Too cool for school? Or too hot to handle?

There's no legal maximum temperature for classrooms to hit before Schools can no longer operate. We've seen in the past few years a growing number of heatwaves in the UK, including this weeks (22 June 2026 to 26 June 2026) predicted temperatures of 36 degrees; and recently the Department for Education says while there is no maximum limit for temperature in UK workplaces, including schools, it is "carefully considering" proposals to change that by the Climate Change Committee (CCC).

A number of school buildings were built in the 1990s or earlier - windows directly onto black asphalt playing spaces, less open spaces/trees to create more shade, no thought given to ventilation and flat roofs lacking the natural airflow often found in pitched roofs, exposed to direct sunlight all day. 

At a recent conference “Next Steps for School Buildings in England” run by Westminster Forum, we discussed the need for updates to the school estate including:

• renovation of the existing building envelope;
• decarbonisation;
• retrofitting to optimise estate buildings;
• use of natural ventilation;
• renewable energy sources such as solar panels;
• air conditioning or ceiling fans;
• updating windows and insulation;
• refurbishing roofs;
• creating external shading; and
• potentially covering asphalt playground with artificial turf to stop heat being reflected back into the building. 

The statistics speak for themselves - 91% of classrooms will be affected by the impact of overheating causing measurable decline in performance and even health issues. Roughly two weeks of learning is lost per child per year due to overheating - the long-term impact of the school estate cannot be underestimated and the government needs to start investing more to ensure school buildings are safe and suitable. 

To discuss any concerns/updates regarding your School Estate, do get in touch with our team today.