Parents and staff at Queen Eleanor Primary School in Harby, near Newark, have been left scrambling after classroom temperatures soared to almost 40C during the most recent heatwave, prompting the headteacher to ask families to collect pupils who were overheating.
Immediate safety concerns and a public appeal
The school, which educates around 65 pupils in a building described as being more than a century old, has launched a GoFundMe to install air conditioning in every classroom. The fundraiser has raised just over £700 so far against a target of £2,400.
"We've had to send children home because they're overheating. As young children they can't really regulate their body temperature so it's dangerous,"
The headteacher, Shelly Wright, told parents and the local community that the school had taken practical steps this year to cope with extreme heat – allowing pupils to wear PE kits and organise supervised cooling activities – but that the constraints of an old building make it difficult to keep rooms at safe temperatures. A hosepipe ban enforced by Anglian Water also curtailed some of the measures the school would otherwise have taken, such as outdoor water play.
How bad did it get?
According to the head, temperatures inside the school climbed as high as 38C earlier in the year. During the most recent spell of hot weather, classroom conditions approached 40C, causing staff to conclude that remaining on site posed health risks for younger pupils who struggle to regulate body heat.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Number of pupils | 65 |
| Highest reported internal temp | ~40C |
| Amount raised on GoFundMe | £700+ of £2,400 |
Wider context and practical implications
This is not an isolated problem: older school buildings across the region were not designed for prolonged periods of extreme heat. Headteachers and governors are increasingly weighing safety, budgets and the practicality of adapting historic premises.
Parents at Queen Eleanor have been supportive of the fundraising effort, but the head described the situation as a strain on both families and staff. The school has emphasised duty-of-care responsibilities for pupils and employees alike, saying cooler working conditions are necessary for teaching to continue safely when temperatures climb.
- School: Queen Eleanor Primary, Harby (near Newark)
- Headteacher: Shelly Wright
- Immediate need: air conditioning in all classrooms
For now, the school is seeking donations and community support while it explores longer-term options. Any parent or resident wishing to help should check the school's official communications or the GoFundMe page for details.
Local authorities and education bodies face a growing challenge: balancing budgetary constraints and the upkeep of historic buildings against increasing health risks from hotter summers. For families in Harby, that balance has now landed squarely in the classroom.
