Maintaining focus in lessons can be a challenge, especially during a hot spell. In the warmer months, many schools turn to cooling solutions, but temperature is only part of the problem.
Although there is no legal maximum temperature for schools or workplaces in UK law, the National Education Union suggests that an indoor working temperature of 16°C to 24°C is appropriate¹. The warmest areas of the UK see an average of 29 days when temperatures exceed 25°C every year.² With heatwaves becoming increasingly common,³ classrooms are being pushed beyond comfortable learning conditions.
However, ventilation expert Alan Siggins, Managing Director of Airflow, has warned that air conditioning alone falls short of creating the optimal learning environment for students to focus and perform their best.
Ventilation versus air conditioning
It’s crucial to recognise that air conditioning and ventilation serve different purposes. While both are important during warmer months, air conditioning won’t bring in fresh air or remove indoor pollutants that accumulate throughout the day.
“The key issue is that standard air conditioning doesn’t address the buildup of CO2 and other indoor contaminants that significantly affect students’ ability to concentrate,” explains Alan Siggins. “Air conditioning units are designed to address temperature issues, so you can have a cool classroom that’s still compromised by poor air quality.”
“Carbon dioxide levels, in particular, rise rapidly in occupied classrooms. As CO2 concentrations increase, students can experience decreased alertness, difficulty concentrating, and reduced cognitive function.”
What are the solutions for improving classroom air quality?
“In the first instance, opening the windows is a simple way of allowing some stagnant indoor air out. On hot days, it’s also a good idea to close any curtains or blinds to keep rooms cooler. “
However, making a real impact on indoor air quality requires a proper ventilation system. “One effective solution is mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR), which is designed to provide continuous fresh air to a building. It’s a great solution year-round because the system recovers the heat from the outgoing air to pre-warm the incoming air. That said, if overheating is your main concern, you can opt for a version with a cooling coil built in. Having a ventilation system that can cool the air itself costs less than having separate ventilation and air conditioning units, and you get better overall air quality as an added benefit.”
“Even MVHR units without dedicated cooling coils typically provide some cooling through their summer bypass function, when air skips past the heat exchanger and helps deliver air at a comfortable temperature.”
As classrooms get warmer and air quality concerns grow, schools that invest in proper ventilation today will be creating better learning environments for years to come
