Environmental design and educational performance with particular reference to 'green' schools in Hampshire and Essex

Research in Education, Nov 2006 by Edwards, Brian W

These shed light also on the third research question addressed, which was to investigate what aspects of green design appear most influential in creating a better learning environment. The initial findings suggest that in the real world of the classroom it is difficult to be precise about design variables. However, it appears evident that those green schools which give priority to daylight and natural ventilation generally outperform other schools in the county (Table 10) and this improvement in productivity exists in both urban and rural green schools. However, not all green schools investigated perform well: there are signs that the older passive solar schools in Essex do not achieve the benefits of more recently constructed 'green' schools in Hampshire. This is attributed to the conflict between energy efficiency and ventilation: many early passive solar schools were found to suffer from lack of ventilation, leading to high CO2 levels in the classroom. In the pursuit of energy efficiency windows were often kept closed, thereby reducing rates of ventilation, which undermined concentration and hence learning. Often, too, curtains or blinds were used to reduce sunlight penetration and this had the effect of lowering lighting levels at the back of the classroom. Moreover, since passive solar schools tended to be open in plan, noise transfer occurred between classrooms and between classrooms, corridors and other areas such as staff offices and libraries (OfStEd reports for St Peter's School and Ravenscroft School in Essex and Newlands School in Hampshire). Hence one finding is that in the pursuit of maximising daylight levels and solar heating it is important that the needs of learning and energy conservation are considered together.

The age of the school is clearly a factor in enhanced performance. The green schools examined in Essex and Hampshire are relatively young buildings and the comparison was sometimes with schools built in the 1960s or early 1970s when system construction (such as CLASP) was common. The control schools were also generally built before DfEE (now DfES) published Building Bulletin 87, with its emphasis on environmental design. However, some of the control schools date from earlier in the century, when design and construction were influenced by the Hadow report and the legacy of the open-air school movement. Classrooms constructed of brick and stone with good thermal capacity, high ceilings and large windows begin to approach aspects of sustainable design found in Hampshire. Age, however, is an influence more on design philosophy, especially the use of sustainable solutions, than on construction quality.

The research has highlighted the benefits of adopting a broad strategy for achieving sustainable design. The definition of a green school cited earlier integrates resources beyond energy (such as water) and combines physical and ecological design with an interest in health and well-being. Within these parameters the Essex and Hampshire green schools achieve measurable benefits for education, although by differing percentages. The cluster of green schools in Essex mainly adopt a low-energy design approach, using mostly passive solar principles, whilst in Hampshire more varied green design strategies are employed. Whereas in Hampshire seven out of eight green schools outperform the control group, in Essex there is less obvious benefit. The answer to this anomaly (already mentioned) is the failure of passive solar schools to deal with the extremes of climate, particularly summertime overheating and wintertime under-ventilation - a problem exacerbated by global warming. A conclusion which can be drawn is that holistic green design strategies (e.g. the Hampshire model) appear to offer advantages over concentrating upon a single (i.e. low-energy) aspect of green design (e.g. the Essex model). This broader approach was supported by the introduction in 2001 of the concept of 'eco-schools' where design, construction and the curriculum are brought together (www.eco.schools.org.uk).