High temperatures, considered dangerous, are leading dozens of educational institutions in the west of the United Kingdom to plan closures this week. The objective is to protect students from the most severe impacts of the intense heat wave.
Although there is no legally established maximum temperature for school environments, schools are legally obliged to protect their students against any health risks. This is the justification for the preventive actions adopted by teaching units.
Some educational units plan to completely stop their activities on Wednesday and Thursday. Others will choose to only operate in the mornings, and several schools are offering parents the possibility of picking up their children early.
Most of the institutions that announced the interruption of classes are primary schools. Below, we present a list of confirmed closures to date.
Schools in the Bristol region with confirmed closures
To date, only a small number of schools in the city of Bristol have reported closures, however, more announcements are expected to occur in the coming days.
Parents of students can search for updates directly on school websites or consult Bristol City Council’s dedicated official page.
The following educational institutions will have activities suspended this week:
- Bristol Cathedral Choir School: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Cathedral Primary School: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Cotham School: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Elmfield School For Deaf Children: Closed Wednesday and Thursday
- Fairfield High School: Closed Wednesday and Thursday
- Filton Avenue Nursery School: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Orchard School: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
Heat impact on over 50 educational institutions in Gloucestershire
More than fifty schools are expected to report closures across Gloucestershire.
Below, we detail the institutions with confirmed closures, but for additional information, it is recommended to access the Gloucestershire County Council website.
- Abbeymead Primary School: Closed from 1pm on Wednesday and Thursday
- Alderman Knight: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Amberley Parochial School: Closed from 1.15pm on Wednesday and Thursday
- Archway School: Closed from 1.30pm on Tuesday, and all day on Wednesday and Thursday
- Beech Green Primary School: Closed from 1.30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Berkeley Primary School: Closed from 1:30pm on Wednesday, and all day on Thursday
- Bettridge School: Closed Tuesday to Thursday
- Calton Primary School: Closed from 12:30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Cam Woodfield Junior School: Closed from 1.15pm on Wednesday and Thursday
- Castle Hill Primary School: Closed from 1.10pm on Wednesday and Thursday
- Chesterton Primary School: Closed from 1pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Chosen Hill School: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Cirencester Deer Park School: Closed from 12:45pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Cirencester Kingshill School: Closed from 1pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Cirencester Primary School: Closed from 1pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Coney Hill Community Primary School: Closed from 1pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Down Ampney Primary School: Closed from 1.15pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Dursley C of E Primary Academy: Optional early collection from 1.20pm on Tuesday. Completely closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Elmbridge Primary School: Optional early collection after afternoon registration at 1.10pm, Tuesday to Thursday
- Grange Primary School: Optional early collection from 1.20pm Tuesday to Thursday
- Kingsholm Church of England Primary School: Closed from 1.30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
- Kingswood Primary School: Optional early collection at 1.15pm Tuesday to Thursday
- Longlevens Infant School: Closed from 1.10pm on Tuesday and completely closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Longlevens Junior School: Closed from 1.20pm on Tuesday, but pupils can remain on site if parents are unable to collect them. Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Maidenhill School, Stonehouse: Closed from 12.20pm on Tuesday. Closed on Wednesday and Thursday, but with remote learning in effect
- Paternoster School, Cirencester: Closed from 1.15pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Rednock School, Dursley: Closed from 1.25pm on Tuesday. Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Rodborough Community Primary School, Stroud: Closed from 12:45pm Wednesday and Thursday
- Rodmarton School, Stroud: Closed from 1.15pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Children whose families are unable to pick them up will be allowed to remain on site
- Ruardean C of E Primary School: Partial closure for some year groups due to extreme temperatures in certain classrooms
- Severn Vale School, Quedgeley: Closed from 1.40pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Sharpness Primary School, Berkeley: Closed from 12:30pm Wednesday and Thursday
- Sherborne C of E Primary School, Cheltenham: Closed from 1.15pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Siddington C of E School, Cirencester: Closed from 1pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- Sir William Romney’s School, Tetbury: Closed from 12:40pm Tuesday. Possible closures for Wednesday and Thursday under review
- Southrop C of E Primary School, Lechlade: Closed from 1.15pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
- St. Mark’s C of E Junior School, Cheltenham: Closed from 12pm Wednesday and Thursday
- Stroud High School: Closed from 12:15pm Wednesday and Thursday
- Tewkesbury Academy: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Tewkesbury CE Primary School: Optional early collection from 1.20pm Tuesday to Thursday
- The Milestone School, Longlevens: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Willow Primary Academy, Gloucester: Closed from 1pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Around a hundred schools in Somerset also announce interruption of classes
Approximately one hundred schools in Somerset County are expected to close. For more details, interested parties can check Somerset Council’s online portal.
These are the outages confirmed so far:
- Avalon School, Street: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Bishop Fox’s School, Taunton: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Bishops Lydeard Church School: Closed from 12:30pm Tuesday. Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Cotford St Luke Primary School: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Danesfield CofE School, Taunton: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Dulverton Junior School: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Fairlands Middle School, Cheddar: Closed Wednesday and Thursday
- Fairmead School, Yeovil: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Fiveways Special School, Yeovil: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Haygrove School, Bridgwater: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Hill View School, Martock: Closed Tuesday to Friday
- Holway Park Primary School, Taunton: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Holyrood Academy, Chard: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Hugh Sexey CofE Middle School, Wedmore: Closed Wednesday and Thursday
- Kingsmead School, Taunton: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Nerrols Primary School, Taunton: Closed Tuesday to Thursday
- North Petherton Community Primary: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Oaklands Primary School, Yeovil: Closed from 12pm Wednesday and Thursday
- Shepton Beauchamp Church School, Ilminster: Closed Tuesday to Thursday
- St Dunstan’s School, Glastonbury: Closed Tuesday to Thursday
- St Mary and St Peters Church School, Ilton: Closed Tuesday to Thursday
- St Michael’s Church of England First School, Minhead: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- The Mendip School, Shepton Mallet: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Tor School Wyndham: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Wadham CofE VC Community School, Crewkerne: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Whitstone School, Shepton Mallet: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
Increase in school closures in Wiltshire due to high temperatures
The number of school closure announcements is also expected to rise in the Wiltshire region.
Unlike elsewhere, Wiltshire Council does not publish information about closures on its website, advising parents to stay in touch with their child’s school directly for updates.
Here are the outages confirmed so far:
- Bowerhill Primary, Melksham: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Devizes School & 6th Form, Devizes: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Drove Primary, Swindon: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Forest & Sandridge CofE Primary, Melksham: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Gorse Hill Primary School, Swindon: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Grange Infants, Swindon: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Grange Junior, Swindon: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Haydon Wick Primary School, Swindon: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Larkhill Primary, Larkhill: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Melksham Oak Community School, Melksham: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Moredon Primary & Nursery, Swindon: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Mountford Manor, Swindon: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Nyland Primary, Swindon: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Rodbourne Cheney Primary, Swindon: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Seend CofE Primary, Seend: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Shaw CofE Primary, Melksham: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Southbroom Nursery & Infants’ School, Devizes: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- St George’s CofE Primary, Semington: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- St Luke’s Academy, Swindon: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- St Mary’s, Broughton Gifford: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- The Ridgeway School & 6th Form, Swindon: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday
- Tregoze Primary, Swindon: Closed on Wednesday and Thursday