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Poor buildings and inadequate facilities were cited as the main reasons, with those questioned claiming they hindered learning and were a health and safety hazard.

Over 2000 teachers (2178) from a range of different schools across the UK took part in the survey, commissioned by ITV1’s Daybreak and Times Educational Supplement.

Over half of teachers (50.5%) who responded felt their lessons were made harder by inadequate facilities and one in five of the teachers surveyed (20.3%) felt their classrooms were unfit to teach in. When asked whether their school posed a health and safety hazard, just under half (45.5%) responded yes.

The majority of teachers surveyed (86.2%) agreed that improved facilities at the school would have a positive effect on pupil’s learning and behaviour.

Stephen Twigg MP, Shadow Education Secretary said: “The Government's made a very big cut in the money available for school buildings and that worries me a lot for children's life chances in the future.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said; "The truth is that, even as we are dealing with the record deficit left behind by Labour, we are still investing £17 billion in school buildings over the parliament. Labour wasted billions on the Building Schools for the Future programme.”