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A survey of 1,000 UK parents during June’s heatwave found that almost two-thirds said summers in the UK were “starting to feel genuinely unsafe for children”.
The poll, carried out by Focaldata on behalf of Round Our Way, found that more than half (53%) of parents said one or more of their children had missed, had a school/college day cancelled, been sent home early, or been told to stay at home because of the hot weather.
The survey is shared alongside temperature sensor data showing that some classrooms climbed above 40C this summer, while several recorded more than 100 hours above 28C. These levels of heat, it is reported, has lead to pupils and staff suffering from health issues such as heatstroke, nausea and headaches.
Many of the parents polled (40%) reported that children were coming home from school overheated and exhausted, while just under half (46%) said their children were unable to play outside because it was too hot.
Commenting on this research, the head of the exam board Cambridge OCR highlighted the growing inequalities in learning due to heat:
“There is the risk of an obvious fairness issue given the impact that extreme heat can have on concentration and performance. It has raised concerns that children’s concentration — and ultimately their grades — will be increasingly affected by rising temperatures, leaving schools without air conditioning at a disadvantage.”
“For exams to continue to be fair, young people should take them in similar conditions. Sitting in a Victorian building during a heatwave will be a very different experience to a modern hall with air conditioning.”
This new data, while alarming, is sadly is no surprise. Round Our Way have now documented classrooms reaching ‘worryingly hot’ over multiple years (see here for stories from 2024 and 2025). No safe maximum temperature exists in schools still, despite a 26C maximum temperature long advised by the National Education Union (NEU).
More than 40,000 extra people died on England’s hottest days between 1988 and 2025 compared with what would be expected in normal temperatures, according to new ONS data.
Deaths from high heat are expected to keep climbing as climate change and an ageing population combine, with older people, children and the unwell most at risk.
The strain has been visible across the health system: A&E departments saw their busiest period on record, with almost 2.5 million attendances a month in May, June and July, with record-breaking heat cited as a key factor. Nurses reported collapsing on shift amid what their union called “inhumane and impossible” conditions.
Our latest public opinion data & a new measure of climate opinion
Here’s how public views have shifted over the summer – and introducing a new ‘health check’ of climate opinion.