Tadcaster Grammar School to send pupils home early as heatwave sends classroom temperatures soaring
Tadcaster Grammar School has announced that it will close early for two days this week as extreme temperatures continue to impact learning conditions across the school.
Students will finish at 12.30pm on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June after teachers recorded temperatures of more than 36°C in some classrooms during a staff training day.
In a post on social media, the school said the decision had been made following careful monitoring of classroom temperatures over recent days.
While conditions remained manageable during the morning, allowing lessons to continue in a productive environment, temperatures became increasingly difficult to manage after midday.
A spokesperson for Tadcaster Grammar School said: "After careful consideration, we have made the decision to close the school at 12.30pm on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June due to the extreme heat that we have been experiencing over the past couple of days.
"The safety, wellbeing and comfort of our students and staff is always our priority."
The school said the early closure would allow pupils to continue learning during the cooler part of the day while avoiding the hottest afternoon conditions.
Students will be dismissed at the end of Period 4, with food available to purchase during breaktime.
Pupils eligible for free school meals will also be able to collect lunch before leaving the site.
School transport arrangements have been amended to ensure students can travel home following the earlier finish.
Parents and carers have been advised to encourage children to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day and take precautions to stay safe in the hot weather, including using suncream when outdoors.
The high temperatures have also led to changes to several planned activities.
The Year 8 Junior Warrior trip, due to take place on Thursday, has been cancelled, with affected families set to receive further information via email.
In addition, Year 12 examinations scheduled for Thursday and Friday afternoons will be rearranged, with students informed of new dates in due course.
The school confirmed that uniform expectations for the remainder of the week will remain in line with its summer uniform policy.
However, the planned transition evening for Year 6 pupils and their families will go ahead as scheduled, with additional measures being put in place to help attendees cope with the hot weather.
The school has thanked families for their understanding and support as they continue to respond to the challenging conditions.