Why schools test classroom lux levels
Pupils spend most of the day reading from a whiteboard, a screen or a page, often at a distance and often with eyesight that has not yet been tested. Teachers spend hours at a desk marking. If a classroom is under-lit, unevenly lit or full of glare on the interactive board, it affects concentration and comfort all day. A school lighting survey shows exactly which rooms meet the recommended values and which need attention, so maintenance budgets go where they make a difference.
The School Premises (England) Regulations 2012 require lighting in each room to be suitable for the activities that normally take place there, and independent schools must meet the equivalent premises standard, which Ofsted and ISI inspections look at. School staff are also covered by regulation 8 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. For the detailed values, schools work to BS EN 12464-1:2021 and the DfE guidance in Building Bulletin 90 (BB90) Lighting design for schools. Our school and classroom lighting standards page explains how they fit together.
Classroom and school lux values
| Space | Em (lux) |
|---|---|
| Classrooms and tutorial rooms | 300 |
| Classrooms used for evening or adult education | 500 |
| Whiteboards and interactive boards (vertical) | 500 |
| Science labs and practical rooms | 500 |
| Art rooms | 500 |
| Technical drawing rooms | 750 |
| Computer rooms | 300 |
| Library reading areas | 500 |
| Sports halls and gyms | 300 |
| Corridors | 100 |
| Nursery play rooms | 300 |
Values are maintained illuminance from BS EN 12464-1:2021. The 2021 edition also gives higher "modified" values where tasks are more demanding, which can be relevant for SEND classrooms and pupils with visual impairment.
What a school lighting survey includes
- Classrooms, measured on a grid at desk height, plus a vertical reading on the teaching wall and whiteboard.
- Glare and reflections on interactive boards and screens from typical pupil positions.
- Science labs, DT workshops and food technology rooms, where practical work and machinery need higher values.
- Halls, sports halls and dining areas, including stage and assembly use.
- Libraries and learning resource centres.
- Corridors, stairs and entrances at floor level, where crowds move between lessons.
- Nursery and early years rooms, measured at the lower heights children work at.
- Emergency escape lighting, optionally, to support your fire risk assessment.
Who asks for the report
Requests come from school business managers and bursars planning LED replacement, from multi-academy trust estates teams building a condition picture across schools, from headteachers responding to staff or parent concerns, from SENCOs supporting pupils with visual needs, and from governors who want evidence for the premises section of their compliance checklist. Contractors also use our reports as an independent check at handover of a new lighting scheme. Many schools combine the survey with an LED upgrade plan.
How we work in schools
- We agree rooms in scope, access and safeguarding arrangements with the school office in advance.
- Surveys are usually done in holidays, on INSET days or after the school day, so lessons are not disrupted and daylight can be controlled.
- Our engineer signs in, follows your visitor procedures and is escorted where you require.
- Each room is measured with a calibrated lux meter and its condition noted: failed tubes, flicker, dirty diffusers, blind condition and board glare.
What you receive
- A room-by-room schedule of average, minimum and uniformity against the BS EN 12464-1:2021 value.
- Pass, marginal or fail flags and a summary page for governors or trust boards.
- Marked plans so rooms can be re-tested after works.
- Prioritised recommendations that fit school budgets, from cleaning and relamping to phased replacement.
Report turnaround is confirmed when you book. If you need results before a governors' meeting or funding bid deadline, tell us when you book.
School lighting surveys across London and the South East
We survey primary and secondary schools, academies, independent schools, special schools and nurseries across London, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk. Trusts with several schools can book a programme over a holiday period, with reports in one consistent format.
Price
School and nursery lighting surveys start from £260. The final price depends on the number of rooms and buildings; multi-site trust programmes are priced on application. Prices are confirmed before booking. See pricing.
Book a school lighting survey
Send us the school name, number of classrooms and preferred dates, and we will confirm a price and a slot that fits the school calendar. Book classroom lux testing.
Frequently asked questions
How many lux should a classroom have?
BS EN 12464-1:2021 recommends 300 lux maintained illuminance for general classrooms, 500 lux for classrooms used for evening or adult education, and 500 lux vertical on the whiteboard.
Can you test classrooms without disrupting lessons?
Yes. We usually survey during school holidays, on INSET days or after school, which also makes it easier to control daylight for accurate readings.
Do you follow school safeguarding procedures?
Yes. Our engineer signs in, follows your visitor and safeguarding procedures and can be escorted throughout if you require it.
Can you survey every school in a multi-academy trust?
Yes. We can schedule a programme across several schools and produce reports in one consistent format so the trust can compare sites and prioritise spending.