education

School delays sports day because children ‘aren’t used to hot weather’

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Some of the events will still take place early in the morning (Picture: Getty/iStockphoto)

Brits are arming themselves with fans, sunscreen and ice lollies ahead of boiling temperatures later this week.

Friday is forecast to be the hottest day of the year so far, and one school has already taken drastic measures by cancelling its upcoming sports day.

Richmond Primary School in Hinckley, Leicestershire, made the announcement ahead of tomorrow’s event after the Met Office said temperatures could soar to 34°C.

Parents were set to join children in a series of races in the afternoon, but this was deemed unsafe as they are ‘not used’ to such sweltering weather.

Some events from the programme will still take place in the morning before the temperature rises too high, but the rest have been postponed for later this month.

‘Due to the hot weather, we have made the decision to postpone the Years 4, 5, 6’s afternoon competitive races where parents/carers were invited to attend,’ a statement said.

‘Sorry for the inconvenience but we feel it will be too hot for the children who are not used to these temperatures.’

Richmond Primary School, in Hinckley, has been forced to change its programme because of the heat

This week a Level 3 Heat-Health Alert was issued for the much of southern and central England, highlighting the severity of the weather.

This week has already seen glorious sunshine and clear skies across England and Wales, due to a cloud of hot air coming from Portugal and Spain where people are battling suffocating heat.

For schoolchildren and teachers, being stuck inside the classroom in such high degrees could make it hard to concentrate.

According to the National Education Union (NEU), there is no specific legal maximum temperature for schools.

A statement on its website said: ‘Clearly, very high temperatures can affect the ability staff and pupils to concentrate and to work effectively, and can cause physical discomfort and illness.

‘If people get too hot, they risk dizziness, fainting, or even epileptic fits or heat cramps. In very hot conditions the body’s blood temperature rises.

‘If the blood temperature rises above 39°C, there is a risk of heat stroke or collapse. Delirium or confusion can occur above 41°C.

‘The NEU believes that because of the nature of the way in which teachers work, and the presence of children, a maximum indoor working temperature of 26°C.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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