Heatwave UK: Birmingham schools shut and trips cancelled

Schools across Birmingham have been affected by the high temperatures during the two day heatwave.

Others have closed early and some have been forced to cancel school trips as the temperatures soar.

It is expected the heat will peak today and temperatures are due to drop to a more manageable 23 degrees tomorrow (Wednesday, July 20).

Birmingham City Council urged parents to keep in touch with their schools to check the latest advice on closures.

Braidwood School, which tutors deaf young people aged 11 to 19 years, in Hodge Hill, has announced it has closed for a second day due to the heat. It is set to reopen tomorrow.

E-ACT Shenley Academy, in Weoley Castle, is also remaining shut today. Head teacher Dr Jayne Bartlett has announced that school trips and visits were cancelled and being rescheduled for September. She explained that the closures was necessary due to fears that the building could reach higher temperatures.

King Edwards VI Five Ways announced that it was partially closing due to the Heatwave on Monday and Tuesday. The school issued a statement to parents explaining that they had been informed by the DfE that “full closure would not be expected for this type of event”.

But added that the Green bus company had carried out risk assessments and found that it was not safe for pupils to travel on their fleet of transport with temperatures predicted to reach 38 or 39 degrees.

The school said: “Although some students use alternative transport, the welfare and safety of all our students commuting in this heat is a concern. Therefore we have taken the decision to dismiss the entire school community early.”

Barr View Primary and Nursery School, in Perry Barr, issued a statement on its Facebook page to inform parents that it was closing on Monday due to “dangerously high temperatures”. The school further explained that: “we simply have no experience of how these temperatures will affect our children, staff and school site”.

The school said it expected Wednesday to be a normal school day and that it was holding a meeting to decide whether or not to open today (Tuesday, July 19).

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