Education: Weather
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to produce its own climate adaptation strategy to address the impact of extreme weather on (a) education and (b) infrastructure.
Answered by Josh MacAlister
The department takes the impact of extreme weather seriously and has published a climate risk assessment covering flooding and overheating here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-of-uk-climate-change-risk-on-the-delivery-of-education/summary-of-findings-in-relation-to-3-climate-risks-overheating-flooding-and-water-scarcity.
We have published guidance to support education settings during hot weather, drawing on guidance from the UK Health Security Agency, here: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2025/06/hot-weather-and-heatwaves-guidance-for-schools-and-other-education-settings/.
We are improving infrastructure and strengthening resilience across the education estate through our Education Estates Strategy here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-estates-strategy. This includes a new £710 million Renewal and Retrofit Programme to improve condition and climate resilience, investment of almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance to improve the condition of the school and college estate, and investment of almost £20 billion through to 2034/35 in the School Rebuilding Programme, delivering climate‑resilient buildings at over 750 schools.
We are also developing our objectives as part of the fourth National Adaptation Programme due in 2028.
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