Post occupancy evaluations (POEs) of school building projects

Learn about POEs, and find previous evaluations for reference.

Level of compliance	Main audience	Other
Inform	Boards Proprietors Architects and designers	Project managers Property managers

Level of compliance

Main audience

Other

Inform

Boards
Proprietors
Architects and designers

Project managers
Property managers

We commission and pay for a post occupancy evaluation after a new build or major redevelopment is finished. We use these to refine and improve our design process for future builds. It can be helpful to read past POEs before starting a build or redevelopment at your school.

About the evaluation

A post occupancy evaluation evaluates buildings in a systematic and rigorous manner. The evaluator interviews the people using the new buildings and facilities and collates the information under 4 main headings:

accessibility
health and safety
modern learning environments
sustainability.

The POE identifies both positive and negative aspects of the new buildings and gives recommendations for improvements. We use these recommendations to improve the design process for future buildings. If there are any defects these are sent back to the project team to make good.

Completed post occupancy evaluations

If you're starting a new build or redevelopment, reading past POEs can be a useful way to find out how well previous new builds are working for the people using them.