This national benchmark study evaluates shade provision at outdoor school pools across Aotearoa New Zealand (A/NZ) using aerial imagery and photographs. Findings reveal a lack of shade cover over water and supervision zones in ≈90% of pools, regardless of geographic location or equity funding level. Additionally, half of all pools lack shade over spectator zones, with notable disparities observed between schools receiving higher equity‐based funding and more affluent counterparts. Portable shade solutions were more common than permanent installations. These findings found little sun protection infrastructure at school pools throughout A/NZ, suggesting a need for targeted policy interventions and resource allocation to improve sun safety for students and staff.
Blank et al. (Sun,) studied this question.