The school day may look a bit different for some pupils and staff this week amid the sweltering heat. While there is no legal 鈥渦pper limit鈥� for temperature in schools, or in any workplace, school leaders are rightly acting to make learning and teaching as safe and comfortable as possible. This will be particularly true in the areas most affected, with a red extreme heat warning issued for parts of the Midlands, south-east Wales and southern England for much of Wednesday and Thursday. Pupils will inevitably struggle to focus on their learning, and those with underlying health conditions may be especially vulnerable. Of course, it will be tough for staff too. We all know how draining it can be teaching in a hot classroom. Certain groups, including those who are pregnant or with health conditions, could be at particular risk. NAHT has this week for school leaders on how they can deliver on their responsibilities to protect health, wellbeing and learning, fulfil their legal duties, and reassure parents. At the heart of the advice is the need to risk assess and put appropriate control measures in place wherever possible. Quick wins There are several 鈥渜uick wins鈥� schools can deliver, like offering easy access to drinking water, relaxing uniform rules, improving ventilation where possible, and reminding parents to ensure children arrive with hats, water bottles and sunscreen. Our guidance suggests a suite of other options too, including closing blinds and curtains, moving desks out of direct sunlight, and relocating lessons to cooler areas. Other possibilities include encouraging use of shade during breaks, moving PE lessons to cooler times and moderating physical activity. Schools will be thinking about when it鈥檚 best to keep children indoors, and when being outside might actually be better. Examples we have heard from members include fans being deployed, after-school clubs being cancelled or moved indoors, and staff meetings being cancelled. We鈥檝e heard of site managers starting as early as 6.30am to open windows and doors when conditions are coolest. We鈥檝e also been told of changes to catering menus to offer more cold school lunch options like salad instead of vegetables, alongside cooling refreshments. We recommend leaders document their actions in a heatwave action plan, alongside their risk assessment. If time allows, it may be a good idea to establish a heatwave/health and safety working group 鈥� pupils can even be involved in coming up with ideas for keeping cool. Sensible, carefully considered short-term measures will be helpful this week. But we also need to look at the bigger picture. These higher temperatures are not a one-off. They are becoming increasingly frequent amid climate change, and schools need to be better supported to deal with them. The truth is that many school buildings are ill-equipped to deal with extreme temperatures at either end of the scale – especially smaller primary schools which are often housed in older buildings. Long-term support needed We need the government to do more to improve and modernise school buildings, including a focus on ventilation, solar panels, improved insulation, measures to ensure buildings are watertight and potentially air conditioning. When new schools are built, all these things need to be considered. The government鈥檚 education estates strategy says new design specifications will ensure all buildings delivered by the Department for Education are future-proofed against the risks of climate change. This is crucial. Existing schools also need to be equipped to cope with climate-related impacts. The 拢710 million renewal and retrofit programme announced in the estates strategy includes a focus on tackling overheating – as well as replacing buildings in the worst condition and installing energy generation and efficiency measures. But it is clear this must be just the start of sustained new investment in ensuring schools are fit for the future and that children and staff can operate in comfortable conditions. Alongside this, school leaders support action to tackle the climate change which is driving these extreme temperatures. That requires a commitment across government. While the climate strategy for education, published four years ago, set out some positive and necessary ambitions, progress since then has been uneven. Schools are ready to play their part in becoming carbon neutral and more resilient to extreme weather, but this cannot be achieved without the right support. That means sustained funding for buildings and adaptation, time and capacity for staff, and access to practical expertise. Ministers must now move beyond strategy and properly resource delivery, including through the government鈥檚 sustainability support programme. In the meantime, teachers, leaders and support staff must work together to make things as comfortable as possible in the days ahead.