Increasing numbers of schools were closed on Tuesday, including some that had pledged to remain open during the heatwave, after experiencing “unbearable” temperatures in classrooms.
Steve Chalke, founder of Oasis, which runs 53 schools, said that despite trying to stay open yesterday, three of its academies closed today because temperatures had reached 42C in some rooms.
This includes Oasis Academy South Bank, a secondary near Waterloo.
Mr Chalke said “all the mitigations we can possibly arrange in terms of pastoral care” have been put in place at the schools that have been forced to close, and teachers will stay in close contact with the children.
The Department for Education is not advising schools to close but said it is down to individual school leaders to decide.
Clapton Girls’ Academy in Hackney, Harris Academy Purley in Croydon and Sydney Russell School in Dagenham were among the many London schools finishing lessons early today, while Croydon College, Coulsdon Sixth Form College, Woodcote High School and Riddlesdown Collegiate School, all in Croydon, were among those closing entirely and running lessons remotely.
Nick Soar, executive principal of Harris academies Tottenham and St John’s Wood, which remained open but allowed vulnerable staff and pupils to choose whether to attend, said: “Our collective decision in the end was to open as much as we could. Our children and our families appreciated this as much as they appreciated the partial dress-down and the free water at the gates and at break time.”
Mr Chalke said Oasis schools are now working on future proofing school buildings to ensure they can cope with similar levels of heat next summer.
