All schools to receive carbon dioxide monitors
CO2 monitors will be provided to all state-funded education settings from September, so schools can identify where ventilation needs to be improved.
The new monitors, which are backed by a £25 million government investment, will enable staff to act quickly where ventilation is poor and provide reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working.
What's more, letting fresh air into indoor spaces can help remove air that contains virus particles and is important in preventing the spread of Covid-19.
The majority of c. 300,000 monitors will become available over the autumn term, with special schools and alternative provision prioritised to receive their full allocation from September given their higher-than-average numbers of vulnerable pupils.
The government has also launched a trial of air purifiers in 30 schools in Bradford, which is designed to assess the technology in education settings and whether they could reduce the risk of transmission.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: "Providing all schools with CO2 monitors will help them make sure they have the right balance of measures in place, minimising any potential disruption to education and allowing them to focus on world class lessons and catch up for the children who need it."
CO2 monitors are portable so schools and other settings will be able to move them around to test their full estate, starting with areas they suspect may be poorly ventilated.
The programme will provide schools and other settings with sufficient monitors to take representative readings from across the indoor spaces in their estate, assessing all spaces in a relatively short space of time.
More details will be available following the completion of procurement, however all schools and colleges are expected to receive at least partial allocations during the autumn term, enabling all settings to monitor areas where they believe airflow may be weakest.
As the monitors are rolled out the department will provide guidance on their use.
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