Schools in Kent are divided over whether to keep children in the hot classrooms or send them to work from home.

The Met Office has issued a red weather warning for today and tomorrow as temperatures are predicted to rise to 40C

Many schools have allowed children to wear PE kits or change uniforms to cope in the heat, while others have decided to close altogether.

Rainham Mark Grammar School has told parents they will be moving to online learning from tomorrow.

A letter to parents said: "Due to the weather forecast predicting that the temperatures will rise again tomorrow, we are making the decision early to move to on-line learning on Tuesday, which means the school will not be open. Students are required to log onto Teams at 8.40am for morning registration. Work will then be set for the lessons they have through Teams – lessons will not be live and students need to complete the activities set but can choose at what time they complete tasks."

They plan to reopen on Wednesday, but that is subject to change.

Today, PE lessons will not take place and the fields are closed at lunchtime.

The letter adds: "If your child is in receipt of Free School Meals, they can collect a packed lunch from the canteen at the end of the school day today to take home with them for tomorrow.

"We appreciate that this decision may cause some inconvenience for some families, but hope you understand we are taking the health and safety of our school community seriously."

But Steve Chalke, who runs more than 50 Oasis academies across the UK including a secondary school on the Isle of Sheppey and a primary school in Medway, has vowed to keep all his sites open.

He said: "The decision to shut a school at any time has huge ramifications, economically and socially. Shutting them would be unbelievably irresponsible.

"School will be cooler because we can manage it and our parents have to work.

"It's like (Covid) lockdown. It is a class construct. You can't work remotely if you're a cleaner or working in a supermarket."

Other schools on Sheppey are also staying open despite the heat.

In a letter to parents, Queenborough Primary School said it was ensuring as much ventilation as possible by opening windows and providing fans in classrooms and reducing the amount of time spend in sunlight to no more than 15 minutes at a time.

It has also relaxed its uniform policy so pupils can wear loose-fitting clothing and has cut down on PE lessons.

It reminded parents to send their children to school with a water bottle, sun screen and sun hat and to keep an eye on Twitter updates.

It added: "Unfortunately, as we have been advised to limit strenuous activity, we have made the decision to cancel sports days. All classes have, however, participated in field events so scores will be calculated and shared before the end of term."

Simon Langton Grammar School for Girls has cancelled its commemorative service at Canterbury Cathedral.

A letter to parents reads: "It is with regret that I have made the decision to cancel our commem service tomorrow.

"Having reviewed it many times over the weekend, I am not able to mitigate our risk assessment to the point where the risks to students and staff is at a threshold I would be comfortable with.

"Whilst I appreciate that there will be some people who believe this is an overreaction, going ahead and hoping that everything will be okay is not a basis on which we would allow any trip or activity to take place."

The decision to close schools have not been popular among some parents.

Commenting on KentOnline's Facebook, one said: "If your kids can survive two weeks abroad running around playing, I'm sure they can survive six hours in a classroom."

Another said: "Schools should remain only. This is ridiculous, kids will survive two days in school. Majority of time will be indoors anyway. Also no consideration for working parents."

More to follow.