The Government is providing £25 million of funding to provide over 300,000 CO2 monitors to state-funded education settings, including early years, schools and further education providers.
All state-funded schools, colleges and nurseries are expected to receive their allocation of monitors during the autumn term, enabling all settings to identify areas where ventilation can be improved and provide reassurance that existing measures are working.
Special schools and alternative provision were prioritised, given their higher than average number of vulnerable pupils. Deliveries to these settings are now complete.
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 new monitors enable staff to identify areas where ventilation needs to be improved and provide reassurance that existing ventilation measures are working, helping balance the need for good ventilation with keeping classrooms warm.
CO2 monitors are portable and so schools and other settings are able to move them around to test their full estate, starting with areas they suspect may be poorly ventilated.