Playground water fight keeps staff and pupils at Arlesey school cool as temperatures hit record levels

It’s been hot, hot, hot with temperatures hitting a record 40C.

But while the heat has been causing chaos in some areas – the principal of one Chronicle Country school came up with the ideal way to keep everyone cool.

Pupils and staff at Gothic Mede Academy took to the playground during their morning break today to a mass water fight – with even the kitchen staff joining in the fun!

It’s just one of the measures the school, part of the Bedfordshire Schools Trust, has introduced to help combat the heatwave, which has seen the country sweltering.

This has included pupils coming to school in their PE kits instead of normal uniform, classes all having a daily slot in the school’s air-conditioned library and ICT suite, and staff regularly checking children are staying hydrated by drinking water regularly.

But today saw the measures take a fun turn, with parents encouraged to send their children to school armed with water pistols.

Those that didn’t have a water pistol could still join in the fun, grabbing other containers to give each other a good soaking.

Principal Tom Clarke said: “It’s been a hot start to the week and we’ve had to change a lot to keep the children cool and safe.

“I wanted to find the silver lining though and give the children an experience that they’d never forget. “They don’t often get the chance to drench their teachers and headteacher with water and everyone had so much fun. Even our kitchen staff joined in!”