LONDON — Beaconsfield primary school in west London is experiencing extreme heat in its 2017 building, prompting headteacher Dave Woods to discuss climate adaptation challenges in school infrastructure during a heatwave affecting numerous schools in England and Wales.

"The school's newer building was constructed in 2017, following the Department for Education's (DfE) building design guidance in place then, and it's extremely hot all the time," Woods said. He noted that even before the peak of the heat arrived, classes were utilizing empty spaces in the school's older building for respite.

In contrast, the school's older Victorian-Edwardian-style building, approximately 130 years old, has solid brickwork and thick walls. "I've got two buildings on my site – the older building is a Victorian-Edwardian-style building," Woods said. "It's roughly 130 years old. That building is constructed with solid brickwork, very thick walls. It stays warm in winter and in summer it tends to keep the heat out so it is cooler inside. Even this week it's starting to get uncomfortable but it's still tolerable."

Woods, who also serves as the president of the National Association of Head Teachers, described another school with design elements such as enclosed glass walkways, a glass atrium, a glass canopy over its dining room, and a south-facing glazed side of its physical education hall. "Basically it's a school that has been set up as a greenhouse," he said.

The Climate Change Committee, the UK government's statutory adviser, recently released a report stating that existing plans for adapting to extreme weather are "not fit for purpose." The committee identified education as a particular problem area regarding climate adaptation and proposed that all schools be equipped with air conditioning by 2050. The committee also suggested that the school year could be reconsidered due to high classroom temperatures and students' sleep difficulties at night.

The Department for Education in England is working to accelerate its school refurbishment programme. Last year, the department announced an investment of almost £20 billion in its school rebuilding programme, which aims to overhaul over 750 schools and sixth-form colleges by 2035. Additionally, the Department for Education has started a "renewal and retrofit" programme valued at £710 million for schools and colleges, with the goal of increasing resilience to climate change by 2030.

Dr Thomas Roberts, a senior lecturer in environmental sociology and weather health researcher at the University of Surrey, stated that "Climate adaptation is no longer something we need to prepare for in the future. It is something we need to be doing now."