The Role of a Building’s Thermal Properties on Pupils’ Thermal Comfort in Junior School Classrooms as Determined in Field Studies

This study compared how construction type influences children’s thermal comfort in schools by analyzing two surveys conducted in Southampton, England — one in a light-weight post-war school (2011) and one in a medium-weight Victorian school (2012). Across 2990 pupil responses, researchers found that despite cooler temperatures (by 2.7°C) in the Victorian school, children’s thermal sensitivity remained consistently high in both buildings. Thermal comfort questionnaires and environmental monitoring revealed that current thermal comfort standards underestimate children’s warm sensations during summer. Pupils across both schools reported feeling warmer than expected, with limited adaptive behaviors to manage discomfort, despite indoor temperatures staying within standard comfort limits. The results highlight that building construction type and moderate cooling do not significantly change children’s thermal perceptions. Instead, children consistently experience a higher sensitivity to warmth than adults, pointing to a need for updated thermal comfort guidelines specific to children. This research emphasizes that future school building design and refurbishment must better accommodate the unique thermal comfort needs of young students to create truly supportive learning environments.