SCHOOLS across West Somerset are closing or sending children home early, cancelling sports activities, and postponing examinations this week after the Met Office upgraded a heatwave warning to its highest level of red.

The Met Office is forecasting dangerous temperatures reaching 39C on Wednesday and Thursday (June 24 and 25), with it likely to be 37C even in the shade.

Beacon Education said all of its schools will be closed to all pupils and staff on Wednesday and Thursday ‘due to the extreme weather warning’.

The establishments affected are:

  • Danesfield Church of England School, in Williton
  • Minehead First School
  • Minehead Middle School
  • Old Cleeve Church of England First School, in Washford
  • St Michael’s Church of England First School, in Minehead
  • St Peter’s Church of England First School, in Williton
  • King Edward Road Nursery, in Minehead

The Moorland Federation said its All Saints School, in Dulverton, along with Dulverton Junior School, would fully close on both Wednesday and Thursday.

But St Dubricius Primary School, in Porlock, and first schools in Dunster, Timberscombe, Exford, and Cutcombe would only close on Wednesday.

Kingsmead Academy, Wiveliscombe, which is part of the Cabot Learning Foundation, will close at the end of Tuesday (June 23) and not reopen until Friday

Year 10 exams which would have been held on Wednesday will be rescheduled, although planned exams on Friday will still take place.

Kingsmead’s annual sports day, which was scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed and will now be held later in the term.

Headteacher John Eddy said the two-day closure was ‘in order to ensure the safety, health, and wellbeing of our pupils and staff’.

Mr Eddy said: “We have taken this decision following careful consideration, as high indoor temperatures can make learning difficult and pose health risks, particularly for younger children and anybody with underlying health conditions.

“We have an additional water station outside at break times and the hall is open at break and lunch as a larger inside space for students to access.

“We will be asking teaching staff to set some tasks on ‘class charts’ for students to complete while they are not in school.”

Mr Eddy said it was a trust-wide decision fully supported by Cabot and in line with measures being taken by other local schools.

Children in Wiveliscombe Primary School were being allowed to attend in PE kit on Tuesday and the school’s sports day was postponed until a later date.

A decision was awaited news on whether it would follow Kingsmead’s decision to close on Wednesday and Thursday.