Ventilation for school buildings
Find out how to check ventilation levels in school buildings and keep the air quality healthy.
All schools and kura in New Zealand are designed to be well ventilated, either naturally or mechanically. There are steps you can take to make the most of this. The best way to achieve good ventilation is to open windows and doors, either fully or partially, whenever you can.
Check all windows and doors regularly to make sure they open easily and are not blocked by other objects.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels
High CO2 levels can have a negative impact on health and learning outcomes. You can measure CO2 to show how well-ventilated a room is.
CO2 levels that are above 800 parts per million (ppm) for more than 1 hour suggest more ventilation is needed. The best way to quickly reduce CO2 levels is to open all the windows and doors in the room for 5 to 10 minutes.
If your school still has high CO2 levels that are over 2,000 ppm for a sustained period of time – for example over the course of 1 hour – contact your property advisor.
CO2 monitors
Your school can request fixed and permanent internal environmental monitoring (IEM) devices through our Te Haratau programme at no cost. The IEM devices they provide track ventilation performance, along with other environmental quality factors such as:
- temperature
- relative humidity
- sound
- lighting levels.
Contact the team at Te Haratau at teharatau.mailbox@schoolproperty.govt.nz to place a request.
The ventilation guidance for New Zealand schools explains how to use a CO2 monitor. You should review the guidance regularly – for example, when the seasons change.
Maintenance and property improvements
Schools must meet the minimum ventilation requirements in the current New Zealand Building Code 'G4 ventilation' and the Designing Quality Learning Spaces (DQLS) requirements.
Ventilation studies
Refer to the following ventilation papers for more information on the rationale for our ventilation guidance.