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

The qualitative research sought to establish what design factors lead to enhanced performance in the green schools. Mention was made earlier of the importance of high levels of daylight in creating a stimulating environment for pupil and teacher alike, which research in the United States has confirmed (Washington Post, 1996). From an environmental point of view maximising daylight reduces reliance on energy consumption for artificial lighting. Since many of the green schools examined employed passive solar principles for heating and ventilation, daylight (and sunlight) levels were higher than average. This was true not only of classrooms but also of other areas such as halls, corridors, malls and atria which are a common feature of such schools. These auxiliary spaces provided valuable supplementary spaces for group teaching or private learning. However, ventilation rates are equally important and although they can be high in schools designed to maximise solar gains for heating there can be a tendency to sacrifice ventilation levels in the pursuit of energy efficiency (Building Services Journal, 2001). Lack of ventilation subjects children to high levels of carbon dioxide pollution, which makes them feel drowsy, thereby affecting concentration. As a result there is a close relation between energy efficiency, ventilation and levels of learning.

Speculations and conclusions

The work undertaken suggests that school buildings designed on green principles offer benefits for the pupil and teacher alike. Although the sample size and difficulties involved in surveying, measuring and maintaining confidentiality impose methodological limitations, a number of initial conclusions can be drawn. First, evidence suggests that schools which link sustainable design with the education ethos offer potential learning advantages, and this advantage appears most marked in younger age groups of pupils. Since infants tend to stay in one classroom for long periods of time, it is there that the environmental benefits are most marked.

Second, green schools appear to provide an environment which pupils and teachers both value, and this finds expression in a number of external measures. The quality of the classroom environment resulting from green design approaches appears to reduce stress in teachers, leading to lower rates of absenteeism or staff turnover, and this in turn leads to improved productivity. The lower level of pupil absenteeism (approved and unapproved) suggests greater satisfaction with the school as a place for learning, and this is reflected in both improved SATS results and the observed reduction in the incidence of bullying. Moreover, because the green schools signal an investment in design values where health and well-being are to the fore, the buildings themselves contribute positively to the pupils' learning experience and possibly also to the wider community. In this the image of the school complements physical benefits, producing greater integration between school life and community which is reflected in improvement in educational standards. Just as the Academies programme has raised standards because of the 'messages attributed to the buildings' (Pricewaterhouse Cooper's, 2005) the same appears to be true of green schools in Hampshire and to a lesser extent in Essex.