Heat management measures include:

1. Opening windows to maximise ventilation during the cooler parts of the day. Windows and doors are opened at 6am to let cooler air in and warmer air to escape.
2. Closing blinds and some windows as the temperature rises during the day.
3. Using oscillating mechanical fans to increase air movement in classrooms.
4. Removing vigorous physical activity from the timetable for pupils and staff, including some indoor play at breaktimes and encouraging children to relax in shaded areas of the school site.
5. Cancelling sports days events and gardening lessons.
6. Recording classroom temperatures at different times during the day to inform our decision-making.
7. Hiring portable, industrial air conditioning units for the warmest classrooms. There is a need to balance the availability, noise of operation with the impact on cooling. 
8. Moving classes, and/or rotating classes to work in cooler areas of the school, wherever possible.

We have already taken longer-term measures to manage heat including:

• development of shaded areas to the south of the school site by planting more trees and installing awnings
• fitting of external micro-louvre window shutters to the east and south-facing first-floor classrooms
• planned work to shade rooflights remains on-going due to manufacturing delays which is frustrating for this period of high temperatures.

As last a last resort, if temperatures become excessive in classrooms and these management measures are exhausted or not effective, we will consider combinations of:

1. partial closure, where individual classes are sent home
2. early closure, where we are open for part of the day but not the full day
3. full closure.

Any closure will mean switching to learning at home by Microsoft Teams. Depending on classroom temperatures in the early part of this week, any closure may be short-notice within the day or planned with a bit more notice. This may need to be the response in the event of extreme heat. However, any decision to close will need to be carefully balanced. Parents are encouraged to have contingency plans in place in the event of any school closure.

Peter Dunmall