Private school grounds in England offer 41% more tree cover than state schools for cooling and shade in extreme temperatures, research has found. The analysis, led by environmental social scientist Lewis Winks, mapped all primary and secondary schools across England and cross-referenced with government datasets to determine total tree cover within a 100-metre radius of school locations.
Socioeconomic divide in tree cover
Among state mainstream schools, those with the highest levels of free school meal eligibility have 29% less tree cover than schools with the lowest levels. The median tree cover in schools with the highest rates of free school meals is 11.7%, compared with 16.3% for schools in more affluent areas. Private schools have the greatest level of tree cover overall.
A previous Guardian investigation revealed that students at England’s top private schools have 10 times more access to green space than those at state schools.
Impact of extreme heat
In extreme temperatures, trees reduce latent heat by providing shade and through transpiration, bringing surface temperatures down by up to 12C to 18C compared with unshaded asphalt or concrete. The UK experienced its third heatwave of the year in early July, with temperatures peaking at 35C. Some classrooms reached 40C, and teachers resorted to covering younger pupils with wet paper towels and giving older students trays of water for their feet.
Lewis Winks said: “Trees in and around school grounds offer vital shade during heatwaves like the one we’ve just experienced, while also benefiting wellbeing, improving air quality, enhancing biodiversity and enriching outdoor learning opportunities. It is unacceptable that these benefits are so unevenly distributed, with the most advantaged children more likely to attend schools with greener, better-shaded surroundings.”
Regional disparities
Schools in Blackpool have median tree cover of 4.9%, in Luton 7.7%, and in the London borough of Richmond upon Thames 20%. In rural areas, schools with higher free school meal levels tend to have less tree cover. For example, schools in Devon have a median tree coverage of 15%, with some affluent rural areas as high as 27%, but in Plymouth, the median can be as low as 4%.
One secondary school teacher in Plymouth said: “Trees at schools are seen as problematic and not beneficial. That is clearly shortsighted. You can be under a mature tree on our site and the temperature there is 5-10 degrees cooler. Teaching and learning over the last few weeks has been very difficult for everyone. There seems to be an illogical attitude towards tree coverage and the cooling it offers in schools.”
Calls for action
Andy Egan, head of conservation policy at the Woodland Trust, which has given away more than 7.5 million free trees to schools across the UK, said the government needed to address inequalities. “We want to see 20% of the government’s planned tree planting taking place in towns and cities with the lowest tree cover, as part of its England tree action plan,” he said. The Woodland Trust noted that city streets can be up to 12C warmer than surrounding countryside, and England has one of the lowest tree-canopy cover levels in Europe.
Winks added: “As periods of extreme heat become more frequent and intense, we should prioritise tree planting in and around the schools that need it most. Trees near schools aren’t something quaint, they are increasingly vital for keeping our children safe and well in a changing climate.”
Local and national responses
A Plymouth city council spokesperson said: “Through the Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest, more than 70,000 trees have been planted across the city since 2021. Of that number, around 12% have been across 22 schools and nurseries in Plymouth, with a range of planting including micro-forests, standard trees, fruit trees and hedgerows. When prioritising projects, we also consider wider environmental and social benefits, including opportunities to improve flood resilience and surface water management, engage local communities and under-represented groups, and increase access to nature.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs said: “We are funding a range of initiatives to increase tree cover in our towns and cities, including providing £1m to the Trees Outside Woodland Fund for 2025-26 and working with over 80 local authorities to embed green infrastructure. We are also investing in a collaboration with the Tree Council to provide grants for tree planting to bring trees closer to where people live and continue to explore new and innovative ways to support urban tree planting, including in areas of deprivation.”
