Widespread Concerns Over School Temperatures
As parts of the UK experience escalating temperatures, educational institutions are confronting significant issues related to overheating. Unlike France, where school closures due to heat are more common, British schools rarely shut down for this reason, even as reports emerge of students and teachers experiencing health issues and discomfort. Parents and educators are voicing their worries about the impact of these conditions on learning and health.
Impact on Student and Teacher Welfare
Accounts from various schools highlight the severity of the problem. Victoria Everitt, a mother from Bedfordshire, shared how her daughter, Amelia, who has a condition affecting body temperature regulation, became unresponsive in class last summer. Similarly, Michael Conley, head teacher at St Peter's Church of England Primary School in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, noted instances of children becoming ill, disoriented, or falling asleep due to excessive heat. Teacher Lucio Poli recounted experiencing and witnessing students pass out during extreme heat in the mid-2000s and again in 2022 when temperatures soared to 40C (104F) in some areas.
The Department for Education (DfE) currently lacks a maximum temperature limit for workplaces, including schools, but is reviewing proposals from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) to implement such a standard. The CCC's report emphasizes that elevated indoor temperatures can hinder learning by causing discomfort, reducing concentration, and posing health risks.
Challenges in Older School Buildings
Many older school buildings are ill-equipped to handle modern climate conditions. Lucio Poli described his 1990s school building as "poorly constructed" with west-facing windows and dark tiles that exacerbate heat retention. He noted that even moderate outdoor temperatures could lead to unbearable indoor heat, impacting the quality of learning.
Lulu Stanier-Martin, head teacher at Ridgeway School in Kempston, Bedford, which has a building over 50 years old, highlighted poor insulation and outdated windows as major contributors to uncomfortably hot classrooms. She stressed that this directly affects students' ability to learn and regulate themselves, particularly those with special educational needs who may struggle to communicate their discomfort or move to cooler areas.
Investment and Mitigation Efforts
Some schools are taking proactive steps to mitigate heat. Michael Conley's school invested in improvements, including covering a black asphalt playground with artificial turf, refurbishing the roof, and installing air conditioning in some areas. However, he stressed the need for greater national investment in upgrading school infrastructure to address the long-term impacts of climate change on educational facilities.
Architects from Retrofit Action for Tomorrow (RAFT) suggest that while air conditioning is an option, passive measures are also crucial. These include external shading, using lighter building surfaces to reflect heat, reducing internal heat sources, improving ventilation, and strategic tree planting. Rebecca Cooper, an architect at RAFT, observed that many newly constructed schools still fail to adequately incorporate heat mitigation strategies, unlike their European counterparts.
Impact on Exam Performance
High temperatures often coincide with the summer exam season, potentially affecting student performance. A parent who invigilated GCSE exams in 2023 noted that a sports hall used for exams reached 33C (91F), with the temperature display taped over to prevent student complaints. The CCC indicates that students taking exams on a 32C (89F) day are 10% less likely to pass than on a 22C (71F) day, underscoring the link between environment and academic outcomes.
The DfE has acknowledged the CCC's risk assessment, which identifies overheating as a risk to educational settings, and stated it would consider its proposals. However, calls for a legal maximum working temperature, such as the 26C (79F) proposed by the National Education Union, continue to grow.
Source: Are hot schools putting pupils and teachers at risk?