Millions of children across the UK could be regularly breathing dangerously polluted air, according to new findings from Asthma + Lung UK.
The leading lung health charity has launched a national campaign urging schools and local communities to take action after discovering that more than two-thirds of schools surveyed are located in areas with unsafe air quality.
The charity’s Clean Air Champions (CAC) project – supported by the Bupa Foundation – helps schools monitor pollution levels and reduce exposure to harmful gases such as NO₂. Of the schools that took part last year, 71% recorded NO₂ levels above the World Health Organization’s recommended safety limit.
The initiative provides schools with air quality monitors, teaching materials, and practical steps to cut pollution exposure – from discouraging idling cars at school gates to planting more greenery around playgrounds. But the latest results show that far more needs to be done.
One of the most alarming readings came from a school in Lewisham, London, where air pollution reached 52μg/m³ more than five times higher than the WHO’s safe limit. Across the country, between September 2024 and September 2025, over two-thirds of schools involved in the project reported pollution levels above international health standards.
Children are especially vulnerable to air pollution because their lungs are still developing and they breathe more rapidly than adults. Long-term exposure to toxic air has been linked to a higher risk of asthma, lung cancer, and respiratory infections.
Asthma + Lung UK says the findings highlight an urgent public health issue that requires stronger government action and local commitment. The charity is calling on schools nationwide to join the Clean Air Champions programme to help create healthier environments for pupils.
‘Every child deserves to breathe clean air, yet our research shows this isn’t the reality for most schools in the UK,’ the charity said. ‘We need urgent action to protect young lungs and make the air around schools safe again.’
A teacher at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Northampton said: ‘The children really learnt a lot through the process, one of the enlightening moments was the realisation that the air we breathe isn’t always clean.
‘The Eco-Team were keen to actively make a difference by testing air quality and holding a clean air poster competition, focusing especially on stopping idling cars at the school gate. It certainly raised awareness in the whole school community.’
Asthma + Lung UK has urged more schools to sign up for the free scheme to highlight the need for targeted government action on air pollution.
Amy Bartlett, Schools Engagement Manager at Asthma + Lung UK, said: ‘Millions of UK children attend schools with dangerous air pollution levels, which can stunt lung growth, trigger asthma attacks and contribute to chronic lung conditions.
‘Many schools are situated near busy roads where there is lots of traffic and this is a major contributory factor. This is why we launched the Clean Air Champions scheme, to help schools and school children take a proactive approach to helping clean up the air they breathe.
‘The results from last year show that a lot of work still needs to be done to help reduce levels of air pollution around schools and we are here to support and help them do this. But nothing will change without bold and decisive action from the government, who must work to implement tougher air quality laws, aligned with the World Health Organization guidelines to protect the nation’s children.’
Anna Russell, Bupa Foundation Director, said: ‘Every child deserves to grow up breathing clean, safe air. The Bupa Foundation is proud to support the Clean Air Champions programme, which is helping to raise awareness of how air pollution affects lung health and everyday life, especially for young people. Clean air is essential for healthy people and a healthy planet and this initiative is driving real change by empowering communities to take action for a healthier future.’
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