Te Haratau – lifting the quality of NZ's physical learning environments

We’re working to support the quality of New Zealand’s physical learning environments.

By 2030 we want all schools to have quality learning environments as part of a well-managed and sustainable portfolio that helps deliver equitable and excellent outcomes for every child.

To achieve this goal, we’ve been developing a model to measure and assess a quality learning environment.

This is our Te Haratau programme.

Te Haratau focuses on three key aspects of building performance: condition, fitness for purpose and operational efficiency. We gather data across these areas and analyse it to learn about the quality of school buildings. Having better data will improve our property management and ensure we’re fair and equitable in our investment decisions.

We gather data in a number of ways.

We will install devices to monitor the internal environment of your classrooms. These devices measure acoustics, lighting, thermal comfort and indoor air quality, which all support better educational outcomes. This will also help schools understand ventilation requirements. CO2 monitors record CO2 levels in real time. IEM devices are part of a longer-term solution to support the quality of schools’ learning environments.

Condition assessors will visit the schools to assess the wider site and specific building elements. They’ll use an established condition assessment framework to ensure that consistent, repeatable, and comparable data is recorded across the school and portfolio.

We’ll ask schools to complete a School Evaluation of the Physical Environment questionnaire. This gathers the user’s perspective on the quality of their learning environment and gives you an opportunity to identify areas of concern. We’ll also seek the school’s authorisation to collect their energy usage data, to help inform options for a more energy efficient running of the school and to meet the school’s obligations under the Carbon Neutral Government Programme.  

We’re rolling out the model in stages. We will contact you when your school is on the programme.  Until you hear from us, your property advisor will be able to help with any questions.

We want you to be a part of this journey and ensure you’re informed every step of the way.

Te Haratau Programme – Internal Environment Monitoring (IEM) Devices (not read)

Within the Te Haratau programme, Fitness for purpose is one of three key aspects that will work to achieve quality learning environments as part of a well-managed and sustainable portfolio.

This will help to deliver equitable and excellent outcomes for every child.

As the Government’s goal is to achieve Quality Learning Environments by 2030, we are installing IEM
devices across all state Schools and Kura in Aotearoa to monitor and improve the internal environment
of classrooms.

These devices measure carbon dioxide, temperature, humidity, sound and light, which all support better
educational outcomes.

How to read an IEM device (not read)

At your school or Kura, you will have either AirSuite or Monkeytronics IEM devices installed on the wall
of your classroom.

This is what an IEM device looks like with, and without, a screen.

You can see the different measures quality in your space, such as how warm or cold the room is from
the temperature or how loud the room is.

IEM devices with a screen show the real-time quality of the classroom and when there is no screen on
the device, simply download the AirSuite Monitor App and login to view the results.

Benefits of IEM devices (not read)

There are two main benefits of having an IEM device in your classroom switched on:

1) They help teachers create a comfortable indoor environment.

Studies have proven that better quality indoor environments support better educational outcomes,
so IEM devices are a useful tool for teachers to ensure classrooms are comfortable, and optimal for
student learning.

For example, without appropriate ventilation, a classroom can be stuffy and potentially cause the
students headaches and tiredness which affects learning. This can be detected by IEM devices through
CO2 measurement.

2) They help inform school property planning

IEM devices collect and report data back to us on how the internal environment is performing over time
which can help to inform property planning.

It’s important to ensure that IEM devices are not touched, moved and are clear of any obstructions.
If practical, they should be kept on at all times, even during weekends and school holidays.

Please let us know if your devices are missing, damaged or not working, or we will contact you if we
see your device has dropped offline.

Using the IEM device to guide actions (not read)

If your IEM device is displaying a reading outside of the recommended range, it’s time to act.

For example, if CO2 measurements exceed the recommended level, consider opening your classroom
windows for 5-10 minutes to bring in fresh outdoor air.

Check your IEM device 15 minutes after making a change to see the effect it has made.

There are a range of small daily operational changes, based on real-time measurements, that can make
a big difference to the quality of Aotearoa’s internal learning environments.

Where to go for more information (not read)

If you want more information about IEM devices or actions you should take, have a look at Ministry
guidance, contact your Property Advisor or the Te Haratau team.

Te Haratau Programme – Operational Efficiency (not read)

Within the Te Haratau programme, Operational Efficiency is one of three key aspects that will work
to achieve quality learning environments as part of a well-managed and sustainable portfolio.

This will help to deliver equitable and excellent outcomes for every child.

Operational Efficiency collects and reports information on the resources required to operate school
buildings, such as electricity and water.

The first stage of Operational Efficiency is collecting energy consumption data across the portfolio
to determine the energy performance of each school, compared to other similar schools. In order to
understand each school and kura’s energy consumption, we first need authorisation from the School

Board and the school or Kura to complete the Energy Survey.

The Energy Survey (not read)

The Energy Survey collects information on the energy sources required to operate school buildings.
For example, a school may use various energy sources, each with differing levels of consumption and
carbon emissions, such as electricity, gas or coal. Once the Energy Survey is completed, it will enable
a full picture of a school or Kura’s energy consumption.

Why is it important (not read)

By filling out the Energy Survey, it will help give the school or Kura:

1) A better understanding of energy consumption to inform operational changes such as using timers
on heating systems; and

2) Better decision making to ensure long term property planning of the school includes energy efficient
and sustainability initiatives.

The Energy Survey also provides key data to help inform:

3) Carbon emissions reporting for the Carbon Neutral Government Programme. This data is being used
to help identify the best opportunities for emission reduction; to set targets and create plans to reduce
emissions; and allow us to track our progress along the way.

This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of making school and Kura more energy efficient and
sustainable, contributing to a carbon neutral Aotearoa.

What do Schools and Kura need to do? (not read)

The process for completing the Energy Survey is easy and only requires two actions.

Action 1: Sign the Authorisation Form

The Ministry emails the School Board an authorisation form, which, once signed, gives the Ministry
permission to collect consumption data directly from the supplier. After this form has been completed,
an automated email is sent containing the Energy Survey. It’s important to check the junk or spam folder
if the email can’t be found in the regular inbox.

Action 2: Fill out the Energy Survey

Schools and Kura need a digital copy of recent invoices from each energy retailer, for example, an
electricity, piped gas, or coal invoice. With these on hand, the survey takes approximately 10 minutes
to complete.

To date, over 80% of School Boards have filled out the Energy Survey and authorised access to energy
data. If your school or Kura hasn’t completed the Energy Survey, please complete it as soon as possible.

Where to go for more information (not read)

For more information about Operational Efficiency and the Carbon Neutral Government Programme,
have a look at these resources.

If you have a specific question, contact the Te Haratau team