School Set-Up: Calculating the Required Area

At GSE, we specialize in establishing and managing schools, and frequently receive inquiries regarding the required area for a school. Determining the necessary constructed area for a school involves a variety of considerations, with "Ground Floor Area" (GFA) referring to the constructed undercover spaces of the school, which is crucial in determining both the capacity of students and construction costs.

It is important to note that larger budgets allow for larger classrooms, wider corridors, and a larger overall footprint, while schools with smaller budgets have smaller classrooms, larger class sizes, less flexible learning areas, and tighter schedules that require efficient use of space. Our aim is to provide guidelines for determining the necessary floor and land area required to establish a school. The guidelines we propose align with the standards of the GSE International School Franchise.

In determining the overall Gross Floor Area (GFA) for new international schools in the premium sector, we usually allocate 65-70% of the gross building area for instruction and 30-35% for ancillary space, including administration, restrooms, circulation, storage, and constructed walls.

During the early planning stages, we typically use an average of 10-12 m2 per student as a rough guide for calculating the necessary space or capacity for an international standard school with comprehensive facilities. However, it is important to note that different functions of the school and age groups have varying requirements, and this average serves only as a guide. For instance, 1500 students might require between 15,000-18,000 m of space.

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Modern learning spaces involve more than just classrooms. Students engage in learning activities in classrooms, break-out spaces, online platforms, and various locations. The internal learning spaces and their function are significant factors in determining the area required for establishing a school. For high-quality international schools with an estimated capacity of 25 students in a room, the following standards are generally applied:

Breakout Spaces

• Standard Classroom: minimum 75 m2
• Standard Kindergarten Classroom: minimum 95 m2
• Standard Science Lab, Art or Drama Room: minimum 95m2

It is important to note that children in their early years learn through play-based environments, which involve a lot of movement, and thus do not sit in desks and chairs like older students. Similarly, science labs and other practical spaces require more area for conducting activities.

Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is a calculation used to regulate construction density by determining the maximum floor area that can be constructed on a given piece of land. If, for example, the FAR limit set by local regulations is 0.20, then the combined area of all the floors in all the buildings cannot exceed 2/10 of the total land area.

It is important for school designs to comply with these guidelines as they dictate the extent of the school's construction. In some cases, the measure used to assess this is "how many hours of sunlight will enter classroom windows on the shortest day of the year." The availability of land in different locations also influences the land area, floor area, and the cost of a school's construction. For example, buildings in rural Australia may only be 1-2 stories high and spaced far apart, while in densely populated cities like Singapore and Hong Kong, space is at a premium.

When determining the land area required, several factors need to be taken into account, including the FAR, shared facilities potential, and the school type's functions and purposes. As a general guide, 10 m2 per student is typically allocated for outdoor play and sports areas. By adding the constructed building footprint to the outdoor area, the land requirements can be calculated. For instance, 1500 students may require:

• GFA over 2 floors: 15,000 m2 (i.e., 7500-footprint)
• Outdoor Areas: 15,000 m2
• Total Area: 22,500 m2 or 5.56 Acres.

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Efficient space utilization is crucial in school design, and the following strategies can be used to ensure effective use of space:

1. Shared Facilities: Underutilized spaces in schools can be shared with other community organizations to reduce costs. For instance, Olympic-sized swimming pools, athletic tracks, and other large facilities can be shared by several groups of people.
2. Split Schedules: Scheduling different start and finish times for students, lunch breaks, and recreational time can better utilize spaces such as cafeterias, gyms, and playing areas. Schools can also be used for other functions like adult learning, clubs, businesses, or recreation in the evenings or on weekends.
3. Schedules/Timetables: Secondary schools can achieve maximum efficiency in space utilization with a professional timetabler who schedules classrooms effectively. While primary schools can be relatively efficient, secondary schools usually reach just 85-90% utilization. It is important not to assume that 20 classrooms designed for 25 students represent a capacity of 500 students.
4. Use Professionals in the Design Process: It is crucial to have outstanding architects and educational leaders who understand the use of space on your design team. Space is valuable in terms of both construction cost and utilization. Taking extra time in the planning phase is invaluable, including space design and student furniture size.

By implementing these strategies, schools can make efficient use of their space and reduce construction costs, while still providing high-quality educational facilities for students.

If you want to learn more about the steps required to?set up a school?check out some of our other articles:

–?Steps to Setting Up a New School

–?10 Steps and Articles on How to Set Up a New School

–?GSE International School Franchise Models

GSE provide specialist services to set up all forms of education institutions including international schools, kindergartens, vocational colleges, universities and online/virtual schools.

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CEO and Education Expert Greg Parry

Internationally renowned for his expertise in education leadership, Greg Parry’s vast experience includes leadership of projects for education institutions throughout Australia, the Middle East, the United States, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and China. Recognised for his numerous contributions in the education arena, Greg has received the Ministers Award for Excellence in School Leadership based on improvements in school performance and a range of successful principal training and leadership development programs, as well as the School of Excellence Award for Industry/School Partnerships and the School of Excellence Award for Technology Innovation. His company GSE (Global Services in Education) has been recognised as having the Best Global Brand in International Education in 2015 and 2016.

Considered one of the premier experts in his profession, Greg has trained teachers and principals throughout the world in areas such as critical thinking, language development and leadership. His expertise in school start up projects, leadership and curriculum development, has made him a sought after authority in these disciplines.

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Global Services in Education set up and operate schools?in all parts of the world.?Governed by a philosophy of global citizenship, every member of the GSE team shares a passion to help shape international education and student achievement through inspiration and collaboration.

Our goal is to meet the highest objectives of every school, teacher, student and parent, with an unwavering dedication to quality education, shared ideals and intercultural perspectives.

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