Heatwave forces school closure

Tuesday 12 July 2022

A £40m school which opened just two years ago is being forced to close this afternoon as temperatures soar past 30 degrees because its windows cannot be opened and most of the building is not air conditioned.

It's expected that the closure of Les Quennevais, where students are already being permitted to wear PE kits instead of uniform to keep cool, could be the first of several this week.

Breaking the news that students would have to be collected at 13:10 in a letter to parents and guardians yesterday, Headteacher Sarah Hague explained: "...When the external temperatures are high, internally our building currently experiences temperatures which are difficult to manage and present significant risks.

"We have spent today assessing these risks and how we can mitigate against them, but by the afternoon conditions will be very difficult for students and staff.

"This is not an easy decision to make, but I feel we have no option."

As LibertyBus is unable to provide an early bus service, parents will need to make arrangements for their children to get home early.

Ms Hague added that Sports Day and the Whole School Awards Ceremony were being moved to Thursday and Friday morning "in anticipation of further afternoon closures, which we will monitor closely."

CLICK TO ENLARGE: Les Quennevais Headteacher Sarah Hague's letter.

It's not the first time Les Quennevais has been forced to take action due to extreme heat.

In September last year, Ms Hague asked for Jersey Property Holdings - the government's property maintenance arm - to deal with the matter urgently.

JPH was expected to address the issue before summer, but Ms Hague said in yesterday's letter that the problem was expected to be "rectified during the summer holidays." Express has asked the Government for an explanation and is awaiting a response.

Temperatures are expected to reach 32 degrees today, and 35 by Sunday. The previous highest recorded temperature in Jersey was 36.

The continuing high temperatures could also see the island enter a meteorological absolute drought - a period of 15 or more consecutive days when no measurable rainfall.

Public Health has warned that older people, children and people with chronic conditions are particularly at risk from heat exhaustion, heatstroke and dehydration, and has issued the following advice for keeping cool:

• Shut windows, shades, blinds, or curtains to keep your rooms as cool as possible.

• Stay out of the sun for long periods and avoid the hottest part of the day, which could be later in the afternoon.

• Wear sunscreen and hats when outside.

• Have cool baths or showers.

• Drink plenty of water. Avoid tea, coffee, and alcohol.

• Wear loose, cool clothing.

• Help those who are likely to struggle in the heat.

• Ensure that babies, young children, and pets are not locked into vehicles.

Head of Meteorology at Jersey Met, Paul Aked, said; "We are expecting very hot and dry weather over the coming week, and we are working with colleagues from across Government to make sure we support those planning ahead and we would encourage everyone to keep up to date with our forecasts."

"Often, we focus on the daytime temperatures, but it is at night that we get an opportunity to recover from a hot day. With night-time temperatures forecast to be so high we are not able to do so easily. It's important to think about how we cope with extreme heat, how we keep ourselves and those around us, including pets, and our houses cool. We should consider the activities we do, or perhaps don't do, during this period of hot weather."