‘Unbearable’: Poor ventilation and children crammed in classrooms – outdated school buildings swelter in heatwave
‘Unbearable’: Poor ventilation and children crammed in classrooms – outdated school buildings swelter in heatwave
Unbearable - In late June 2026, more than 1,000 UK schools faced closures or early dismissals as Europe set new temperature records, straining education systems and forcing working parents to scramble for childcare. The sweltering conditions, with heatwaves pushing temperatures to 35.9 degrees Celsius (96.6 Fahrenheit) in parts of Wales, exposed the vulnerabilities of aging school infrastructure. One such institution, a Welsh school, became a focal point of the crisis, with its gates shut for days as classrooms turned into stifling environments.
Mark Morris, a teacher at the affected school, described the situation as “unbearable.” He noted that holding design and technology classes in such heat was nearly impossible, as even the act of turning on an oven became a challenge. “The heat on those south-facing windows becomes unbearable, even in a normal summer,” Morris said. “You can forget about anything requiring heat—there’s no way anybody could carry on.”
“Even in a normal summer, the heat on those south-facing windows becomes unbearable,” said Morris, who teaches high school students skills like woodworking and food preparation. “If there’s anything that you need to turn the oven on, you can forget about it. There’s no way anybody could carry on.”
The closures disrupted educational activities and placed additional pressure on the economy, as many parents sought alternatives to keep their children cool. Experts argue that this crisis highlights how unprepared Britain is for the “new normal” of frequent and intense heatwaves, a reality climate scientists have warned about for years. Public infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and care homes, is increasingly struggling to adapt.
According to a recent report by the British government’s climate advisers, many school buildings are “designed for a climate that no longer exists today.” These structures prioritize warmth in cold winters, not cooling during prolonged heat events. With air conditioning rare in educational settings, interior spaces often become suffocatingly hot due to poor ventilation. The result is a stark contrast between the outdoor heat and the indoor discomfort.
For schools that remained open, staff and students relied on makeshift solutions. Mini handheld fans and water sprayer bottles were used to create a breeze, while some lunches featured salads and popsicles instead of hot dishes. Blinds were drawn, and in extreme cases, teachers and students sought refuge by lying on the floor, where the coolest part of the room offered temporary relief. Despite these efforts, the environment remained hazardous.
Wayne Bates, a health and safety spokesperson for the teachers’ union NASUWT, emphasized the risks faced by educators. “We’ve had members teaching in extremely hot conditions, to the point where reports of people fainting in classrooms have been made,” he said. The union has long advocated for a maximum workplace temperature standard, arguing that current conditions pose a threat to both staff and students.
Many school buildings constructed in the 1950s to 1970s are now well beyond their intended lifespan, with issues like asbestos in walls complicating retrofitting efforts. Woods, a head teacher at Beaconsfield Primary School in west London, noted that even newer structures are not immune to the problem. “The newer part of our campus, built just a decade ago, performs worse in the heat compared to the old schoolhouse from 1908,” he said. “The older building benefits from high ceilings and thick brick walls, which help regulate temperature.”
Woods, also vice president of the National Union of Headteachers, pointed to chronic underfunding as a major obstacle. “We’re considering installing air conditioning in parts of the campus, but the cost is steep—nearly 20,000 pounds ($26,700) for a single classroom,” he explained. With only 7,000 pounds ($9,348) allocated annually for repairs, schools face a difficult balancing act between addressing immediate needs and long-term upgrades.
The financial strain extends beyond air conditioning. Leaking roofs, outdated plumbing, and other maintenance issues compete for limited resources. “Schools have been underfunded for over a decade, and the cuts during austerity measures in the 2010s never recovered,” Woods added. This lack of investment has left many institutions ill-equipped to handle extreme weather, forcing staff to improvise.
As the heatwave fades, the question remains: how will schools adapt to a future of increasingly frequent sweltering conditions? For educators like Morris and Woods, the challenge is not just about keeping cool—it’s about ensuring the safety and effectiveness of education in a warming world. With temperatures expected to rise further, the need for modernized infrastructure and proactive policy changes has never been clearer.
Some schools are exploring long-term solutions, such as increased tree planting to provide natural shade or external window screens to block heat. Yet, without substantial funding, these measures may remain aspirational. The crisis has sparked calls for urgent action, with unions and climate experts urging the government to prioritize upgrading public buildings. For now, the combination of outdated design and insufficient resources continues to test the resilience of Britain’s educational system.