About half of school leaders in England say parts of their buildings are unusable or unfit for purpose, according to a survey by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT).
The poll showed that 51% of those surveyed reported closed or inadequate areas, while 96% said they lacked sufficient funding to maintain facilities. Problems include leaking roofs, mold, asbestos and failing boilers.
Union general secretary Paul Whiteman said conditions “really beggar belief,” adding: “No child or teacher should be expected to operate in draughty, crumbling buildings.”
School leaders said limited budgets force them to divert teaching funds to urgent repairs. Headteacher Darren Brown said this creates “the heartbreak of books versus pipes,” as resources are then shifted away from education.
The union is calling on the government to increase capital funding and prioritize safety, warning that deteriorating school estates risk harming pupils’ education, health and wellbeing.
Nearly three-quarters of affected schools said toilet facilities were either unusable or in poor condition, with a majority describing them as unfit for purpose.
More than three-quarters (76%) of participants reported problems with basic infrastructure such as roofs, windows and doors, while 3% said some of these were unusable.
Playgrounds were also impacted, with 64% described as either closed or unfit for use, while classrooms showed similar issues, at 59% combined.
The National Audit Office has previously estimated it would cost at least £13.8 billion to bring school buildings in England up to a satisfactory standard.
“While the government recently expanded the school rebuilding program to cover an additional 250 schools, taking the number to 750 by 2035, that means it would still take more than 400 years to rebuild all 22,000 state schools,” the NAHT report said.
