Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance his Department is providing to schools on ventilation of classrooms in the context of the prevention of covid-19 over the winter when it is not practical to open windows due to cold weather.

Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak the department has emphasised the importance of ventilation and provided guidance to settings on ventilation requirements. The department has always said that where a school is in operation it is important to ensure that it is well ventilated and that a comfortable teaching environment is maintained.

The government has started to provide CO2 monitors to state-funded early years, schools and further education providers, backed by £25 million in government funding.

The new monitors will provide further reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working, helping balance the need for good ventilation with keeping classrooms warm. The government has also provided new information on how to use CO2 monitors to better manage ventilation.

Further advice for schools on balancing the need for increased ventilation while maintaining a comfortable temperature is available here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/coronavirus/equipment-and-machinery/air-conditioning-and-ventilation/index.htm and https://www.cibse.org/coronavirus-covid-19.