Half of UK schools 'not fit for purpose', headteachers warn
Almost all survey respondents (96%) said they do not receive enough capital funding to maintain their school buildings
One in two (51%) headteachers say areas of their school are out of use or unfit for purpose, a survey has found.
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Ahead of the NAHT school leaders’ union annual conference in Belfast, school leaders say they are facing falling apart buildings, mouldy walls, leaking roofs, and collapsed drains.
Nearly two in three of those who said areas of their school were unfit or closed (65%) said toilet blocks at their schools were unfit for purpose, and 8% said they had toilets that were closed.
NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman said some schools were in a “desperate situation”.
“Some of the stories we have heard from school leaders about the state of their buildings, and their struggles to secure the funding needed to rectify things, really beggar belief,” he said.
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“No child or teacher should be expected to operate in draughty, crumbling buildings – doing so can risk their learning, health and safety.
“Children deserve modern, fit-for-purpose schools with fantastic facilities, but where we still have ageing buildings which aren’t even warm or watertight, that sadly feels like a pipe dream for many leaders.”
Two in five (41%) of the NAHT members who said they had areas that were unfit for purpose or closed said special educational needs and disabilities (Send) facilities – such as dedicated classrooms, sensory rooms and outdoor spaces – were not fit for purpose.
A few leaders (7%) said they had whole school blocks or blocks of mobile classrooms that were currently closed.
At the NAHT’s annual conference, members will debate a motion calling for the union to lobby the Government to fully fund essential capital spending across all state schools in England, with access to funding prioritised based upon need and safety.
Steve Hitchcock, headteacher at St Peter’s CE Primary School in Budleigh Salterton, and Devon branch secretary, said: “I need to replace old temporary classrooms. I have to throw good money after bad just to keep repairing leaks and issues.
“I don’t have enough money to replace carpets and decorate – simple annual tasks. The schoolestate is being run down. The longer this goes on the more money it will cost in the long run.”
Mr Hitchcock said he had to rely on fundraising and grants from local charities to bridge the gap in funding for the school’s buildings.
Almost all survey respondents (96%) said they do not receive enough capital funding to maintain their school buildings and estate.
“We have rooms that are closed to children, walls covered in mould, a leaking roof, sinking floorboards, unfit windows and a condemned playground,” one NAHT member said.
Another said: “The building is inadequate and falling apart. An MDF sheet is holding up a wall in our only hall. Over half the school is in temporary classrooms – the rest is falling down and riddled with asbestos.”
The Department for Education (DfE) has set out a decade-long plan to renew school buildings, backed by £1 billion.
This will include £700 million to tackle maintenance issues in schoolsmand colleges.
However, the National Audit Office has estimated the cost of restoring school buildings to a satisfactory condition is £13.8 billion.
The Education Select Committee has also warned significant risks remain across the UK’s ageing school buildings.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We are already turning the page on years ofdecline in the school estate – fixing a legacy of neglect, committing to removing Raac for good and delivering a decade of national renewal.
“Schools have had to patch and mend buildings for too long – that ends under this Government. For the first time, we are providing long-term investment, rising to almost £3 billion per year over the next decade to improve the condition of our schools and colleges.
“It’s about more than just buildings – it’s about showing children that their education matters, their futures matter, and this Government is determined to give them the best possible start in life.”
NAHT surveyed 326 members in February 2026.