscreen, and providing them with plenty of water.
Children under four-years-old years and some children and adults with complex medical needs and chronic conditions are potentially at a higher risk during periods of extreme heat.
Settings are advised to consider actions recommended in Chapter 3 of the Heatwave Plan For England which are based on the best evidence and practice available currently and are not intended to be prescriptive.
Settings should carry out risk assessments and amend and adapt procedures in a way which is appropriate for the individual medical needs of the children and adults in their setting.
The DfE has also advised schools not to close, placing the onus on ‘individual school leaders who are responsible for managing their own local circumstances.’
Its guidance recommends that schools boost ventilation, keep children hydrated and avoid vigorous physical activity.
Similarly, the advice from the NHS is that young children’s sun exposure be limited, and they drink plenty of water and find cool places to play, while the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) recommends shading or covering windows exposed to direct sunlight.
Other adaptations childcare settings are making to cope with the hot weather include serving only cold lunches to children and making their own ice lollies – as implemented by Jo of Free-Range Play – and setting up lots of wet play activities.
James Bowen, director of policy 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.’
Bowen went on to ask the Government to give ‘urgent thought’ to improving the state of school buildings given that warmer summers could become the norm.
In Wales, the deputy chief medical officer Chris Jones has urged the public to take precautions with the rising temperature, while the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has triggered a severe weather emergency response in the capital – a move typically activated in the winter – focusing on the health and welfare of rough sleepers in particular.
Possible road closures and train cancellations and delays is also expected to cause widespread disruption across the country.
Staff
With regards to employees, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says employers should let staff work flexibly where possible and relax formal dress codes. Where possible, windows should be opened and fans or air conditioning units should be available.
Under law, there is no ‘upper limit’ for temperature, meaning employees would still be permitted to come to work in hot weather. Only a lower limit for very cold temperatures exists.
- Read the DfE Advice for schools and other education settings during a heatwave here
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DfE Guidance: Looking after children and those in early years settings during heatwaves: for teachers and professionals
- Read the UKHSA's Beat the Heat guidance here
This story was updated on 15 July at 5pm to include more advice from the Met and DfE on the red weather warning.
