ASCL General Secretary Geoff Barton will today (Saturday 9 March) call for “learning environments to be fit for learning” as a survey shows the condition of classrooms after more than a decade of government underinvestment.
Survey app Teacher Tapp conducted a survey for ASCL asking teachers and leaders about the condition of the classroom they had most recently taught in. Of 8,585 respondents in state-funded primary and secondary schools in England, the results were:
Too hot in summer (because of poor ventilation) 57%
Too cold (because of inadequate heating system) 28%
Poor electrics affecting mains switch panels, lighting, IT infrastructure etc 19%
Broken windows/ doors 19%
Leaking ceilings 15%
None of these are true 27%
Not relevant/ cannot answer 2%
Unique responders 8585
Last year, a report by the National Audit Office said that – “following years of underinvestment” – the overall condition of the school estate is declining and around 700,000 pupils are learning in a school in need of major rebuilding or refurbishment.
