Following a week of red weather warnings in which many London schools closed, George Tomlinson Primary School in Leytonstone put out a plea to parents to donate to “Cool the School”
Parents at a school in Leytonstone responded to last week’s heatwave with a fundraiser that rose as quickly as the temperature, generating an astonishing £8,000 in 48 hours to keep pupils and teachers cool.
Following a week of red weather warnings in which many London schools closed, George Tomlinson Primary School in Leytonstone put out a plea to parents to donate to “Cool the School”.
The school had stayed open with reduced hours, doing all they could to keep children comfortable. Even so, temperatures in classrooms allegedly reached over 30c, threatening the wellbeing of both children and staff and spurring parents and teachers to plan ahead of future heatwaves.
Working closely with staff, they identified the equipment that would have the biggest impact – fans, portable AC units, outdoor gazebos and shade sails – and are now getting everything ordered and in place for the next wave of extreme temperatures.
Headteacher Nicola Wilson said: “It’s hard to find the words to fully recognise the kindness, care and support our community has shown this weekend. Money is tight for so many at the moment. My staff and I are overwhelmed by the generosity shown to us.”
Emily Hughes, parent of year three and year five children who led the efforts to mobilise the parent community, said: “While we hope that the Mayor of London’s ‘Heat Ready London’ plan will equip schools like ours to keep kids safe in extreme heat, we can’t wait for that. We had to act fast, and we’ve been blown away by the response.”
The school community is now thinking creatively about preparing the school for the effects of climate change in the “most effective and sustainable way possible”, and is exploring different funding options.
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