Pupils in England face lost learning from flooding and extreme heat, study finds | Schools

Children in England face prolonged “lost learning” caused by extreme heat and flooding at school, according to research on the potential impact of the climate crisis on education.

School leaders and teachers said the scenarios published by the Department for Education made for grim reading and urged ministers to move quickly to improve school resilience.

Under one scenario, by 2050 rising heat levels will cause the equivalent of more than eight days of lost learning as classrooms become too hot for effective teaching, unless adaptations such as improved ventilation are made.

The research also found that more than one in three secondary schools and one in five primaries have a high risk of their buildings being flooded by surface, river or sea water. The study defined high risk as a…