Half of England’s schools unfit due to leaks, mould and faulty toilets, poll finds | Schools

Half of headteachers say parts of their school are either out of use or not fit for purpose due to leaks, damp, mould, asbestos, old boilers and faulty fire doors, according to new research by the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT).

Almost three quarters (73%) of those who say their school is suffering say toilet blocks are either closed (8%) or not fit for purpose (65%).

“I have toilets that need replacing urgently and I don’t have the money to do it. A school principal said the sewer had collapsed and flooded the playground every time it rained.

Two fifths (41%) say facilities at their school are not suitable for use by children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), including special classrooms, sensory rooms and outdoor areas.

The findings come as the government proposes reforms to the Send system that would require mainstream schools to expand and improve services for children with special needs.

Almost two thirds (64%) of those with buildings that are not fit for purpose say their playgrounds are inappropriate (56%) or closed (8%). “We have rooms closed to children, walls covered in mold, a leaking roof, sinking floorboards, unsuitable windows and a cursed playground,” another leader said.

Although the survey was small, with only 326 respondents, it provides a vivid picture of the problems school principals face due to dilapidated, outdated buildings. One school principal said they lay awake at night worrying about the school’s fire doors. “I would say about 80 percent are non-compliant,” they said.

Another participant said: “I was screaming about the poor condition of my boilers but nothing happened until they stopped working completely and I had to close the school because it was so cold.”

Nearly all (96%) of participating school principals said they did not receive adequate capital funding for the maintenance of their school buildings. The National Audit Office has said it would cost £14bn to bring school buildings in England into a satisfactory condition.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT, said: “We know that the UK government has inherited a school estate in appalling condition, and we are also aware that additional investment is planned through the new 10-year property strategy. This research demonstrates the sheer scale of the challenge ahead, particularly given the likelihood of inflation-fuelling events in the Middle East.”

NAHT members will debate a motion at their annual conference in Belfast later this week, calling on the union’s national executive to lobby the government to fully fund core capital expenditure on all state schools in England.

A Department for Education spokesman said: “We are already turning the page on years of decline in school property – fixing legacy of neglect, committing to remove Raac [reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete] for good and to ensure a decade of national renewal.

“Schools have had to patch up and repair buildings for too long, which has ended under this government. For the first time, we are providing long-term investment to improve the condition of our schools and colleges, rising to almost £3bn a year over the next decade.”