Today the National Education Union has written to Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, to demand urgent investment in school buildings to deal with the effects of climate change.
General secretary Daniel Kebede points out that the government’s pledge for making schools fit for purpose, on its current trajectory, will not complete until the year 2246.
This week we have seen schools, particularly in the more southerly parts of England and Wales, struggling to keep students and staff safe in record-breaking temperatures.
This heatwave is not business as usual for education. Heat significantly impacts education, affecting students’ ability to concentrate as well as posing risks to health. Pregnant women teachers and pupils and staff with underlying health conditions are particularly at risk in high temperatures.
The full text of the letter is as follows:
Dear Secretary of State,
The exceptionally hot weather this week means that school leaders are having to take complex decisions at speed to keep staff and pupils safe. As you will know, some schools are deciding to close early or close fully, particularly in red alert areas. Every school closure this week is a direct consequence of successive governments failing to invest in the UK's school estate. Many of our school buildings consist of either uninsulated Victorian structures or poorly insulated 1960s and 1970s system-built blocks.
I am writing to you to call for urgent investment for education buildings to be retrofitted or upgraded to help adapt to climate change. Schools need to be more resilient to heat and cold, be more energy efficient, and ultimately transition to net zero. Much more needs to be done to help better prepare our education system for the climate emergency. Greater investment is needed to make all schools resilient to this type of extreme weather, which is only going to become more common.
Air conditioning now needs to be rolled out to schools to deal with the health risks associated with extreme heat events. We would urge you to set out a timetable for ensuring that schools have this protection, prioritising schools with the greatest need.
There has been a welcome increase in expenditure on the school estate through the 2025 Spending Review. However at the current rate of progress it will take 220 years to refurbish all schools, which is why further investment on the scale of Building Schools for the Future is needed to futureproof the school estate.
I know you will share my view that children suffer most when these failing buildings force schools to shut down, particularly disadvantaged children living in deprived, urban areas. For a child living in a high-rise tower block with no private garden or safe green space, the school environment is a vital lifeline. It is not just a place of learning, it is often their only consistent access to open air, physical exercise, and a safe outdoor environment.
Without more investment we can expect more disruption to pupils’ learning. This will be worrying to teachers, parents and students. These concerns will only intensify with more frequent and intense heat waves.
I look forward to your response.
Yours sincerely,
Daniel Kebede
General Secretary
National Education Union