A mum whose son suffered heat exhaustion at school as temperatures hit 32 degrees says making pupils wear trousers during a heatwave is “inhumane”.
Kayleigh Skinner had to collect 12-year-old Logan from Herne Bay High as he felt “dizzy and unwell” on what was the hottest day of the year so far.
Now, with temperatures forecast to rise into the 30s again this week, she is calling for the school to show “flexibility” over uniform rules during the sweltering conditions.
She believes bosses should follow the example of the nearby Whitstable School, which allowed pupils to wear their PE kits when Kent was covered by a recent amber heat-health alert.
But Herne Bay High – where only 25% of classrooms are air-conditioned – says it has no plans to change its policy, adding that it has “a range of measures in place to manage hot weather and ensure student wellbeing”.
Mrs Skinner, who lives in the town’s Kings Road and is a volunteer RNLI crew member, is calling for common sense to be applied.
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“When we went to go and collect Logan from school, there were about a dozen children waiting to go home,” she said.
“He felt quite dizzy and unwell. He slept for most of the afternoon when he got home.
“My poor son – he’s in a shirt, trousers, a blazer, and a tie, and he’s so uncomfortable.
“It’s challenging for any parent to see their child in distress when a simple change in policy could significantly alleviate their discomfort.
“It makes me angry. It’s inhumane and outdated.”
The school’s uniform policy states pupils must wear either a skirt or trousers, a blazer, a shirt with the top button done up, and a tie.
Bosses say pupils are not required to wear their blazer in the heat, except for on “formal occasions”, although Logan – and other pupils – say they have often been told to wear them in assemblies.
Last Monday, he had been allowed to wear shorts after Mrs Skinner emailed the school to say the heat had made him feel unwell over the weekend
But the following day – the hottest of the year so far – he was told he would need to wear trousers again as other pupils had followed suit and also arrived at class in shorts.
It was later that day, after picking Logan up, that Mrs Skinner launched a petition calling for the school to relax its uniform policy when temperatures soar.
Hundreds of parents have already backed her campaign ahead of a six-day heat-health alert coming into force across Kent today.
“You’ve got staff walking around in summer dresses, and yet the children are made to wear thick black trousers and black blazers and have their ties done up to the top button,” said the haulage firm worker.
“There’s no allowance for the heat. I’ve had no response from the school.
“They’re more worried about the policies than trying to help the children be comfortable and actually want to focus and learn.
“I think when they’re too hot, they’re not going to want to learn. They’re certainly not going to be able to focus.”
Mrs Skinner also has two children at Herne Bay Juniors, who have been wearing shorts and t-shirts for the past two months.
The worried mum added: “What I want, ideally, is to allow the Herne Bay High pupils to wear their PE kits when it gets hot, and if they do need to have a bit of a break due to the heat, then let them have it.
“It’s not as if it’s an extra expense for parents because they already have to buy the PE kits anyway, and it’s uniform because it’s branded.
“For them to wear it for a few weeks a year isn’t going to harm anybody, is it?”
A spokesperson for Herne Bay High said its uniform policy is “based on several practical and inclusive factors”.
They continued: “White cotton shirts, which are part of our standard uniform, are light, breathable, and among the most effective options for staying cool in hot weather.
“Our current guidance, which has been clearly communicated to students and staff, is that students are not required to wear their blazers during the school day, and we actively encourage them to remove them when indoors or outside in warm conditions.
“We do ask students to bring their blazers to school to ensure they are dressed appropriately for changing weather or any formal occasions during the day, but there is no expectation that they wear them when it’s hot.”
The spokesperson added that free water refill stations are in place across the school, with additional access to drinks in the canteen.
“In preparation for hot spells, the site team adjusts the building’s air-handling system to cool spaces during the night and has distributed over 70 mechanical fans to classrooms,” they continued.
“While 25% of our teaching spaces benefit from air conditioning, full-site coverage is not currently viable due to cost and environmental impact.”
