Can you keep your kids off school or refuse to work during a heatwave?

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, There is no law in the UK that says a given temperature is too hot or too cold to work.

The Met Office has issued a rare red warning for extreme heat covering parts of England and Wales later this week.

Temperatures will increase significantly in the next few days and could hit 40C in places by Wednesday and Thursday.

The warning comes into place at 09:00 on Wednesday and will last until 21:00 on Thursday for central, southern and south-east England, and parts of south Wales.

Several schools in the area impacted by the red weather warning have already said they will be closing early, with some closing entirely, during the worst of the weather this week.

There is no legal maximum temperature for classrooms - and the government does not normally advise schools to close. Instead, it says schools can usually be managed safely and that keeping children in school is important.

Teaching unions have recommended that schools should aim to keep indoor temperatures at a maximum of 26C.

School leaders will keep a close eye on temperatures and will refer to their risk assessments. They will also watch for pupils becoming tired more quickly, especially those who are vulnerable.

If a head teacher does decide to close a school, they will need to talk to the chair of governors and their academy trust or employer first.

Some parents may already have had a message from their schools saying uniform rules are being relaxed and children can instead wear PE kits.

Schools can also look at changing start and finish times to avoid the worst of the heat.

Lessons may be moved to cooler areas of the school and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) recommends children should not take part in vigorous physical activity when it is very hot, so PE lessons maybe be a bit more sedentary than normal.