The heatwave led to the closures of seven Norfolk schools, including one where the artificial turf in the playground reached 50C.

Ashwicken Church of England Primary School, near King's Lynn, sent pupils home early because they were not able to play on the plastic grass without risk of burning themselves.

The school had installed the artificial turf after rabbits and moles filled its grass field with trip hazards.

Other sites adopted a range of measures to keep their pupils cool.

Eastern Daily Press: Ashwicken Primary School Picture: Ian BurtAshwicken Primary School Picture: Ian Burt

At Aldburgh with Denton Church of England Primary, part of the St Benet's Multi Academy Trust, pupils were allowed to have a water fight and made frozen fruit kebabs.

Another inventive approach was taken at Ditchingham Church of England Primary, where children in the Woodpecker class - a year two and three mixed class - kept their feet cool in water-filled trays under their desks.

Eastern Daily Press: Ditchingham pupils keep cool with bare feet in water-filled traysDitchingham pupils keep cool with bare feet in water-filled trays (Image: Jungle PR)

Other schools saw relaxed uniform policies, PE lessons cancelled or moved indoors and water stations set up in classrooms.

Council bosses contacted schools in the days leading up to the heatwave with a number of suggested approaches for schools to take.

These included

  • Allowing children to come into school in PE kit rather than uniform
  • Avoiding outdoor activities
  • Encouraging families to send extra drink bottles and schools to allow extra breaks for children to drink

Among the schools to adapt its uniform policy was Archbishop Sancroft Academy in Harleston, which allowed pupils to ditch ties and blazers, wear shorts or their PE kit.

Thomas Bullock CofE Primary in Shipdham postponed a Race for Life event due to take place on Monday to later in the week, when temperatures are expected to have cooled.

Headteacher Shannon O'Sullivan said: "Our year six leavers church service is now taking place in school and all PE lessons have been moved inside.

"As well as regular breaks for water, the children will all be provided with an ice pop at lunchtime, which have been donated by the Friends of Shipdham School.

"Lunchtime will take place indoors with only a short outside play at break and lunch."

In Garboldisham, year six pupils took shelter in the local church, with a 'transition day' preventing them from using their classroom and the school lacking an alternative shaded area for them.

The Sapientia Education Trust kept all 16 of its schools open, changing its PE curriculum to reduce outdoor activity and relaxing uniform policies.

Helen Mitchell, headteacher of Old Buckenham Primary, one of the trust's schools, said: "We have been talking to our children about the risks of dehydration, heatstroke and safety around open water.

"On a practical level, our pupils will be wearing PE kits or loose clothing for the next few days and are coming to school with sun hats, water bottles and sun block applied.

"Encouraging and monitoring fluid intake is really important and we are providing cold jugs of water in classrooms without taps and have fans to help air circulate."

Which schools closed:

The following schools in Norfolk closed, though not all were for weather-related reasons:

  • Ashwicken Primary School
  • Aurora Eccles School
  • City Academy, Norwich
  • Downham Market Academy,
  • Heartsease Primary Academy
  • Iceni Academy
  • Nelson Academy
  • North Wootton Academy
  • Reffley Academy
  • South Wootton Infant School
  • South Wootton Junior School
  • Wicklewood Primary School