UK Schools Struggle with Rising Temperatures Due to Lack of Climate Planning

The Plight of UK Schools in the Face of Climate Change

To see the UK's failure to plan for the impacts of climate crisis, look no further than Beaconsfield primary school in west London – where a building more than 100 years old copes with extreme temperatures better than its neighbour, built less than 10 years ago.

Outdated School Buildings Exacerbate the Problem

“I've got two buildings on my site – the older building is a Victorian-Edwardian-style building. It's roughly 130 years old. That building is constructed with solid brickwork, very thick walls. It stays warm in winter and in summer it tends to keep the heat out so it is cooler inside. Even this week it's starting to get uncomfortable but it's still tolerable,” said Dave Woods, Beaconsfield's headteacher.

The Data Analysis: Billions Needed for School Infrastructure

In England the DfE is looking to accelerate its school refurbishment programme. Last year it announced almost £20bn investment in its school rebuilding programme through to 2035 to overhaul more than 750 schools and sixth-form colleges. It has also started a new “renewal and retrofit” programme worth £710m for schools and colleges to increase resilience to climate change by 2030.

The Impact Analysis: Climate Change Hits Education

Successive governments have failed to tackle the worrying proportion of school buildings that remain in use long past their predicted lifespan, with many riddled with asbestos and crumbling concrete. And it's not just schools. Despite more than two decades of warnings and government promises to act, the UK is still damagingly unprepared for the impacts of the climate crisis, according to the Climate Change Committee (CCC), the government's statutory advisers.

The Prediction: Urgent Changes Needed

Dr Thomas Roberts, senior lecturer in environmental sociology and weather health researcher at the University of Surrey, said: “Climate adaptation is no longer something we need to prepare for in the future. It is something we need to be doing now.”