Windowless Classroom

[ThomasTankEngine]

My DS1 will be in a classroom with no windows next year.
Is this even legal?
The school is being rebuilt (slowly!) and there are 2 spare classsrooms currently used for remedial reading and music.
What can I do?

[vintageteacups]

Would have thought that wouldn't pass H & S regs for fire at the very least.
How would firemen get to the window in a fire if door was blocked etc?

Plus - really unhealthy not to be able to open windows.

Speak to head teacher, after first finding out what the regs are.

[IndigoBell]

But what do you think school can do? They can't magic up a classroom

[vintageteacups]

they can't magic up a classroom but they could have a mobile classroom put into the playground or have some windows put i.

[ThomasTankEngine]

There are now available class rooms used for reading and music, which used to be reception classrooms. The remedial reading and music could be carried out in the windowless class rooms surely.
I'd really like to know if there are some H & S regs I could quote when talking to the school.
I need to be armed with info!

[roadkillbunny]

At our school we have one room with no windows, the school is very small and has evolved around a small courtyard, the windowless room has two doors, one on either side each leading to different building exit points (this probably covers the fire safety issue) however the room is the IT room/small group work room it has only ever been used as an all day everyday class room when the school was restructured as a new reception class room was being built, the school went from being mixed aged classes through the school to having Yr R to Y3 as year group classes and then 2 classes to cover Y4 -Y6. To keep things as stable for pupils as possible the new class structures went into effect from the September although the new class room would not be finished until the January so for the term of building the windowless class room was used to house a day to day class. I know our school would never use this room as a permanent class room even though doing so would solve a great deal of headaches, the room in question is one of the largest in the school so it is simply due to it not having windows that stops it from being used.
Have a chat with school to find out their reasoning, could it be that the room with windows currently used for small group work is not big enough to be home to a permanent class, from what I understand from your post this room is being used temporarily while building work is carried out, will this be for the whole school year, is there anyway they can timetable a way that the 'burden' is split between classes?

[MM5]

As long as there is an exit door, which their obviously is, there are no H&S regulations that state that a room has to have a window. It is not the best conditions. However, for 7 years, I did teach in a classroom with only a sliver of a window in the door. As a matter of fact, this is how the school was built (newish build) and 90% of the classrooms were windowless. The school was rated as Outstanding on several inspections and no mention of windowless classrooms mentioned.

[vintageteacups]

I guess in newer buildings there may be integral frssh air systems, dispelling old air and replenishing with new air, however, the lack of natural daylight for a whole day (if that's the case) doesn't seem very normal.

I guess though if the room is only being used for say an hour by some chidlren, then it would be less of a problem but if it's a main classroom where the kids spend most of their day, then I'd be a bit .

[sunnyday123]

I teach all day in a room with no windows but we have to have air conditioning - a nightmare for viruses and passing infection. Only one door too.

[killingTime]

DD1 was in classroom with no windows - but the school finally got the roof re-done and took the opportunity to have skylights put in. It had been their plan for quite a few years but it took longer to get done than they wanted.

Perhaps if its a long term issue you could ask if they have similar plans?

[ThomasTankEngine]

Thank you all for your thoughts. I will chat with the head. Shame there are no H & S regs I can call on!

[vintageteacups]

Technical guidance has been redrafted and huge effort is being put into ventilation design to ensure that there is adequate fresh air and that classroom temperatures are neither too hot nor too cold.

"Looking at the existing stock of school buildings, in many classrooms, when the windows are closed, CO2 concentrations routinely go above 2000ppm," says Eddie Murphy, technical director at Mott MacDonald. "The healthy maximum is 1000ppm, and CO2 concentration should never go above 1500ppm." Various pieces of legislation stipulate ventilation rates ranging from a continuous minimum of 3l/s per person to an occasional maximum 8l/s per person. To achieve these rates, designers are frequently incorporating fans into classroom designs. Stacks feature in some designs, taking advantage of buoyancy circulation to drive airflow

This was from
this website

[vintageteacups]

Technical guidance has been redrafted and huge effort is being put into ventilation design to ensure that there is adequate fresh air and that classroom temperatures are neither too hot nor too cold.

"Looking at the existing stock of school buildings, in many classrooms, when the windows are closed, CO2 concentrations routinely go above 2000ppm," says Eddie Murphy, technical director at Mott MacDonald. "The healthy maximum is 1000ppm, and CO2 concentration should never go above 1500ppm." Various pieces of legislation stipulate ventilation rates ranging from a continuous minimum of 3l/s per person to an occasional maximum 8l/s per person. To achieve these rates, designers are frequently incorporating fans into classroom designs. Stacks feature in some designs, taking advantage of buoyancy circulation to drive airflow