Reality TV Star Lydia Bright Says UK School's Surprise Closure Left Working Parents In Chaos

TOWIE star Lydia Bright has hit out at her daughter's school after it shut during Britain's record-breaking heatwave, saying the move has only created fresh problems for working parents already trying to juggle childcare and work commitments.

Schools across England and Wales have either closed entirely, reduced hours, or switched to remote learning as temperatures are expected to climb to 40 °C and beyond this week.

But Lydia, who shares six-year-old Loretta with ex-boyfriend Lee Cronin, said she was left stunned after receiving a late-night email telling parents that the school would close early and then remain shut because of the heat. Posting to her 1.2 million Instagram followers, the former reality star said she was trying to rearrange plans for her daughter while away on a P&O Cruises brand trip in the Mediterranean. Her frustration has echoed a wider backlash from parents, with some accusing schools of causing major disruption and others saying children are being wrapped in cotton wool rather than prepared for real life.

Lydia Bright said the school's decision had created new problems for working families

Lydia said she received an email at 7.15pm on Monday informing parents that the school would close at 1pm on Tuesday and would also remain shut on Wednesday and Thursday because of the heat. She questioned why children could not remain in school when they were likely to face the same temperatures once they got home.

In a reported post shared with followers, Lydia wrote: 'Am I the only one who thinks this is madness? At 7.15pm on Monday night, I received an email to say the school would be closing at 1pm on Tuesday and now today and Thursday because of the heat. I'm struggling to get my head around it.'

She went on to point out that children in other countries sit in classrooms in similar temperatures every day, often without air conditioning. Lydia also said that children happily spend entire days outside on holiday in the same sort of weather, making it hard for her to understand why they could not stay in school.

She added: 'Our children happily spend entire days on holiday in this heat and when we collect them at 1pm we're taking them home to houses that are exactly the same temperature. Maybe I'm missing something?'

Lydia said the late notice had left her trying to make alternative childcare arrangements from overseas and suggested many other parents would be facing the same issue. She ended her post by saying: 'It feels like we're solving one problem by creating another for hundreds of working families.'

The disruption has been particularly visible in Essex, where twelve schools have confirmed either full or partial closures on Wednesday, with many moving to remote learning instead. Across England, at least 578 schools have announced full or partial closures, while more than 500 schools in Wales have also taken similar action.

Parents and callers said the closures were making life harder

The school closures have triggered a wave of criticism from parents and social media users who say families are being left to pick up the pieces. Nearly 100 schools in Somerset have shut on Wednesday and Thursday, while around 100 in Buckinghamshire and dozens more in Gloucestershire have also either closed or cut back opening hours.

Some schools have chosen to keep pupils in but have relaxed uniform rules, allowing children to attend in PE kits rather than traditional uniforms such as blazers and long trousers. Others, however, have decided that classroom conditions are too hot to continue as normal.

The decision has not gone down well with everyone. Speaking on LBC, caller James said the closures were leaving children 'ill-prepared for real life in this hard world'. He told presenter Henry Riley: 'We are breeding a nation of melts. We've got children that as you've already said are locked in their bedrooms. They are so ill-prepared for what real life in this hard world is like.'

There has been similar anger on social media. One person wrote: 'Why is it that schools can close when it suits them, but if a parent takes their own child out of class for the day they're threatened with fines and prosecution. Teachers are just lazy and want the day off.'

Another posted: 'Pathetic.. wonder why kids are wet wipes... this is why...wrapped in cotton wool.. yet every single kid off school is playing in the sun.. make it make sense.'

A third added: 'In the real world, supply bottles of water to keep them hydrated. In work life, you are NOT sent home because it's hot.'

The closures come as a rare red extreme heat warning was put in place for only the second time, covering London, parts of the Midlands, and south-east Wales. The Met Office later extended that warning by three hours until 11.59 pm on Thursday and widened it to include other southern areas such as Dorset, Hampshire, and Sussex.

An amber extreme heat warning has also been issued for Friday, covering eastern and central England, while another is in place for parts of eastern England on Saturday. Forecasters have warned temperatures could reach 40 °C this week, with the conditions posing a risk to life across the wider population and not only to the most vulnerable. Britain's all-time temperature record stands at 40.3 °C, set in Coningsby in July 2022, and forecasters have warned that the 50-year June temperature record of 35.6 °C could be 'absolutely smashed'.