Working with Schools
Research shows that children living in polluted areas are likely to develop smaller lung capacity than those growing up with cleaner air. The Mayor is committed to improving air quality and safeguarding the health of young Londoners. That’s why he has launched several initiatives to understand and reduce the impact of air pollution in and around schools.
School and Nursery Audit Programmes
The Mayor audited 50 primary schools and 20 nurseries between 2017 to 2020 to identify the types of measures which could improve and reduce exposure to poor air quality. Recommendations from the audits include:
- Moving school entrances and play areas away from busy roads
- 'No engine idling' schemes to reduce emissions from the school run
- Reducing emissions from boilers, kitchens and other sources
- Local road changes including better road layouts, restricting the most polluting vehicles around schools and pedestrianisation by school entrances
- Adding green infrastructure like ‘barrier bushes’ along busy roads and in playgrounds to help filter fumes
- Encouraging students to walk and cycle to school along less polluted routes
- Using indoor air quality filters to improve air quality in classrooms. Six nurseries were selected to trial indoor air filtration systems to determine whether they could have a positive effect on improving indoor air quality. A report highlighting the impacts of these filters has been published.
The audits were funded by the Mayor and were carried out by the engineering consultancy WSP.
Taking recommendations forward
The Mayor has provided the following funding for schools and nurseries to carry out the recommendations of the audits:
- £500,000 was made available to deliver non-transport recommendations at all 50 schools audited. Each school received £10,000 from the Mayor which schools and/or boroughs match funded. In addition, at least £300,000 was made available from the Mayor's Greener City Fund to deliver greening measures at any school in areas exceeding legal pollution limits.
- The Mayor’s Air Quality Fund supports projects including school streets, green infrastructure and anti-idling action which are recommended through the audit.
- TfL’s Local Implementation Plans provides funding and support for Boroughs to deliver the transport recommendations for schools and nurseries.
Master Report and Toolkit for schools
The Mayor wants to encourage London boroughs to audit every school within an area of high pollution. The school audit toolkit can get you started. It can be used by schools, nurseries, workplaces, hospitals and other organisations.
A master report has also been made available which provides an overview of the audits including actions that can be taken to address air quality at schools.
School audit reports
The 50 primary school air quality audit reports are available below. Search by location in London:
Bonner Primary School (Tower Hamlets)
Christopher Hatton Primary School (Camden)
Gospel Oak Primary School (Camden)
Hallfield Primary School (Westminster)
Holy Trinity CofE Primary School (Kensington and Chelsea)
Marner Primary School (Tower Hamlets)
Netley Primary School (Camden)
Oxford Gardens Primary School (Kensington and Chelsea)
St Clements Dane CofE Primary School (Westminster)
St Mary Abbots CofE Primary School (Kensington and Chelsea)
Charlotte Sharman Primary School (Southwark)
Chesterton Primary School (Wandsworth)
Deptford Park Primary School (Lewisham)
Haseltine Primary School (Lewisham)
Merton Abbey Primary School (Merton)
Oliver Goldsmith Primary School (Southwark)
St Anne's Catholic Primary School (Lambeth)
St Anne's CofE Primary School (Wandsworth)
St James Hatcham CofE Primary School (Lewisham)
Ark Franklin Primary Academy (Brent)
Cavendish Primary School (Hounslow)
Christ the Saviour CofE Primary School (Ealing)
East Sheen Primary School (Richmond upon Thames)
John Keble CofE Primary School (Brent)
Melcombe Primary School (Hammersmith and Fulham)
St Paul's CofE Primary School (Hammersmith and Fulham)
St Stephen's CofE Primary School (Richmond)
Nursery audit reports
The 20 nursery air quality audit reports are available below. Search by borough:
Camden
Greenwich
NAQA Rachel McMillan Nursery School
NAQA Robert Owen Nursery School
Haringey
NAQA Pembury House Nursery School
Kensington and Chelsea
NAQA Maxilla and Goldborne Children's Centre
Lambeth
Lewisham
Newham
NAQA Sheringham Nursery School
Richmond
Southwark
NAQA Ann Bernadt Nursery School
NAQA Kintore Way Nursery School
NAQA Nell Gywnn Nursery School
Tower Hamlets
NAQA Alice Model Nursery School
NAQA Columbia Market Nursery School
Wandsworth
Westminster
NAQA Dorothy Gardner Nursery School
School Filters Programme
In February 2024 the Mayor announced £2.7m of funding to deliver the School Filter Programme. The programme will install indoor air quality filters into 200 schools across London. It will also fund the maintenance of the filters as well as engagement and support for the schools. The programme will include a monitoring and evaluation element which may inform a further rollout of filters to more schools in London.
The programme is due to launch in early 2025.
Other projects with schools
The Mayor is supporting a variety of other projects to improve air quality in and around schools. These include:
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Installing Breathe London sensors outside of selected schools, helping provide vital air quality data to schools.
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Delivering School Superzones where place-based public health interventions are made in the area around the school to improve the health of students.
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Funding Healthy Streets Everyday II, a Mayor’s Air Quality Fund project which will create new walking routes, permanent school streets, low emission transport infrastructure and green space.
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