HUNDREDS of thousands of children across England are attending schools that require major repairs following years of government underfunding, a damning new report has warned.

Some 700,000 young people are forced to learn in poor conditions, which directly affects pupil attainment and teacher retention, the National Audit Office (NAO) said.

The independent spending watchdog also blasted ministers for not having “sufficient information to manage critical risks to the safety of pupils and staff arising from a deterioration in school buildings.”