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Calculate property space#
The SPG provides formulas for calculating how much space your school needs for teaching and non-teaching uses. Space is based on your school’s student roll.
The SPG is located in the Property Portal.
Property Portal – Ministry of Education
Go directly to the SPG.
School Property Guide – Ministry of Education
What the SPG calculator works out#
The calculator works out the total net and gross area based on what you're likely to need for:
- classroom teaching area
- gymnasium teaching area
- library area
- administration area
- resource area
- hall/multipurpose area.
The SPG gives a total ‘envelope’ of area. The calculation includes a break-down for specific parts of the school. There is some flexibility to decide the best mix and size of area for your school’s needs, as long as you keep within the overall SPG entitlement.
If you think you have more or less space than your SPG entitlement, contact your property advisor.
Gross area#
The gross area is the area enclosed by all the exterior walls of a building. It includes everything within the building, such as:
- teaching spaces
- mezzanines
- internal partitions
- corridors
- toilets
- lifts
- stairwells
- cleaners’ cupboards.
Net area#
The net area is the usable area within rooms such as:
- teaching spaces
- resource rooms
- administration spaces
- gyms
- libraries
- auditoriums
- halls
- multi-purpose spaces.
The net area excludes:
- corridors
- reception areas
- cleaners’ cupboards
- toilets.
Māori immersion (MI) roll#
These are ākonga | students learning the curriculum through either level 1 or level 2 Māori immersion.
Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) students#
These are students aged up to 21 years with the highest learning support needs. They get funding under the ORS.
The SPG calculator can work out the separate space generated by your school’s ORS roll.
You can use this information to work out how much area should be dedicated for ORS students.
Outside technology students#
These are students from another school who come to your school for manual technology classes.
Work out your calculated entitlement to new teaching spaces#
Use the School Property Guide (SPG) calculator to find out if you may need a new teaching space.
This will show you if you have:
- less teaching spaces than you need (a deficiency) or
- more teaching spaces than you need (a surplus).
Count out-of-zone students in your calculations#
If your school has an enrolment scheme, out-of-zone students can only be enrolled if you have surplus space and only if all spaces have been filled by available in-zone (home zone) students.
The same rule applies to the SPG calculation. We normally only approve new teaching spaces for home zone students.
Planning for roll growth#
If your school roll is growing and you think you will need more space, contact your regional office.
Your Education Adviser will be able to help to manage your roll growth. You may be entitled to new teaching space if your current roll generates a higher number of teaching spaces than are currently at your school.
We monitor information about population growth and movement in New Zealand. To work out which schools are likely to need new teaching spaces as their rolls grow, we consider:
- population growth, decline and movement in your area
- whether your roll growth is sustainable for at least 2 years
- if there's space in neighbouring schools – we may suggest you set up an enrolment scheme to help spread local students across the schools in an area.
New space for schools with special programmes#
Special programmes are defined in Section 10, Education and Training Act 2020. They must be approved by the Secretary for Education.
Section 10, Education and Training Act 2020 – New Zealand Legislation
We'll consult with you to set a maximum roll for the special programme.
The students in the special programme:
- continue to be out-of-zone students for general purposes
- can be counted when you're working out your teaching space entitlement, if can demonstrate the programmes at your school would not be viable unless students from outside your home zone could attend.
Contact us if you think your special programme qualifies for new teaching space funding.
Find out more about enrolment schemes.
