UPDATE: Temporary 6.7.26 arrangements

Update 06.07.26

Dear Parents and Carers

Temperatures for the rest of the week are predicted to continue to be warm. To ensure the comfort and wellbeing of our students in the heat, we will be continuing the temporary uniform relaxations for the rest of the week.

To confirm, those uniform arrangements are as follows:

Ties: Students are not required to wear school ties.
Shorts: Tailored black or navy blue shorts may be worn. Sports shorts in black or navy blue are also permitted for Monday, but please note that no Lycra is allowed.
Footwear: Pupils may wear trainers instead of standard school shoes

A quick reminder: Please ensure your child comes to school with a refillable water bottle so they can stay hydrated throughout the day, and that they apply sunscreen before arriving.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation as we navigate both the exciting football and the summer heat.

Warm regards,

The Sittingbourne School

UPDATE: 3.7.26

Subject: Monday 3 July 2026 arrangements

Dear Parents and Carers,

I am writing to update you on two specific events that will impact our school day this coming Monday, and the measures we are putting in place to ensure our pupils remain supported, comfortable, and focused.

1. The World Cup: England vs. Mexico (1:00 AM Kick-off)

We know many of our pupils and staff will be incredibly excited to watch England take on Mexico early on Monday morning. Given the 1:00 AM kick-off, we anticipate that a number of students who stay up to watch the match will be feeling quite tired when the new week begins. Whilst the school will remain open as usual, and our start time remains unchanged (we expect all pupils to attend), we will be making some adaptations to our lessons. To support our students, we have provided our teaching staff with specific guidance on how to deliver high-impact, low-energy lessons for Monday, including making full use of brain breaks, group work and media based resources. This ensures that even if pupils are feeling a little sluggish, they can still access the core learning needed to continue making excellent academic progress without feeling overwhelmed.

2. Forecasted High Temperatures (32°C)

In addition to the late-night football, Monday’s forecast is predicting temperatures to reach a peak of 32°C. To ensure the comfort and well-being of our pupils in the heat, we will be returning to the temporary uniform relaxations we successfully implemented last week.

On Monday, the following uniform adjustments will apply:

Ties: Students are not required to wear school ties.
Shorts: Tailored black or navy blue shorts may be worn. Sports shorts in black or navy blue are also permitted for Monday, but please note that no Lycra is allowed.
Footwear: Pupils may wear trainers instead of standard school shoes

A quick reminder: Please ensure your child comes to school with a refillable water bottle so they can stay hydrated throughout the day, and that they apply sunscreen before arriving.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation as we navigate both the exciting football and the summer heat.

Warm regards,

Mr Smith

Headteacher

UPDATE 28/6/26

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you are all well. I am writing to update you on the arrangements for the coming week, following last week's period of unusually high temperatures.

As you know, we experienced extreme heat last week, with temperatures reaching 37°C. I would like to thank you for your support and cooperation as we navigated these challenging conditions.

According to the latest Met Office forecasts, we are expecting much cooler weather in the week ahead, with temperatures dropping back down to the more comfortable mid 20s. Therefore, The Sittingbourne School will be open as usual next week, and we will be returning to our standard school hours.

Please note the key details for the week ahead:

School Timings
Start of the Day: 8:35 AM (Students must be on site and ready to learn)
End of the Day: 3:10 PM

Uniform Expectations
Students are expected to return in their usual school uniform, with a few minor adjustments for continued comfort:

Blazers: Blazers will not be required next week.
Shorts: If students choose to wear shorts, they must be smart, tailored black school shorts.

Ties: School ties must be worn as normal.
Footwear: Standard school shoes only; no trainers are permitted.

Ongoing Welfare Measures
While the weather is set to cool down, student comfort and well-being remain our top priorities. We will continue to take the following precautions:

We will continue to re-room classes away from the naturally warmer parts of the school building.

Students will be given plenty of opportunities throughout the day to refill water bottles and stay hydrated.

Sheltered, air conditioned spaces will be open for students during break and lunch time.

We will closely monitor the weather and classroom conditions as the week progresses and will make further adjustments if and when they become necessary.

Thank you once again for your continued partnership and support. We look forward to welcoming all students back to their normal routine tomorrow morning.

UPDATE

Dear Parents and Carers,
As you will be aware, temperatures in Sittingbourne are forecast to reach 37°C this Friday. In situations like this, our priority is to balance our students' education with their safety and well-being.

While we firmly believe that keeping schools open for our children is the right thing to do, we have significant concerns regarding students travelling during the hottest part of the day, particularly on school buses and in cars where temperatures can rapidly become dangerous.

To mitigate this risk, we will be adjusting our hours on Friday, 26 June 2026 only, closing early at 12.50pm. This is to ensure everyone can travel home before the peak afternoon heat.

Local school buses have been rearranged to depart from school at 1.25pm and the canteen will remain open until 1.25pm to allow students to get food before they depart, should they wish.

We understand this may cause childcare difficulties for some families. Therefore, the school will remain open until our usual time of 3.05pm for any vulnerable pupils, or for any child whose parents prefer them to stay in a supervised, shaded environment.

If you would like your child to remain on the school site after 1.25pm then please complete this short Google Form.

Period 5 and 6 lessons will be posted on your child’s Google Classroom. If your child is unable to access this work, please contact their year team.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we navigate this extreme
weather together. We will provide you with an update on Sunday with regards to measures in place next week.

Kind regards

Mr N Smith
Headteacher

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you are well. As you will know, we are expecting a period of very high temperatures in Kent this week. To ensure our students remain comfortable and safe, we are implementing the following temporary measures at The Sittingbourne School from Tuesday to Friday:

Uniform Relaxations: Students are not required to wear ties. They may wear black tailored shorts. If they do not own smart shorts, plain black or navy blue sports/football shorts will be permitted for this week. Students may also wear trainers.
Cooler Classrooms: We will be re-rooming classes that are usually in the warmer parts of the school into available air-conditioned spaces.
Hydration: We are extending the time between lessons so students can refill their water bottles.
Early Finish for Period 6: Period 6 will end slightly early at 3:05 pm to allow students (especially those taking the bus) extra time to hydrate before their journey home.
Break & Lunch Sun Shelter: The Axis room will be open during break and lunchtimes, providing an air-conditioned space for students to shelter from the sun.

We will continue to closely monitor the situation throughout the week and will make further adjustments if necessary. Please ensure your child comes to school with a reusable water bottle and sun protection.

While we are making these adjustments to keep everyone comfortable, school remains open and full attendance is still expected.

Thank you for your continued support.

Kind regards,

Mr Smith