More than one in four school support staff surveyed in Wales say they work in buildings with asbestos problems, according to new polling by GMB Union which has raised fresh concerns about the condition of the country’s school estate.
The union surveyed more than 400 school support workers across Wales during September 2026, including teaching assistants, catering staff, caretakers and administrative employees.
Of those questioned, 28% said they worked in schools with asbestos problems, while the findings also highlighted widespread concerns about leaking roofs, damp, mould and cracked walls.
Almost half – 47% – reported working in buildings with a leaky roof, while 38% said their workplace had damp or mould.
More than half, at 57%, reported cracked walls.
The findings come amid continuing pressure on school budgets and concerns over the condition of ageing education buildings across Wales.
Staff Report Shortages Of Basic School Resources
GMB’s survey also questioned support staff about the resources and facilities available in their schools.
According to the results:
- 28% reported problems with asbestos
- 47% worked in buildings with a leaky roof
- 38% reported damp or mould
- 57% reported cracked walls
- 19% said their school lacked pens
- 21% reported a lack of books for children of all ages
- 23% said their school had no sports field
- 40% reported lacking access to core PE facilities
- 12% reported a lack of access to textbooks
- 13% said they lacked access to paper
The figures are based on responses from GMB’s survey rather than an assessment of every school in Wales, but the union argues they demonstrate the pressures facing both staff and pupils.
Asbestos Remains A Concern In Older Schools
Asbestos was widely used in UK construction before its eventual prohibition and can remain present in older public buildings, including schools.
Its presence in a building does not automatically mean occupants are being exposed to asbestos fibres. Properly managed asbestos-containing materials that remain undamaged may be left safely in place.
The risk increases if asbestos-containing materials are damaged or disturbed, potentially releasing fibres into the air.
The GMB findings nevertheless raise questions about whether school support workers have sufficient confidence in the condition and management of the buildings in which they work.
GMB Takes Findings To TUC Congress
The survey results are being highlighted at the TUC’s annual Congress in Brighton on Monday, where GMB is moving a motion concerning pay for school support staff.
Stacey Booth, GMB National Officer, said:
“School support staff have been repugnantly underpaid for years as the educate and care for our children.
“Meanwhile they are force to work in unsafe, leaky building – riddled with asbestos and mould.
“GMB members will today call on the TUC to back their fight to for fair pay and an end to academisation.
“But we call on Ministers to invest in our school buildings and our children’s futures like the last Labour Government did.”
The union is using the findings to argue that improving school support staff pay needs to be accompanied by greater investment in the buildings and facilities in which employees and pupils spend their working and school days.
For Wales, the findings are likely to add to scrutiny over the condition of the school estate and the investment needed to maintain, repair and ultimately replace ageing education buildings.