Scarcroft Primary School is closing its doors because temperatures in some classrooms have reached 32C.

Head teacher Anna Cornhill said pupils and staff were uncomfortable in the extreme heat and the windows only caused classrooms to heat up quicker.

Ms Cornhill said most parents had been supportive and the school would be closing soon for the summer break.

Sick from heat

"It was becoming impossible," she said. "Some children were feeling sick with the heat and we have no grass playing field.

"They cannot play on the tarmac because that gets hot too."

Scarcroft is a two-storey building in the centre of York, with around 300 pupils in 12 classes.

A spokeswoman for York City Council said she had never heard of a school closing because of the heat, but it was a matter solely for the head teacher.

"Schools have much more autonomy now than they used to," she said. "It is a decision for the head teacher."