University Collegiate School Bolton to shut due to extreme heat

University Collegiate School on Deane Road will not open tomorrow or Friday due to the weather, according to Bolton Council‘s website.

The closure was announced just after 2pm today as Bolton is currently under an amber weather warning for extreme heat.

No other school closures have been published on the website.

(Image: Newsquest)

Tomorrow is set to be hotter than today, with temperatures set to reach a sweltering 33C, with lows of just 21C.

On Friday, temperatures are forecast at 32C

The school closure is the latest disruption caused by the weather in Bolton, with train timetables being reduced all week.

The heatwave, which has led to health warnings, school closures and transport disruption, is driven by a “heat-dome” settling over western Europe that has brought extreme conditions across the continent.

Screenshot (Image: Bolton Council)

Bolton Council states: “Due to the extreme heat, the school will be closed to pupils on Thursday 25th June and Friday 26th June 2026. The school will reopen to all students on Monday 29th June 2026.”

Schools across Bolton are geared up for teaching children remotely after Covid, meaning children are less likely to miss out on two days of education.

Schools in Bolton this week have relaxed the rules around school uniforms to help young people stay cool.

Many pupils have been allowed to wear their PE kits instead of their uniform, ice-pops are being given out, and cooler rooms are being used to teach children as temperatures rise.

Across the country, at least 1,000 schools and nurseries will either be closed or partially closed in England and Wales over the next two days.

Some have brought in early finishing times or relaxed uniform rules, while transport services have been disrupted and people are being urged to stay inside, close windows and curtains and stay hydrated to beat the heat.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said parents should send children to school if they remain open, saying schools were taking steps to help pupils cope with the heat, and absences had a cost.

“I know hot weather can be a struggle. But my message to families is simple: if your child’s school is open, you should keep sending them into school,” she said.

Let us know what measures your school is taking to keep children stay cool.