Sheffield school 'bans shorts' and sends kids home sick as pupils battle heat, concerned mum claims
Sheffield mum says son and classmates struggling to concentrate in mock exams during heatwave school uniform rules
A Sheffield mum has raised concerns about her son's wellbeing during the recent hot weather, claiming pupils at Chaucer School have not been allowed to wear shorts despite record June temperatures.
In a letter seen by The Star and addressed to parents, the school said: “Pupils are not required to wear their blazers to school for the rest of the week. Please remember that shorts are not permitted.”
The Southey Green parent, who asked to remain anonymous, said her 15-year-old son has been sitting Year 10 mock exams this week and has struggled to cope with the heat while wearing school trousers.
She said her son, who has additional needs, has come home from school feeling ill with headaches every day this week and has had to leave early on several occasions.
The mum said: "He's already very stressed because of his mock exams, and now he's having to sit them in this heat. Him and lots of his friends are struggling to concentrate properly.
"I'm really concerned because I don't think the results will be an accurate reflection of what they can do."
The parent said she had repeatedly contacted the school to ask whether her son could wear shorts, but was told this was not permitted.
When contacted by The Star, the school said they had followed government guidance and temperatures are monitored.
She said she had been informed the policy was linked to rules set by the academy trust.
"We are told it is down to trust rules," she said.
"But I've spoken to children at other Mercia schools and it doesn't seem to be the same for them."
The mum also raised concerns about access to drinking water during the school day, claiming pupils only have a 15-minute morning break and a 30-minute lunch break to refill their bottles.
She said: "There are big queues for water and it's just not reasonable in this heat. Water gets drunk quickly when it's this hot and there isn't enough time."
The parent said the situation had left her feeling worried both for her son's health and his education.
"It makes me stressed as a parent, and about attendance fines, but I have to put my child first," she said.
"He can't go into school in this heat if it's affecting his wellbeing. I have to put his health first."
She added that other parents had expressed similar concerns.
"I know other parents who have said they won't be sending their children in if this continues," she said.
The mum also claimed she was told by reception staff that there were numerous other parents waiting to discuss children who had gone home unwell.
She said: "When I rang reception, I was told I'd have to wait because they had around 30 other parents to call about children going home first. That shows the scale of the issue."
A spokesperson from the school told The Star: “We have followed all government guidance during the recent heatwave; remaining open and prioritising the safety and wellbeing of our pupils throughout.Uniform expectations were relaxed and adapted in line with government guidance and the conditions to ensure a sensible and proportionate approach while maintaining clear standards.
“Classrooms were ventilated where appropriate, temperatures were monitored, and rooms were changed where needed to keep spaces as cool as possible.
“In some classrooms, opening the window would have made the room hotter.Pupils were encouraged to bring water bottles, which could be refilled and used throughout the day, and we asked families to ensure sun cream was applied before school.Staff also provided additional support to pupils who needed it.
“We are very proud of our staff, who have worked extremely hard to ensure that pupils' days have been affected as little as possible in challenging conditions.
“We are also proud of how well our pupils have responded during a particularly demanding week, including while completing mock examinations.”