Schools might get most temperature limits if wanted to cope with heatwaves
EXCLUSIVE: Bridget Phillipson said she will ‘look closely’ at what schools need after last week’s record-breaking temperatures triggered calls from teaching unions for action
The Education Estates Strategy sets out the government’s 10-year plan to improve school buildings and ensure they can withstand changes in the climate(Image: PA)
Schools could be given maximum temperatures if it becomes necessary to deal with heatwaves, Bridget Phillipson has suggested.
The Education Secretary said she will “look closely” at what schools need after last week’s record-breaking temperatures triggered calls from teaching unions for maximum limits for classrooms.
Asked about the demands, Ms Phillipson pointed to February’s Education Estates Strategy which sets out the government’s 10-year plan to improve school buildings and ensure they can withstand changes in the climate.
Pressed if this could include maximum school temperatures, Ms Phillipson told The Mirror: “We’ll always look closely at what schools need and I do recognise that some of the temperature fluctuations that we see, and particularly some of the hot weather in recent years, can make life really difficult for teachers and staff and can kind of have an impact on children’s learning as well.
“So I’ll obviously keep speaking to all of those who work in education about how we can make sure that the environment’s as comfortable as it can be.”
On the education estate strategy, the Cabinet minister added: “We recognise that because of some of the changes that we’re seeing around climate, it is important that we make sure all of our school buildings are able to withstand some of those changes, but are also fit for the future.
“We’re investing a significant amount in delivering improvements to existing schools, but also delivering a new generation of schools that will be better equipped to withstand some of those changes that we’re seeing at the moment.”
She also said she was looking at expanding efforts to bring in solar panels on roofs and improve energy purchasing processes for schools amid concerns about the impact of the Iran war on schools’ bills this winter.
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, last week said the introduction of a maximum working temperature is worth considering.
“There are already issues with schools overheating in the summer months, and these will only increase as temperatures continue to rise,” Mr Di’Iasio told TES magazine.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU teaching union, echoed: “A maximum working temperature for schools would encourage investment into making schools heat-resilient, with mitigations such as air conditioning, which would protect learning, the important exam period, and keep staff and children safe and comfortable.
Official surveys show climate impacts are already being felt with 32% of schools reporting overheating in at least one of their buildings.
Risk assessments by the Department for Education last year found that “learning could not reasonably take place in some teaching spaces across the education estate on up to eight days a year due to extreme heat events” if global temperatures continue to rise by the turn of the century.
Under the estates strategy, a new programme was launched in April backed by £710million to 2029-30 for renewal projects to improve the condition of school and college buildings and increase resilience to climate change so buildings can last for decades to come and are net zero ready.
