How Schools and Early Years Settings can Adapt to Climate Change

In London, climate change will exacerbate existing pressures on housing, critical infrastructure (including schools), services and the natural environment by causing more frequent and widespread flooding, scarcity of water resources, and increased heat risk.

Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This vulnerability is due to their limited ability to deal with extreme weather events; they lack the experience to adapt to changing conditions. They also lack the necessary knowledge to adjust their behaviours, and, if they are of early years or school age, they rely on teachers and other adults for guidance.

This guidance provides accessible information to school and academy trust leaders, governors, business managers, teachers, and other decision-makers. It sets out measures they can take to help London schools and early years settings better prepare for the impacts of climate change.

Measures have been broken down into

• physical measures,
• operational changes,
• and learning and awareness-raising opportunities.

The guidance draws on stakeholder consultation with several state-funded London schools, that were selected to represent the diversity of London’s school types, considering factors such as local green space, heat and flood risks.