FAQs - Net Area Schedule

Small classbases

1. We have a couple of schools with a number of small classbases that are only being allocated resource workplaces. The schools are semi-open plan, but even when combined with part of an associated shared teaching area, many of these classbases are still too small to have basic workplaces. As a consequence, the net capacities of the schools are around 50% less than the old MOE capacity. Will this large reduction in capacity from one year to the next be a problem for the schools? Do other LEAs have a similar situation?

A. Yes, other LEAs do have similar schools, designed to be open or semi-open plan. Often the combined area of the classbase and part of the shared teaching area is large enough to be allocated basic workplaces (more than 25m2) and therefore the capacity will not change significantly. However, there are some schools, as you have found, where even the combined area is not sufficient to have basic workplaces and count towards the net capacity. Where this is the case, or where there is no shared teaching area, it might be unreasonable to expect a class to be taught in the classbase (although there may be ways of doing this). Any reduction in capacity will reflect this, but will not prevent the schools in question taking more pupils than indicated by their physical capacity, if they wish.

Workplaces

2. A number of our science labs are shown to hold over 30 pupils (92m2 can hold 33 pupils in total) but these rooms are not used to teach groups of more than 28. How can we take account of this in the assessment?

A. The workplace is a notional unit of measurement based purely on the size and type of the space. It does not indicate the number of pupils (or staff) that could or should use any space for teaching or any other purpose. Although the science labs may have been allocated 33 workplaces in total, only 30 of these will be shown in the basic workplace column, with the other 3 in the resource workplace column. Resource workplaces generally indicate space available for 'ancillary' purposes, such as storage or staff, and cannot count towards the net capacity of the school. Only the 30 basic workplaces will be used in the capacity calculation. As in the old 'MOE' capacity method the total number of (basic) workplaces in teaching spaces is multiplied by a utilisation factor as part of the capacity calculation. This allows for the fact that (having already left out of the calculation any workplaces above 30, or multiples thereof, in any space) not all teaching spaces will be used by a full class all the time - some will be used by groups of, for instance 28, or 20, and at certain times some will be empty because of the way they are timetabled.

Greenhouses

3. Would I be right to include greenhouses as teaching spaces and mark them as 'heavy practical'?

A. Greenhouses are 'general' spaces. If they are used for teaching, they should be given a 'T', although this will only affect the net capacity if they are large enough to have basic workplaces. A further factor is that greenhouses often have very little heating and could therefore be deemed unusable as basic workplaces (if large enough) and given a 'U'.

Lecture theatres

4. Under which space type would you expect lecture theatres to be identified?

A. 'General'. Although they have fixed furniture, the number of theoretical (and, indeed, real) 'workplaces' in a lecture theatre is probably at least as many per square metre as in an ordinary general classroom.

Potteries

5. Would you expect potteries to be included in 'light practical' or 'heavy practical'?

A. Like art and kiln rooms, pottery spaces are 'light practical'.

Social areas and common rooms

6. Which space type do social areas and common rooms come under: 'general', 'light practical', 'heavy practical' or 'large and performance' (like dining)?

A. Common rooms and social spaces are 'general' spaces as they do not have the physical attributes generally associated with dedicated dining spaces (washable floor surface, high ceiling, etc.)

Dining spaces

7. Can you confirm that dining spaces are included in the net area but are not marked with either a 'C' or a 'T'?

A. 'Dedicated' dining spaces should be included in the net area, as large and performance spaces but not given a 'C' or a 'T'.

Dual use spaces (dining/teaching)

8. Should spaces which are used for teaching and dining be included as teaching spaces (marked with a 'T') and then have a reduced capacity by using the utilisation factor, or could the area of such spaces be split to reflect the proportional use?

A. The areas of spaces should not be split to reflect proportional use in this way. If a space in a primary school is dual use (teaching and dining, library and dining etc.) it may be designated as a classbase, if appropriate, or the status column may be left blank (if, for instance, it is used as a shared teaching/practical area). In a secondary school, any space that is available for teaching for part of the time should be marked with a 'T'. This is part of the normal timetabling of spaces in any secondary school and the utilisation factor is intended to allow for it.

Dual use spaces (social/teaching)

9. What about spaces that are used for both teaching and socialising?

A. Social areas should be treated similarly to dining, in that if they are only used for social purposes they should not be marked with a 'T'. If they are available for both teaching and social purposes they should be given a 'T' and the utilisation factor will take account of this partial use.

Social spaces

10. A number of our schools have more than one social space. Would it be fair to exclude one (probably the largest) from the calculations but include others as general teaching?

A. Social and common rooms should all be treated in the same way - included in the net area schedule, and marked with a 'T', if they are used (even partially) for teaching. It doesn't matter if there are several, the formulae in the capacity calculation will assess if there are too many workplaces in non-teaching spaces and default to a higher figure (based on 70% of the total number of basic workplaces, less the basic workplace allowance). Unless you want to try to set the net capacity at a particular level, rather than letting it default to the figure generated by the formula, you don't need to worry about whether there are too many or not.

Halls and gyms

11. Do assembly halls and gyms in secondary schools count as teaching spaces?

A. Yes, all spaces that are available for teaching or learning should be marked as teaching spaces (a 'T' at step 4).

Spaces with restricted access

12. The Fire Officer has indicated that a 'suite' of rooms (classroom, store, etc.) on the first floor are but there should be used by no more that seven people at any one time because of the very poor access/egress. The formula shows a number of basic workplaces and resource workplaces in excess of this restriction. How should this be addressed in the capacity assessment?

A. If the spaces have inadequate access or means of escape (which includes restrictions of this sort, imposed by a Fire Officer) they can be given a status of 'U'. They will then be shown to have only resource workplaces and will not count towards the net capacity of the school.

Use of 'U' status

13. Should I mark all stores with a 'U'?

A. All stores can be marked with a 'U' (as long as they are covered by one of the criteria listed in paragraph 67 of 'Assessing the Net Capacity of Schools') but you shouldn't need to. The 'U' status marking is intended to prevent spaces which are large enough, but inappropriate in some other way, from being considered potential classbases in primary schools or potential teaching spaces in secondary schools. It therefore only needs to be used against spaces that are large enough to have basic workplaces, but should be allocated only resource workplaces because of one of the physical attributes listed in the guidance. If a 'U' is given to smaller spaces it will not affect the workplaces or capacity calculation because these spaces would normally only have resource workplaces anyway.

Spaces less than 3.5 wide

14. Giving the status 'U' to any space less than 3.5m wide could effectively exclude some classrooms, most offices, etc. Is this correct?

A. Spaces such as a head teacher's or secretary's office, will generally be too small to be allocated basic workplaces, whatever the width of the space, so do not need to be marked with a 'U' (see question 13). Classrooms should not normally be less than 3.5m wide, but if a space is large enough to be allocated basic workplaces and is less than 3.5m wide its proportions must be such (less than 3.5m wide by at least 7.5m long) that it would be very difficult to use the space to teach a class, hence the 'U' status.

Spaces with part less than 3.5m wide

15. In a space, such as a classroom, where part of the space is less than 3.5m wide, will the two areas need to be listed separately so that the area that is less than 3.5m wide can be marked 'U'?

A. If part of a space, such as a classroom, is less than 3.5m wide it does not need to be separated from the rest of the room for the net capacity assessment.

Use of 'U' status

16. Should I mark libraries/staff rooms/offices with a 'U' because they cannot be used as classbases/teaching areas?

A. No. A 'U' should only be used to mark spaces that are unusable as potential classbases in primary schools or teaching spaces in secondary schools. Whether a space is considered a potential classbase or teaching space is based only on its size and physical attributes, not on its current use, and is indicated by the space being allocated basic workplaces. Rooms that are too small to be allocated basic workplaces (such as most offices) will never count towards the net capacity. Rooms that are large enough to be allocated basic workplaces will normally only count towards the capacity if they are marked with a 'C' in a primary school or a 'T' in a secondary school. Only if the basic workplaces in spaces that are marked 'C' or 'T' are too small a proportion of the space available (based on 70% of all the basic workplaces, less the 'basic workplace allowance') will the net capacity default to a figure which might include some basic workplaces in spaces that have not been marked with a 'C' or a 'T'.