Beyond Cooling: Rethinking How We Address Overheating in Schools

Beyond Cooling: Rethinking How We Address Overheating in Schools

Overheating in schools is no longer an occasional issue. Across the UK, rising temperatures are increasingly impacting classrooms, affecting pupil comfort, concentration and overall learning conditions.

Many school buildings were never designed for the climate conditions we are now experiencing. Large, glazed areas, limited shading, ageing building fabric and inadequate ventilation strategies all contribute to internal environments that struggle to cope during warmer periods.

In response, the conversation often turns quickly to air conditioning. While cooling has a role to play in certain applications, relying on conventional air conditioning as the default solution risks addressing one problem while overlooking several others.

The challenge is not simply how to cool buildings, it is how to create indoor environments that remain comfortable, healthy and energy efficient throughout the year.

The Limitations of a Cooling-First Approach

Air conditioning can reduce internal temperatures, but temperature alone does not define a healthy indoor environment. In many existing school buildings, poor ventilation and declining indoor air quality are already significant concerns.

Cooling systems that recirculate internal air without addressing ventilation do little to improve these conditions. As a result, issues such as elevated CO₂ levels, airborne pollutants, allergens and excess humidity can persist, even in mechanically cooled spaces.

There is also the question of energy demand. Widespread deployment of conventional cooling systems without a broader strategy can increase operational costs and place additional strain on already stretched school budgets.

A Broader Retrofit Perspective

Addressing overheating effectively requires a shift in thinking, from isolated interventions to whole-building retrofit strategies.

This includes considering:

• Improvements to building fabric and insulation
• Enhanced airtightness
• Solar shading to reduce heat gains
• Smarter control strategies
• Ventilation solutions that actively manage indoor air quality

By taking a more integrated approach, schools can improve both thermal comfort and the overall indoor environment.

The Role of Ventilation and Integrated Cooling

Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) systems, particularly those with integrated cooling capability, offer a more holistic approach to indoor environmental control.

Rather than focusing solely on temperature, these systems can:

• Provide a continuous supply of fresh, filtered air
• Remove indoor pollutants, dust and allergens
• Help manage humidity levels
• Recover heat during colder months
• Contribute to more stable internal temperatures year-round

When properly designed and installed, they can address overheating, ventilation and air quality challenges simultaneously.

However, it is important to recognise that no single technology is a complete solution. The effectiveness of any system depends on how well it is integrated within a wider building strategy.

The Importance of Data and Ongoing Management

An often-overlooked aspect of overheating is the lack of clear, accessible data on what is happening inside school buildings.

Without accurate insight into temperature patterns, air quality and occupancy conditions, it becomes difficult to make informed decisions or measure the effectiveness of interventions.

This is where monitoring plays a critical role. Platforms such as Twinview, which install sensors to track environmental conditions, allow schools and estates teams to pull data into one place, understand how spaces are performing and identify where action is needed.

By keeping track of temperature trends and indoor conditions over time, schools can move from reactive responses to more proactive building management.

Moving the Conversation Forward

As temperatures continue to rise, the question facing the education sector is becoming more urgent.

It should no longer be:
How do we cool our buildings?

Instead, it should be:
How do we retrofit our buildings to deliver comfort, clean air and energy efficiency all year round?

The technology to achieve this already exists. The challenge now is ensuring that ventilation, cooling and building performance are considered together, as part of a coherent retrofit strategy, rather than as isolated, short-term fixes.

Creating better learning environments will require a more joined-up approach. One that prioritises not just cooler classrooms, but healthier, more resilient buildings for the future.