Clean Air Where

🚨 NEW DfE STATUTORY GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS

The Department for Education has published new statutory guidance on allergy safety in schools.

It covers allergy safety policies, staff training, individual healthcare plans, emergency response, serious incidents and reducing exposure to known allergens.

But what really stands out is how clearly the guidance links allergy safety with the indoor environment.

It talks about airborne allergens such as pollen, house dust mite, animal dander and mould.

It says air pollutants, both indoors and outdoors, can trigger allergies, asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

It also says:

“Clean air is a core asthma control measure.”

And that good ventilation, air quality monitoring and supplemental HEPA air filtration are essential, especially where ventilation is limited or outdoor air is polluted.

This matters because allergy safety is not only about emergency medication.

It is also about reducing avoidable exposure where possible - including what is in the air children breathe every day.

Healthy indoor air is now very clearly part of the conversation around allergy safety, asthma and school health.

Read the guidance here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/allergy-safety-in-schools

📢 Indoor air quality affects every school, nursery, childminder, college and after-school club.

Ventilation. Air filtration. CO₂. Airborne infections. Allergens. Asthma. Indoor air quality.

The guidance exists.

But understanding the “why” behind it all makes the guidance much easier to apply in practice.

That’s what Clean Air Where training is about.

The training covers:

• What is actually in the air we breathe
• CO₂, ventilation and air filtration
• Airborne infections, allergens and asthma
• How to assess indoor environments
• Practical actions that can be implemented immediately
• What matters, what doesn’t, and where to focus efforts
• How indoor air quality links to existing guidance and policies

Potential benefits include:

• Fewer airborne infections
• Better support for asthma and allergies
• Improved concentration and learning
• More days in school and childcare settings
• Better attendance for children and staff
• Reduced staff absence and associated costs
• Healthier indoor environments

Because when people understand the “why”, they are better equipped to make informed decisions about the environments where children learn, play and spend their time.

🌬️ Today is Clean Air Day.

When we talk about clean air, we often think about pollution outdoors – traffic emissions, wood burning, industry and the air we breathe on our streets.

Air pollution remains one of the biggest environmental risks to human health, affecting our lungs, hearts and brains, and contributing to thousands of premature deaths every year.

There are practical things we can all do:

🚶 Walk, cycle or use public transport where possible

🚗 Reduce unnecessary car journeys

🔥 Avoid burning wood or other fuels at home unless absolutely necessary

🌳 Support cleaner, healthier communities

What often gets forgotten is that outdoor air becomes indoor air.

The air outside eventually finds its way into our homes, schools, nurseries, workplaces and community spaces.

And because we spend around 90% of our time indoors, understanding both outdoor and indoor air quality matters.

It is good to be part of a growing community working to make clean air something people actually think about – and do something about.

Thank you to for continuing to champion Clean Air Day and helping keep clean air on the national agenda.

Clean Air Where’s indoor air quality training is now available.

Designed initially for schools, nurseries and childcare settings, it provides practical, evidence-based guidance on ventilation, airborne infections, CO₂ monitoring, air filtration and indoor air quality.

The aim is simple - to help people understand what is happening in their buildings, what matters, what does not, and where small changes can make a real difference.

While the training has been developed for education and childcare settings, the principles can be adapted to almost any indoor environment.

To find out more, message me or email [email protected]

Thank you to my long-suffering husband Rich, who has listened to years of conversations about ventilation, CO₂ monitors and air purifiers and somehow still speaks to me.

To Smart Air UKd the Corsi-Rosenthal Foundation for supporting this training.

And to everyone who has offered advice, feedback or simply encouraged me to keep going.

What started as a side project alongside my NHS career has grown into something much bigger than I ever imagined.

Why do I post about air quality? 🌬️