Though parents said it was a ‘great school’, some feel its uniform rules have been too ‘strict’ for the sweltering conditions
Lift Kingswood Academy on Wawne Road in Hull(Image: Katie Pugh)
A Hull secondary school says it has “introduced a number of adjustments in response to the warmer weather” amid a number of complaints from parents who said “strict” uniform rules were leading to them keeping their children at home in the sweltering conditions.
Hull Live has been contacted by several parents about the regulations at Lift Kingswood with one claiming the school was “putting its rules before the safety” of its pupils. The Wawne Road school operates a “strict” uniform policy, according to one parent, who says the high standards are usually “great”. However, some believe the rules have been too rigid given the sweltering temperatures this week.
In response, a spokesperson for the school told Hull Live today that it has “introduced a number of adjustments in response to the warmer weather”. They added the rules have since been relaxed further including students no longer being required to wear blazers at all during the heatwave.
“It’s ridiculous,” one parent said. “I’ve kept my kid off school because of it. You see it all over the news about schools letting kids go in PE kits, or having a relaxed uniform policy.” He said his daughter’s standard uniform consists of black shoes, black tights that have to be a certain thickness, long sleeve shirt, tie and blazer.
He said it is a “really smart uniform”, but feels more compromises are needed during the heatwave. “I’ve asked them for the risk assessment – I work in an industry where risk assessment is the most important thing. Heat should be covered in that.
“It’s dangerous and my kid will not be going back until I get answers,” he said. “You wouldn’t send a dog out in this heat.” Despite concerns about uniform rules, he said: “It’s a great school, one of the best schools in Hull, and the standards are extremely high, which is great.”
The school was rated Outstanding in behaviour/attitudes, personal development, and leadership/management at its last Ofsted inspection in 2024, and is one of the highest-rated in Hull. It is part of the Lift Schools academy group.
Another parent, whose child is a year 10 pupil, said children were exempt from wearing blazers to and from school on Tuesday due to the heat. It is normally a rule that blazers must be worn on the way to and from the school. The parent said: “They still have to wear their tights. My daughter took her blazer off last night and I could’ve wrung her shirt out.
“I don’t understand what the problem is. How is it going to hinder their learning in any way to go in in PE kits this week?” The parent has decided to keep her daughter at home for the rest of the week, unless temperatures drop or rules are eased.
Official government guidance suggests schools relax uniform policy during extreme temperatures. Advice on gov.uk for schools experiencing extreme heat says “there are several ways that schools can make changes to keep children safe in hot weather, especially as children are more at risk of becoming ill with heat-related issues than adults. Schools could consider relaxing uniform rules during hot weather to make sure pupils are comfortable. Children should wear loose, light-coloured clothing to help keep cool and sunhats with wide brims. When outdoors, encourage children to stay in the shade as much as possible. Teachers should also encourage children to take off their blazers and jumpers.”
The page says during Amber Alerts, schools and early years settings should consider actions to manage heat for all pupils and staff as well as for the most vulnerable. During Red Alerts, which indicate possible significant health risks to the wider population, schools and early years settings should review actions to manage heat for all pupils and staff.
Lift Kingswood hosted a welcome event for parents of next year’s new intake on Tuesday. One parent that attended said it was “absolutely baking”. He said: “They had air con units on to try to cool down 100 parents during the transition event, and we were in shorts and T-shirts. Imagine being there in a blazer with no air con.”
A spokesperson for Lift Kingswood said: “We introduced a number of adjustments in response to the warmer weather and have been keeping families updated on a daily basis. Water fountains are readily available throughout the building and we have been encouraging students to carry a water bottle with them at all times and to drink regularly, including during lessons.
“Even without the warm weather, students are able to take off blazers during lessons, when eating lunch and when being outside for enrichment. We have relaxed this further so that students did not need to wear blazers to and from school yesterday, and today they are not required to wear blazers at all.
“We have also moved all PE and outdoor enrichment inside so we can avoid students being outside. We are also really fortunate to have a state of the art building with all rooms benefitting from mechanical airflow or air-conditioning. We will continue to monitor the situation and will make further changes as needed.”
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