Air Conditioning for Schools and Nurseries in Surrey

Why classrooms often overheat

Classrooms pack a lot of people into a relatively small space, and children's body heat, combined with computers, interactive whiteboards and large areas of glazing, can push a room's temperature up quickly, particularly on the top floor or in rooms with a south-facing aspect. Many Surrey schools, especially those in older buildings, weren't designed with mechanical cooling in mind, so overheating in summer months is a common concern raised with us.

Nurseries have an additional consideration, since very young children can't easily regulate their own temperature or tell staff clearly when they're too warm, which makes stable, comfortable room temperatures particularly important in these settings.

Occupancy and heat load in teaching spaces

A classroom with thirty children and a teacher generates considerably more heat than the same room used as a quiet office, so sizing needs to reflect realistic occupancy rather than the room's floor area alone. We also factor in equipment like whiteboards, computers and, in some subjects, additional apparatus that adds to the heat load.

Factors specific to school and nursery cooling

• Typical class size and occupancy patterns through the school day
• Orientation and glazing, particularly in rooms that overheat by early afternoon
• Equipment such as computers, whiteboards and specialist apparatus
• Term-time-only usage patterns affecting how a system is scheduled
• Safety requirements for units and controls in spaces used by children

Safety considerations for units and controls

In spaces used by children, indoor units are generally positioned well out of reach, and controls are usually kept with staff rather than accessible to pupils. We discuss unit positioning with the school to make sure it fits sensibly with classroom layout, including where interactive whiteboards, storage and pupil seating are placed.

Nurseries in particular often want controls kept away from areas accessible to very young children, and we take this into account alongside general classroom layout when planning a position.

Noise and the learning environment

Classrooms depend on clear communication between teacher and pupils, so unit noise is a real consideration, more so than in many commercial settings. We look at fan noise levels as part of specifying equipment for teaching spaces, aiming for a unit that can run quietly enough not to interfere with lessons.

Term-time usage and scheduling

Schools and nurseries have a distinctive usage pattern compared with most commercial premises, often needing cooling mainly during term time and particularly in the summer term, with periods of little or no occupancy during holidays. Systems with good scheduling and zoning let cooling be directed to occupied classrooms and offices rather than running unnecessarily across an empty building during holiday periods.

Working within a school's procurement process

Schools, particularly those within a multi-academy trust or local authority framework, often have specific procurement and safeguarding requirements for contractors working on site, including DBS checks and site induction. We're happy to work within these processes and can provide the documentation typically requested as part of a school's contractor approval.

Installation timing around the school calendar

Given the disruption that building work can cause during term time, many schools prefer air conditioning installation to take place during holiday periods. We can plan around the school calendar where this suits the project, though smaller installations in unoccupied areas such as school offices can sometimes be scheduled with less lead time.