Environment impacts school performance

27 January 2009

The quality of the physical environment and the surrounding area has a significant impact on the educational attainment of schools, affecting pupils, staff and parents.

This is the headline conclusion of One More Broken Window, a piece of research commissioned by Britain’s largest teaching union, the NASUWT.

Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “This report reinforces the NASUWT’s belief that a world-class education system cannot be achieved in isolation from the environments in which pupils live.”

The report concluded that a poorly maintained environment in the area around schools makes it more difficult for schools to meet government standards. Dilapidated housing, vandalised buildings, graffiti and litter create a negative perception of adjacent schools, leading parents to prefer other schools. The fear of crime, resulting from the environmental degradation, can create “no go” areas. Insecure school grounds and a lack of play areas was also shown to undermine pupil behaviour and motivation.

The NASUWT is appealing for increased powers for schools to counteract the problems: “Schools have a legal duty to provide pupils and staff with a safe and secure environment in which to learn and work, but, as the report highlights, many schools do not have the necessary support or powers to create secure school buildings. Action is necessary to give schools the legal tools to meet their responsibilities.”