How Hotter Summers Could Change the School Year

This summer, more than 1,000 schools across the UK closed early or sent students home because classrooms were dangerously hot. Temperatures reached record highs, with one town in Norfolk hitting 38°C in June — the hottest June day ever recorded in the UK. Many schools had no air conditioning and poor airflow, making it nearly impossible to learn. Now, parents, teachers, and experts are asking a big question: should the school year be changed to keep students safe?

Scotland's schools break up for summer in late June or early July and return in mid-August. In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, students do not go back until early September, meaning they are in school during the hottest part of summer. This year, that created serious problems. While the thermometer climbed above 30°C outside, classrooms with no air conditioning felt even hotter. Students trying to take important exams like GCSEs had to work in sweltering conditions.

Scientists say this is not just a one-time problem. BBC analysis shows that in the 1960s, the first 30°C day of the year usually happened around July 13, but now it happens on average on June 19 — more than three weeks earlier. Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, says the UK's hot season is getting longer, with more heat in May and September on top of the usual summer months. This is a clear sign of a warming climate reshaping British summers.

This summer is likely to be the hottest on record, with five widespread heatwaves and four months in a row where temperatures topped 35°C — something that has never happened before. In late June, the Met Office issued its most serious alert: a red extreme heat warning. The UK Health Security Agency also issued several amber warnings throughout the summer. Schools struggled to cope, with many declaring 'heat days' when classroom temperatures became too high.

Research shows that heat has a real impact on how well students learn and perform. A report from the Climate Change Committee found that students are around 10% less likely to pass an exam on a 32°C day compared to a 22°C day. A 2024 study also found that student performance drops by 2% to 12% for every degree the temperature rises above 24°C. The average school in England already hits an uncomfortable 26°C on about 59 days a year.

Baroness Brown, who chairs the UK's Climate Change Adaptation Committee, warned that high temperatures can significantly hurt children's concentration and performance. She said it is 'unacceptable' that children are expected to sit important exams in halls not designed for extreme heat. Scientists believe that if global temperatures rise more than 2°C above historical levels, students could lose an average of 8.2 school days per year due to extreme heat.

Some parents are already feeling the impact of classroom heat. Andrea Bigger, a London parent, said her daughter was hospitalized after suffering heat exhaustion at primary school. Rebecca Martin worries about her son sitting GCSE exams in hotter future summers and says there needs to be serious thought given to changing the school year or installing air conditioning. Their experiences show how the problem is already affecting real families across the UK.

One proposed solution is to shift summer holidays earlier, so students break up at the end of June — similar to Scotland. Countries like France and Spain already have rules that change school timetables or close schools when it gets too hot, and some experts say the UK should follow their example. Another solution is to upgrade school buildings with better ventilation or air conditioning, though both options would cost a lot of money and take many years to put in place.

For now, many experts say the most urgent need is clearer guidelines for schools during extreme heat. Just as there is a minimum classroom temperature of 18°C for winter, there is currently no legal maximum temperature for classrooms in summer. Steve Chalke, who runs more than 50 schools in England, said: 'We're all accustomed to snow days but we now need to properly think and prepare for heat days too.' Without a national plan, schools will keep struggling every time a heatwave strikes.