After the holiday break, kids all over the UK were ready to go back to school today. However, due to heavy snowfall, many have been informed to stay home for an extra day.
Numerous schools, including those in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Devon, remained closed because of the inclement weather conditions and low temperatures, posing risks for travel.
Despite this, specific guidelines exist regarding the minimum temperature required for schools to remain open. While previous regulations mandated a minimum temperature of 18C (64.4F) for school classrooms in England, the School Premises (England) Regulations 2012 replaced these requirements without specifying temperature limits.
However, the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, applicable to all workplaces including schools, set a standard of at least 16C (60F) as a reasonable minimum temperature.
The National Education Union (NEU) emphasizes that the temperature requirements extend beyond classrooms to non-teaching areas and after-school hours, advocating for a minimum of 18C (64.4F) in classrooms.
GOV.UK states that schools prioritize safety in adverse weather conditions like storms, flooding, snow, and heatwaves, with decisions to close or operate at a reduced level left to individual schools based on their risk assessments and local circumstances.
Schools will communicate with parents through various means, such as apps and messaging services, to provide timely updates regarding school closures or operational changes due to weather conditions, as per GOV.UK.
In Wales, the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999 mandate that local authority maintained schools ensure heating systems capable of maintaining specific minimum temperatures, ranging from 18C to 21C depending on the room’s purpose.
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