Children and sun protection

Take extra care to protect babies and children. Their skin is much more sensitive than adult skin, and damage caused by repeated exposure to sunlight could lead to skin cancer developing in later life.

Children aged under 6 months should be kept out of direct strong sunlight.

From March to October in the UK, children should:

• cover up with suitable clothing
• spend time in the shade, particularly from 11am to 3pm
• wear at least SPF30 sunscreen

Apply sunscreen to areas not protected by clothing, such as the face, ears, feet and backs of hands.

To ensure they get enough vitamin D, all children under 5 are advised to take vitamin D supplements.

Looking after children during heatwaves

In the event of a heatwave, we follow the latest guidance issued by the government and, if necessary, consider rearranging school start, finish and play times to avoid teaching during very hot conditions.