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LEARNING BENEFITS OF AIR CONDITIONING
The impact of temperature on learning
A students ability to learn declines from 21°C.
At 30oC a students ability to learn is reduced by 10%
For SEND and Disadvantaged students the impact is 3 times higher.
Warm Exam rooms can affect educational outcomes by a further 10%
Health & Safety and Workplace regulations legally apply to classrooms.
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Classroom temperature has a profound effect on educational outcomes and student potential
It has been silently impacting on student learning since schools first opened their doors in Victorian times.
After decades of academic research and study across the world, it is now universally accepted that the ability to learn deteriorates significantly as classroom temperature increases.
Cognitive abilities reduce by roughly 1% per degree when the classroom temperature rises above 21°C. This means that at 30°C, the ability to learn is reduced by 10%. This figure is three times greater for SEN and DA/FSM students who are disproportionately affected by heat and humidity.
Maintaining the optimum classroom temperature is therefore key to not only improving the quality of learning but is fundamental to unlocking the full learning potential and achievement of every student.
It is also critical to remember that this impact is CUMULATIVE and that underachievement carries forward year on year throughout a child’s educational life from Nursery through to University.
When viewed in conjunction with Staff well-being and the potential effect of high temperatures on exam days, the impact of temperature on educational outcomes is PROFOUND.
FOR FURTHER READING: See the RESOURCE section
SAFEGUARDING
Heat significantly affects Special Educational Needs (SEN) & Disadvantaged (DA) children
The impact on their fatigue and ability to concentrate is 3 times greater than other students.
A warm classroom does not just affect the concentration and well-being of the SEN/DA student but also, critically, the concentration of the staff supervising them. Excessive temperatures could potentially trigger underlying health or behavioural issues putting staff and students at risk – further raising SAFEGUARDING concerns.
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
This act requires employers to ensure that temperatures in workplaces should be ‘reasonable’ without clearly identifying a maximum reasonable temperature.
Although there is no legal maximum temperature in UK law, the National Education Union (NEU) believes that because of the nature of the way in which teachers work, and the presence of children, a maximum indoor working temperature of 26°C is appropriate.
This is supported by the NASUWT who recommend a maximum of 27°C.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggest that the maximum working temperature should be 24°C.
Note: these are the absolute maximum deemed acceptable by these organisations.
For further reading: See the RESOURCE section.
STAFF WELLBEING
Staff well-being has become a key focus area for teacher’s unions
The NASUWT regularly post articles in their newsletters on the detrimental effects of high
temperatures.
Just as a student’s ability to learn is impacted by excessive heat, a teacher’s ability to communicate is likewise affected.
A 2025 ASCL poll found that 55% of teachers reported that their classrooms were too hot!
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
The act requires employers to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their staff and others present in the workplace (eg teachers), against excessive working temperatures.
The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
The act requires employers to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their staff and others present in the workplace (eg teachers), against excessive working temperatures.
Every organisation or professional body that publishes research or advice agree that well-being suffers in excessive (high or low) temperatures.
For further reading: See the RESOURCE section.
EXAM ROOMS
High temperatures in exam rooms has a significant negative effect on exam performance
Heat impairs cognitive functions such as concentration and attention. Heat can disrupt the body’s ability to regulate temperature, diverting energy from mental tasks to thermoregulation.
A major Harvard University led study involving 10 million US secondary school students from 2001-2014, found a significant link between higher temperatures during the exam period and lower achievement.
Energy Diversion:
The body uses more energy and resources to cool itself in hot conditions, leaving less for cognitive processes like problem-solving and information processing.
Disrupted Brain Function:
High temperatures can alter brain chemistry and electrical properties, impairing the brain’s ability to function effectively under heat stress.
Reduced Attention and Slower Reaction Times:
Heat leads to a decrease in attention and an increase in reaction times, both of which are crucial for academic performance.
Opening windows and hiring portable fans provides little (if any) real improvement and simply moves more warm air around the room.
Portable Air Conditioning units can be beneficial, but this type of solution requires air and condensate venting and can often be quite
noisy compared to an installed system.
FOR FURTHER READING: See the RESOURCE section
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