School closed due to extreme heat

Thursday 25 June 2026

Dear Parents and Carers,

I am writing to update you on our plans for tomorrow, Thursday 25th June.

As always, my number one priority is the safety and wellbeing of the students and staff at Crofton School. We have been monitoring the situation continuously, but the Met Office has now extended its Red Weather Warning for extreme heat to cover a wider area of the South of England, bringing even higher temperatures tomorrow.

In addition to the heat itself, these widespread warnings mean that an increasing number of our staff now need to be at home to care for their own children whose schools have been forced to close. Taking all of this into account, I do not believe we can operate the site safely tomorrow.

Therefore, Crofton School will be closed to all students on Thursday 25th June.

Teachers will be setting work for students to complete on Teams. Please encourage them to access this, as it will really support their learning going forward.

I appreciate that a school closure introduces real challenges for working families, and this is not a decision I have taken lightly. However, it is a practical, common-sense decision made with the safety of our entire school community at heart.

Looking ahead to Friday

As things stand, the Met Office Red Warning is due to expire at 9:00pm on Thursday night. It is our current plan to reopen and operate as normal on Friday 26th June. As I have done all week, I will review the situation on a daily basis and will write to you tomorrow afternoon to confirm the final arrangements for Friday.

An Important Reminder on Safety

With the school closed and temperatures peaking, we know that many students will immediately head for the sea. Whilst the beach is inviting, and right on our doorstep, it’s important to remember that it brings significant risks in this kind of weather.

Please could I urge you to speak with your children about managing the heat safely tomorrow? It is vital they understand the intense strength of the sun and UV levels during the middle of the day, and that they completely avoid unsupervised swimming. The sea can look incredibly inviting, but hidden currents and open water hazards are very real, and we want all of our young people back with us safely on Friday.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing partnership, your understanding, and your incredible support as we navigate these unprecedented few days together.

With kind regards,

Mr Mark Palmer

Headteacher