Darlington primary school applauded for ‘leading the way’ in ’empathetic’ approach to hot weather
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A primary school in Darlington has been praised by parents for their ‘leading the way’ in their approach to the hot weather conditions.
Harrowgate Hill Primary School in Darlington announced via their social media that although school will be open as normal on Monday and Tuesday, children will be able to stay home under an authorised absence if they are struggling in the heat.
The school have recognised that closure would be short notice for parents and carers to organise alternative childcare; but parents able to pick up their children have been authorised to do so. They decided on these measures as ‘children all respond differently to heat as do adults.’
READ MORE: HEATWAVE LIVE: First Teesside school closure announced due to extreme temperatures
As well as giving pupils the options of going into school or staying home as an authorised absence, Harrowgate Hill Primary School have allowed children to wear cool clothing to school as ‘uniform is not important’, they have also been instructed to bring water bottles and put on sun cream before arriving to school. As well as this, pupils will be completing school work as usual, but not a strenuous amount, instead keeping school ‘as relaxed as impossible’ for all.
A full statement from Harrowgate Hill Primary School headteacher Amanda Abbott reads: Dear All HHPS Families
As you will all be aware there is an extreme weather alert for Monday and Tuesday (extreme hot weather) and we are aware many of you may be concerned about the children being in school in this heat. Children all respond differently to heat as do adults so please read the information below in terms of what we are doing to support this.
School will be open as normal on Monday and Tuesday as we recognise short notice closure has a huge impact on parents. Any parent who wishes to keep their child off school because they are concerned about the heat will have this absence authorised.
Any parent who wishes to collect their child early on Monday or Tuesday may do so at any time if they are concerned and this will be authorised. As we recommended last week – your child may wear whatever they like to school as long as it is cool. Uniform is not important, just be as cool as possible.
Please bring water bottles and the children will be given regular opportunities to fill them as often as they like and to take as many toilet breaks as needed as a result of drinking lots of water. Sun hats or caps should be worn. Please put on sun-cream before they come to school and if they can apply their own it can be sent in named with them to school.
As the weather is meant to be really hot, time outside will be restricted. We recognise this may disappoint the children who love playing out but in extreme heat very short periods only are recommended and no child who wants to stay indoors will be asked to go outside, they may stay indoors.
All windows and doors will remain open in classrooms and we follow heat reducing recommendations (blinds down on sun facing windows etc.) to keep things as cool as we can but inevitably the classrooms will get warm. We will not be asking the children to do a lot of work as the heat will tire them so we will keep it as relaxed as possible for them.
If any individual children appear to be struggling we will contact parents as we usually would if their child is feeling poorly .Unlike in winter where there is a lower temperature limit there is NO upper temperature limit for summer.
The Government and local authority are not recommending school closures but say schools should make individual decisions on what they feel is best. As said above we intend to be open, however, if temperatures indoors become too much for everyone we may make the decision to close and apologise in advance for any inconveniences this may cause. The last thing we want is poorly children.
Working together we can get through this super hot period and keep everyone safe and healthy.
Following the statement, adults who have children at the school have taken to social media to praise Harrowgate Hill’s measures to keep both pupils and staff safe in the heatwave.
One commented: “I’m impressed at how much care and thought has gone into these precautions- it’s rare to see these things worded in such an empathetic and reasonable way, rather than just the usual straight authoritarian instructions. Mrs Abbott good on you!”
Another said: “Well done HHPS, leading the way! I hope other schools will take note!”
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