SCHOOLS in Brighton and Hove have made changes to their school day and to uniform as the city braces itself for temperatures as high as 35C this week.

An amber warning for extreme heat is in place across the county from today until the end of the day on Tuesday, with the heatwave posing a potential danger to life.

A number of schools have chosen to ditch uniforms or have opted to close early tomorrow and Tuesday after a national emergency was declared across England due to the heatwave.

Schools across the city are urging students to put on suncream and bring a refillable water bottle with them so they can drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Portslade Aldridge Community Academy (PACA) will close at 12.30pm on Monday and Tuesday. The school has also cancelled a planned trip to London and a walk across the South Downs for the first half of the week, to be replaced with an enterprise day for students. 

A “cut down version” of sports day, with events early in the morning will take place, ending at 12.30pm. Students are advised to wear their PE kit with a hat and should bring in water and sun cream.

Patcham High School will remain open but students are allowed to wear PE kit on Monday and Tuesday due to the heat. Rigorous activity will be avoided during PE sessions and electric lighting will be kept to a minimum to reduce to prevent hot temperatures in classrooms.

Children attending St Paul’s Primary School have been encouraged to wear a sun hat and bring a water bottle to school with them, as well as applying sun cream before school.

Westdene Primary School and Nursery pupils should be “suitably dressed for the weather”, including wearing a sunhat, shorts instead of trousers.

While not allowing PE kits to be worn, Brunswick Primary School has said pupils can wear their “coolest uniform, including short socks rather than tights or leggings”. Playtimes will take place inside with outside PE lessons not taking place.

Students at Downs Junior School are being urged to wear “loose, light-coloured clothing” as well as sunhats to keep cool and protected from the heat.

Fairlight Primary and Nursery School will remain open, with pupils being urged to come to school “appropriately dressed” and to drink plenty of water during the day.

Elsewhere in Sussex, schools that are allowing children to wear PE kits tomorrow and Tuesday include:

  • Angmering School
  • Bourne Community College
  • Chichester High School
  • Eastbourne Academy
  • Durrington High School
  • Felpham Community College
  • Hailsham Community College
  • Littlehampton Academy
  • Oathall Community College
  • Peacehaven Community School
  • St Robert Woodard Academy

The following schools in other parts of Sussex will be closed or have reduced hours over the first half of this week:

  • Bohunt School, Worthing; closed on Monday and Tuesday
  • Hazelwick School, Crawley; closed on Monday
  • Imberhorne School, East Grinstead; closes at 1.20pm on Monday and Tuesday
  • Steyning Grammar School; closed on Monday and Tuesday
  • The Weald School, Billinghurst; closes at 1.30pm on Monday and Tuesday
  • Thomas Bennett Community College; closed on Monday and Tuesday

Temperatures in parts of Sussex are expected to reach 35C, with Brighton set for a record-breaking day on Tuesday with highs of 33C.

Although the government has not ordered schools to close, they have been encouraged to take measures to ensure pupils are kept safe from the heat.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said: “There is clear government guidance available to help school staff look after children in the hot weather, including the use of ventilation, keeping children hydrated and avoiding vigorous physical activity for pupils.

“Individual school leaders are responsible for managing their own local circumstances, but we are not advising schools to close.”

Schools in Brighton and Hove close later this week for the summer holidays.