Revealed: Attendance rates plummet as temperature soars

Almost a fifth of children missed lessons this week as temperatures soared to record highs – with attendance rates plummeting even further in some areas.

Data from 12,000 schools exclusively shared with Schools Week also revealed that in one region nearly 40 per cent of schools closed during the heatwave on Wednesday.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson has urged heads to keep classes open “as a priority”. She suggested the issues were the result of years of underinvestment in ageing buildings. 

However, union chiefs have argued that Labour attempts to address the crisis will fall short without greater investment. 

‘Stay open’ 

The Met Office issued a red weather warning for parts of the country for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, amid concerns the “exceptional” heat could lead to “serious illness or danger to life”. 

It noted that “substantial changes in working practices and daily routines will be required”. 

In Surrey and Hampshire, thermometers topped 36 degrees celcius, the highest-ever recordings for June in the UK.

Phillipson told the BBC she has seen reports of closures “on a day-to-day basis”, despite encouraging them to “stay open as a priority”. 

She said the hot weather could be a struggle, but “my message to families is simple: if your child’s school is open, you should keep sending them to school”.

The Department for Education said some trusts reported the heatwave was impacting attendance levels but did not provide figures.

However, data collected by tech firm Arbor showed national attendance rates dropped to just 82 per cent on Wednesday afternoon. This is across 12,000 schools Arbor works with and more than half of schools nationally.

Rates were lowest in the south west (75 per cent) and south east (78 per cent), while the north east fared best (89 per cent).

Attendance has stood at 94 per cent on average across this academic year. 

The data also shows that 966 schools (8 per cent) closed on Wednesday afternoon. A further 271 (2 per cent) partially shut.

When extrapolated nationally, the figures suggest 1,762 schools closed that day, while just under 500 cordoned off parts of their site.

In comparison, fewer than 1 per cent took the same action on Monday, when temperatures peaked at 25 degrees celcius.

Arbor’s analysis shows four regions – the south east, west Midlands, London and the south west – saw more than 1 in 10 schools shut on Wednesday.

South–west woes

The worst-hit area was the south west, which registered a 38 per cent closure rate. 

Jenny Blunden, chief executive at Truro and Penwith Academy Trust, said two of her 41 schools had partially shut.

At one, a class was sent home as staff were unable to bring their room – which has a “lack of ventilation” – below 30 degrees celcius.

“It’s about being able to keep children safe in these extreme temperatures, but we don’t want them shut if we can help it,” Blunden explained.

“I don’t think I have any schools with air–conditioning. Looking at the stock in the south west, there is a very high proportion of school buildings that are old.”

Fewer than 1 per cent of schools shut in Yorkshire and the Humber, while none were impacted in the north east. In both areas, temperatures tended to be cooler.

‘Fit for future’

Phillipson said the closures underlined the need to make schools “fit for the future”.

“These extremes of temperature, both very hot and very cold, are here to stay and it demonstrates the importance of investing in our schools, so they are better equipped to deal with these kinds of events in future.”

“Sadly, over the last decade or so, that didn’t happen.”

The government’s education estates strategy, published in February, noted the estate was “not resilient enough to climate change, with schools overheating in the summer and many facing flood risks”. 

It unveiled a £710 million renewal and retrofit programme to help with this. Guidance said the programme will start this year in the east midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber and the south–east, before rolling out nationally in 2029.

The first phase of the programme will concentrate on a “small number of interventions”, including “replacing end-of-life temporary modular buildings with permanent classrooms” and installing solar panels. 

Building templates

The DfE is also set to launch its £33 million regenerative schools pilot. Officials intend to “research, develop and deliver a series of single and dual classroom, ultra-low carbon” buildings. 

They are searching for firms to work on the scheme, which will also “produce case studies, guidance and resources for schools”. 

Among other things, the companies will draw up “six standardised concept designs for new single and dual external classroom pods, ultra-low carbon buildings”.

The previous government launched the climate ambassadors programme in 2024, which sees volunteers work with schools to design climate action plans. 

The plans set out ways to work towards achieving net zero, how settings are preparing for and responding to the impacts of global warming, and how pupils are supported to understand climate change and sustainability. 

Ambassador impact

Figures obtained through freedom of information requests by Schools Week show approaching 1,900 volunteers have been recruited as climate ambassadors. They have worked with almost 3,500 settings.

This exceeds targets set by the Conservatives for 1,000 volunteers reaching 2,500 education settings within two years. 

An impact report into the scheme revealed that “education settings are steadily advancing in their climate action journeys”. 

Despite this, just 3 per cent of school staff felt “very prepared to deliver climate-related education”, with 59 per cent “unprepared or unsure”.

The report added: “Overall, the evidence suggests the education sector is motivated, but challenges remain in limited staff capacity, a lack of accessible resources, uneven governance structures and early-stage development. 

“These challenges hinder the transition from enthusiastic engagement to full institutionalisation of climate action.”

‘More must happen’

Despite this, Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Pepe Di’Iasio urged ministers to “work with the sector over the scope for retrofitting existing buildings with air–conditioning systems”. 

 

He acknowledged this would represent “an additional cost” but said it would allow teachers “to maintain environments conducive to learning”, while cutting the risk of closures.  

National Education Union leader Daniel Kebede wrote to the government on Thursday, arguing: “Much more needs to be done to help better prepare our education system for the climate emergency. 

“Greater investment is needed to make all schools resilient to this type of extreme weather.”