Looking after Schoolchildren and those in Early Years settings during Heatwaves:Guidance for Teachers and Other Professionals

High temperatures affect people of all age groups and climate change is likely to lead to an increase in heatwaves throughout the UK. Temperatures both outdoors and indoors may rise to such an extent that precautions to prevent children suffering from heat stress or heat exhaustion may need to be taken.

The Department of Health publication ‘Heatwave – A guide to looking after yourself and others during hot weather’ provides advice on what to do under such circumstances; the advice given here focuses specifically on children and is provided for teachers, school nurses, assistants and others looking after children in schools, nurseries, Sure Start children’s centres and other early years settings, including childminders.It will also be of use to those involved in the provision of before or after-school childcare, clubs and to parents. This advice should be followed during periods of hot weather, but it is particularly important if a Level Amber or Red Heatwave Alert is announced. In the event of such an alert,health organisations and local authorities will be alerted by the Met Office

Outdoors

On very hot days (ie where temperatures are in excess of 30°C), children should not take part in vigorous physical activity.
Children playing outdoors should be encouraged to stay in the shade as much as possible.
Loose, light-coloured clothing should be worn to help children keep cool and hats of a closed construction with wide brims should be worn to avoid sunburn.
Thin clothing or suncream should be used to protect skin if children are playing or taking lessons outdoors for more than 20 minutes.
Children must be provided with plenty of cool water *and encouraged to drink more than usual when conditions are hot.
*The temperature of water supplied from the cold tap is adequate for this purpose.

Indoors

Measures to avoid classrooms and other teaching spaces becoming unnecessarily hot are as follows.

Windows and other ventilation openings should be opened during the cool of early morning or preferably overnight to allow stored heat to escape from the building. It is important to check insurance conditions and the need for security if windows are to be left open overnight.
Windows and other ventilation openings should not be closed, but their openings reduced when the outdoor air becomes warmer than the air indoors. This should help keep rooms cool whilst allowing adequate ventilation .
Use outdoor sun awnings if available, or indoor blinds, but do not let solar shading devices block ventilation openings or windows.
Keep the use of electric lighting to a minimum during heatwaves.
All electrical equipment, including computers, monitors and printers should be switched off when not in use and should not be left in ‘standby mode’. Electrical equipment, when left on, or in 'standby' mode generates heat.

For further information on reducing temperatures within school buildings and grounds see the background information page, and the Department of HEalth's Heatwave Plan 2008.

Maintaining children’s health during hot weather conditions

Encourage children to eat normally.
Encourage children to drink plenty of cool water* on hot days.
*The temperature of water supplied from the cold tap is adequate for this purpose.

Other actions that can be taken include the following:

If possible, rearrange school start and finish times to avoid teaching during very hot conditions.
Use classrooms or other spaces which are less likely to overheat in preference to others, and adjust the layout of teaching spaces to avoid direct sunlight on children.
Oscillating mechanical fans can be used to increase air movement if necessary.

Which children are likely to be most affected by high temperatures?

Children’s susceptibility to high temperatures varies; those who are overweight or who are taking medication may be at increased risk of adverse effects. Children under four years of age are also at increased risk.

Some children with disabilities or complex health needs may be more susceptible to temperature extremes. The school nurse, community health practitioner, family health visitor or the child’s specialist health professional may be able to advise on the particular needs of the individual child. Schools need to provide for children’s individual needs. Support staff should be made aware of the risks and how to manage them.

Actions to take if heat stress or heat exhaustion is suspected

Teachers, assistants and school nurses should look out for signs of heat stress and heat exhaustion.

Heat stress

Children suffering from heat stress will show general signs of discomfort (including those listed below for heat exhaustion). These signs will worsen with physical activity or if left untreated and can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Heat exhaustion

Signs of heat exhaustion include the following.

Irritability
Fatigue
Dizziness
Headache
Nausea
Hot, red and dry skin.

Heatstroke

Sweating is an essential means of cooling and once this stops a child is at serious risk of developing heatstroke. Heatstroke can develop if heat exhaustion or heat stress is left untreated, but it can also occur suddenly and without warning.

The following steps to reduce body temperature should be taken at once.

Move the child to as cool a room as possible.
Sponge the child with cool, (not cold) water and, if available, place cold packs around the neck and in the armpits.
Place the child near a fan.

If a child shows signs of confusion, follow the steps above. If a child loses consciousness, place the child in the recovery position and follow the steps above. In both cases, call 999 or 112 for emergency medical assistance.

If sensible precautions are taken children are unlikely to be adversely affected by hot conditions.

The school sun policy

This should include the provision for requesting permission from parents and guardians to allow their child to have their face, arms and legs sponged with cool water if heatstroke is suspected.

Other information from the HPA

Other sources of information

Heatwave: a guide to looking after yourself and others during hot weather (Department of Health, 2006) is available on the Department of Health website at www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4135302 [outside link].

The heatwave plan for England (Department of Health, 2008) (see in particular the section entitled ‘The Heatwave plan’ which provides information on the alerting system) is available on the Department of Health website at athttp://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_084670 [outside link].

Information on the application of sun cream and sun protection for children can be found on the National Schools Partnership website at www.nationalschoolspartnership.com/sunawarenessweek/FurtherInformationforTeachers.pdf (PDF, 6 pages,425 kB) [outside link].

Advice on developing a school sun protection policy is available from the Cancer Research UK Sun Smart website at info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/sunsmart/ [outside link].

Information from Teachernet is available on drinking water provision at www.teachernet.gov.uk/energy, school buildings at www.teachernet.gov.uk/schoolbuildings and health and safety in schools at www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/healthandsafety [outside links].

The Water is Cool in School campaign website is available at www.wateriscoolinschools.org.uk/ [outside link].

Last reviewed: 17 August 2009