Schools ban children from playing outside during heatwaves as pupils kept inside for 'hot play' breaks

The decision is intended to keep children away from outdoor surfaces that can become very hot to touch in the sun.

The move has come under criticism from those who brand it "absolute nonsense" that risks raising a generation of "wimps" who are afraid of hot weather.

Chris McGovern, a former head teacher and chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, said that keeping children indoors during hot weather was the "worst thing" for them.

He said: “I taught for 35 years. Any teacher knows that the worst thing you can do on a hot day is to keep children confined into the classroom. It’s about the worst thing you can do.

“Of course, there can be situations where a particular child needs to stay indoors, and of course there should be areas of shade within the playground. But using common sense, it’s the worst possible way forward for helping these children.

“Just as in cold weather, they should be out running around. So we’re making them into wimps. We don’t want to make children into wimps. We want to toughen them up a little bit.”

He also noted that limiting children's freedom can damage their mental health, the Telegraph reported.

Mr McGovern added: “It’s an awful childhood we’re inflicting on children. And, of course, it encourages them to use their iPads and mobile phones if they’re confined.

“The worst thing they can be doing is staying indoors, playing on their mobile phones, and this is sort of encouraging them to do that. So yeah, it’s the opposite of what we want.”

The WWF has highlighted the practice of "hot play" sessions - where children play indoors on days where it's deemed too hot - as the charity calls for schools to use more natural surfaces, as opposed to artificial ones, to "mitigate the effects of extreme weather".

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former Tory Cabinet minister, said: “I am surprised that the World Wildlife Fund [WWF] thinks children count as wildlife, I am not sure the children of England are that feral.

“Letting children enjoy the sunshine is only natural and I fear these woke charities have too much time and money on their hands.”

Call for more green space

The wildlife charity claimed that many schools have replaced natural features - including grass and trees - have been replaced with heat-retaining materials such as tarmac, which can worsen "the impact of high temperatures".

The charity is calling for the Government to update its archaic school premises regulations, which it claims haven't changed much since the 1950s, to ensure pupils have access to more natural spaces.

The charity also warned that artificial surfaces can leave playgrounds vulnerable to flooding - a major concern of climate change.

Rosalind Mist, the charity’s director of campaigns, education and youth, told The Telegraph: “We can all see that we’re facing more and more extreme weather due to climate change, from heatwaves to intense downpours.

“The current regulations are leading to schools being particularly vulnerable to risks of overheating and flooding.

“Luckily, there is an easy and reasonably cheap solution – adding more nature and more natural surfaces to school grounds. Not only does this help mitigate the effects of extreme weather, it also has a wide range of benefits for pupils, from increasing resilience and concentration to better mental health.

“Updating these regulations is a quick win for the Government with very little cost.”

It comes as Wimbledon fans and players in for a sweltering weekend, as the Met Office said the tennis championships’ women’s final on Saturday and men’s final on Sunday could see temperatures of more than 30C.

Very high UV and pollen levels are also expected.

Scotland is also due to hit the heatwave threshold, with temperatures on the east coast forecast to be up to 31C on Saturday and potentially break local records, according to Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslick.

Despite not being as warm as the heatwave at the beginning of July, the hot spell is forecast to last longer and cover a broader area, the Met Office said.

Read more: Temperatures to climb past 30C as third heatwave begins and hosepipe ban enforced

Read more: Yellow heat health alert as weather set to soar again with low 30C temperatures forecast

Mr Eslick said: “It is going to be a hot one with little cloud around.

“UV levels are going to be pretty high so anyone going to the (Wimbledon) finals should wear plenty of sun cream and stay hydrated as there is not going to be too much of a breeze to cool down.

“Pollen levels are also going to be high, so any hayfever sufferers should take medication to reduce that risk.”

The UK Health Security Agency issued yellow heat health alerts on Wednesday covering parts of central and southern England, valid until July 15.

In the south of England and Wales, temperatures of up to 31C on Thursday and 32C on Friday are possible.

On the east coast of Scotland, temperatures are expected to reach 25C on Thursday and 28C on Friday.

They should peak at up to 31C on Saturday before coming down to 28C or 29C on Sunday.

The temperature will slowly start to decrease by Monday or Tuesday.

In the north of England, Thursday could see highs of 27C, edging up to 29C on Friday and 30C on Saturday with isolated highs of 31C.

Mr Eslick added that the weekend would be very sunny and dry, with the wildfire risk classed as moderate.

He said: “We’ve not had a lot of rain over the last few days and weeks. Make sure barbecues are extinguished thoroughly as the ground will be pretty dry.”

To be considered a heatwave, the temperature needs to reach or surpass 28C in the south and 25C in the north for at least three consecutive days.