The usual end of term chaos of sports days, awards ceremonies, and summer fairs has been particularly difficult this year due to the heatwaves affecting much of Europe.
Many nurseries, schools and colleges in parts of the UK have had to close early or entirely on some days, as temperatures in classrooms and playgrounds have become unbearable. Trips and events have been cancelled, and children, young people and staff have suffered from heat exhaustion. Families have been juggling trying to find emergency childcare or looking after children at home whilst trying to work, and sometimes care for other family members, in situations reminiscent of the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Heatwaves are likely to become a routine challenge for the education system. The often-used phrase ‘this is the coldest summer of the rest of our lives’ is amply backed by climate science, with the Met Office predicting that UK temperatures could reach 45 C by 2056. This would have sizeable effects on nurseries, schools, colleges and families, but also wider and significant impacts on health, infrastructure and daily life.
But the consequences go beyond disruption, with a new study estimating more than 2,700 heat-related deaths in England and Wales during the May and June heatwaves.
And it isn’t just heat we need to prepare for but extreme weather generally. Strong winds, heavy rain and snow caused by Storm Goretti earlier this year resulted in widespread school closures and disruptions due to flooding, power and water cuts, road closures, and structural damage.
Unequal impact
The effects of extreme weather are not felt equally. Research shows that in England, older people, women, ethnic minorities, and those living in the most deprived areas all have an increased risk of death during hot weather.
Alongside these demographic inequalities, some areas of the UK are cooler than others. And buildings with more shading, internal cooling and access to green spaces are likely to have fared better in the recent heatwaves. But there are many groups of children, young people, staff and families who will have struggled more – those with long-term health conditions, with SEND, younger children, and people living in homes more likely to overheat. And of course, as happened in the Covid-19 lockdowns, there may have been gendered impacts on parents, with women more likely to bear additional childcare responsibilities.
There is clearly a need to better understand the knowledge and skills that future generations of educators will need to cope with a world affected by rising temperatures.
Further research needed
Climate change is a new priority question for the Nuffield Foundation, as set out in our Strategic Review. We are interested in the societal, economic and distributional consequences of climate change and policies designed to address it. Key questions concern how society can prepare for the stresses arising from a changing climate, and how mitigation and adaptation measures affect different people in different places.
One focus is on how education systems can prepare for a warming world, and what reforms are needed to increase resilience and reduce inequalities in how climate change affects educational experiences and outcomes.
Areas of research interest include:
- Understanding the impacts of the extreme weather on nurseries, schools, colleges and families, including the effects on pupil and student absence, attainment, learning and educational experiences, and the well-being of staff and their families.
- Exploring the unequal impacts of extreme weather, particularly on more disadvantaged or vulnerable children, young people, staff and families.
- Identifying the policies and practices needed to support adaptation, to help education settings and families respond to the changing climate.
Apply to our Main Grants fund. The deadline is 5 October 2026
For more information on our wider climate interests see our Guide for applicants. As this is a relatively new area for us, our thinking will continue to evolve through ongoing engagement and dialogue with the research and policy community, and we will update our guidance over time to reflect emerging evidence, insights and areas of interest.
