SAMHE (pronounced ‘Sammy’) stands for Schools’ Air quality Monitoring for Health and Education. It is a citizen science project that has been designed with and for UK schools. SAMHE aims to establish a network of air quality monitors in schools across the UK to help us better understand schools’ indoor air quality. This is important because poor air quality can have impacts on pupils’ health and concentration levels.
Why do we need to understand indoor air pollution?
The quality of our air is important. After all, around 10,000 litres of air passes through each person’s body every day. UK residents spend around 90% of their time indoors, yet regulations to address air pollution focus almost solely on outdoor exposure. Our indoor air often contains pollutants that can damage our health. Since young people spend lots of time at school, it is important to make sure that the air in classrooms is good, and improve it where it isn’t.
About SAMHE
The initial SAMHE project ran from 2022 to 2024 and established a school-based network of air quality monitors which is representative of the UK’s schools. Through that network we record measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM) along with temperature and relative humidity. Over 1300 schools received a SAMHE air quality monitor and access to the SAMHE Web App where they can continue to view and investigate their school air quality data and try curriculum-linked activities and experiments.
The SAMHE project was a collaboration between our York centre, based at the University of York, and five other research institutions across the UK and was supported by the Department for Education (DfE) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
Building on the SAMHE project, the SAMHE initiative is continuing to support research around air quality in schools beyond July 2024.
SAMHE gives school communities the power to understand and improve their air quality. Together with schools we designed and created an interactive Web App that pupils and teachers can use to interact with the data from their monitor. They can see how their air quality changes over the course of hours, days or weeks and months. This creates opportunities for pupils to be scientists and do hands-on experiments with their monitors. It also gives students and teachers the knowledge and agency they need to control their own air quality, for example through opening and closing windows.
SAMHE Web App
The short video below introduces the Web App, highlighting the ways pupils and teachers can view and interact with the data from the SAMHE monitor and the range of curriculum-linked activities available. We also touch on the achievement badges pupils can work towards, and embedded glossary links to help students understand important terms.
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A short tour of the SAMHE Web App
Many of the activities promoted through the Web App are curriculum-linked. All of them are designed to be flexible, so schools can do them as little or often as they like, for example, for one particular module for one class, or in a regular slot for a science or eco club.
In September 2024 we launched a free, downloadable Teacher Resource Pack containing versions of the SAMHE activities which don’t require a SAMHE monitor. This enables schools which were not part of the initial SAMHE project to access many of the educational activities in the Web App, including quizzes, data analysis, videos, and creative activities. Teacher guidance is embedded throughout and we have included example data and graphs for pupils to work with. Download the Teacher Resource Pack from the SAMHE website.
Ultimately SAMHE aims to enhance understanding of air quality in schools to evidence national policies that result in improved health & education through changes in air-quality. We also aim to increase the engagement of school children in air quality science, potentially leading to a step-change in future national awareness.
In March we submitted evidence to the Inquiry on Air Pollution in England, conducted by the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee. Through this inquiry, MPs are considering whether local authorities in England have the resources they need to monitor air quality and enforce existing rules.
We gave our views, supported by SAMHE’s scientific evidence, that:
we need new and updated national targets and performance for air pollution;
local authorities have insufficient resources and powers to enforce existing legislation and regulation;
greater funding and devolved powers are required to comprehensively monitor indoor air quality; and
that the UK government should fund and deliver a coordinated, UK-wide public health clean air campaign, which includes giving local communities access to data on the air quality in their local area.
There is a growing interest in using air cleaning equipment in classrooms. Building on SAMHE, we have developed a web-based tool to estimate the costs and benefits (in terms of both energy use and classroom air quality) of installing HEPA filter units in individual school settings. We co-designed the tool with prospective users including schools, local authorities and the Department for Education. The CHEPA (Classroom HEPA) calculator is now free and available to all.
On 17 March, Sarah West will be working with other experts to explore how we can better incorporate indoor air quality, including in schools, into the UK government’s Clean Air Strategy. A week later, Sarah will share insights from our research as part of a panel on ‘Air pollution and healthcare: equipping professionals for action’ at this year’s UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) conference in Manchester. Details below.
Past event /
HEPA filters in classrooms significantly improved air quality in Hertfordshire schools: read a poster presented at the UK Health Security Agency Conference.
The SEI York team who delivered SAMHE are now part of a new project – the CHILI Hub – which focuses on maintaining healthy air in schools whilst reducing carbon emissions. Read more below.
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CHILI aims to ensure that we support and improve children’s health and education as school and nursery buildings are adapted for energy efficiency.
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A partnership with STEM Learning to use SAMHE (Schools’ Air quality Monitoring for Health and Education) to support schools in Educational Improvement Areas.
Sarah West stands by the SAMHE display at the UKRI reception, 25 November 2024. Photo: SAMHE project
UKRI Parliamentary reception
On 25 November we shared SAMHE’s recommendations for policy and practice with MPs, Members of the House of Lords and key stakeholders across the research and innovation system at a UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) parliamentary reception. The purpose of the event was to introduce Parliamentarians to UKRI and demonstrate the impact of publicly funded research and innovation on people’s lives locally, nationally and globally.
We were delighted to have been invited to the reception to showcase SAMHE as an example of how publicly funded research and innovation positively impacts people’s lives. In the words of UKRI:
Pupils from Elangeni school, which is part of SAMHE, speaking with Rita Dhut at the UKRI parliamentary reception, 25 November 2024. Photo: SAMHE project
“Your [SAMHE’s] work has been selected as a standout example of how UKRI-funded research connects discovery to prosperity for a better tomorrow.”
Two pupils and staff from Elangeni school joined the SAMHE delegation and helped explain the importance of monitoring indoor air quality in schools to reception attendees.
SAMHE’s recommendations for policy and practice
Our new publication ‘Improving air quality in UK schools brings’ together SAMHE’s findings and other evidence on air quality in UK schools and makes recommendations for policy and practice. This publication will be shared with policymakers; local authorities; school leaders and building managers; teaching unions; and school architects, builders and those who carry out school maintenance.
Henry Burridge and Sarah West launched the brief at a National Education Union (NEU) Health and Safety Advisors Briefing on 22 November 2024.
Other publication /
This two-page brief brings together SAMHE's findings and other evidence on air quality in UK schools and makes recommendations for policy and practice.
On 8 November, World Ventil8 Day, we showcased SAMHE at an event organized by the Future Urban Ventilation Network. Sam Wood presented SAMHE’s findings on ventilation in UK schools and the school-wide factors that affect it and Sarah West joined a panel of experts to discuss opportunities and challenges in enabling change. Watch the recording, shared on the event page below.
Past event /
Sarah West and others explored how research can support evidence for better ventilation, including our work in UK schools. Watch the recording.
On Thursday 3 October we presented findings and reflections from the project at the UKRI/Met Office Clean Air Programme Conference. See the event page below for our poster and a summary.
Past event /
Read findings and reflections from our citizen science air quality monitoring in UK schools as presented at the UKRI/Met Office Clean Air Programme Conference.
In early September we released our Teacher Resource Pack. It enables schools without a SAMHE monitor to access many of the educational activities in the Web App, including quizzes, data analysis, videos, and creative activities. Teacher guidance is embedded throughout and we have included example data and graphs for pupils to work with. Download the Teacher Resource Pack from the SAMHE website.
We held two webinars in July to share findings from the project: one for staff and pupils of participating schools only and open to all. Visit the event page (below) to watch the recording.
SAMHE is transitioning. We’re still working with UK schools to better understand classroom air quality but are no longer recruiting new schools to host monitors. We had a big rush of registrations leading up to the 31 May deadline and are delighted to now have SAMHE monitors in 1300 schools across the UK.
We will soon release a Teacher Resource Pack to enable schools without a monitor to access SAMHE activities. Schools can sign up to the SAMHE newsletter via our contact form to hear when this is available.
We have released some new activities in the SAMHE Web App and featured these in the June 2024 issue of the SAMHE Newsletter along with details of a SAMHE poster competition launching on UK Clean Air Day (20th June) and an invitation to schools and others to join us at a webinar to hear what the project has discovered about air quality in UK schools.
Sarah West spoke at a Policy Connects discussion. Details below.
Sam Bland will introduce primary and secondary schools students to the SAMHE project through an interactive workshop at the annual event PECT Eco Awards for schools in Peterborough. Earlier in the month he ran a design jam at the Software Sustainability Institute Collaborations Workshop, where participants collaborated to create a new Web App activity.
See new SAMHE publications, including a technical report on air quality in SAMHE schools during the Autumn term 2023.
Past event /
Sam Bland led primary and secondary school students in an interactive demonstration of the SAMHE air quality monitor at this event in Peterborough.
Past event /
Sam Bland hosted this session on the SAMHE project and the opportunities and challenges of using web apps to engage young people in citizen science.
The April 2024 issue of the SAMHE Newsletter features new activities, support from STEM Ambassadors for SAMHE schools and how engaging with SAMHE can support schools’ work on sustainable travel through Modeshift STARS.
Rhys Archer presented SAMHE at the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) conference.
Past event /
Three researchers from our citizen science research group in York shared insights into the value of co-created research. See their presentations.
03 April 2024
March 2024
Rhys Archer presented the SAMHE project at the Northern Air Quality Conference.
Past event /
Researchers presented the SAMHE project's work with schools at this event bringing together policymakers and academics to address air pollution.
For each of the five air quality metrics (CO2, PM2.5, TVOCs, temperature and relative humidity) measured by the SAMHE monitor, schools can now view the data in three ways:
a simple gauge chart (speedometer style!) showing the level at a single moment;
a single-axis scatter plot where the level at each time point is indicated by the size and colour of the circle; or
a double-axis scatter plot (a typical graph style used with secondary level students).
The SAMHE Web App Data home screen showing some of the data visualizations available to schools.
Schools can also download their data and create their own plots.
The reason for providing the data in three different ways is that SAMHE has been designed to support school pupils of all ages. We worked closely with teachers and pupils at both primary and secondary schools to decide how to present the data.
The February 2024 issue of the SAMHE Newsletter featured SAMHE activities for schools for British Science Week 8-17 March, including experiments and our new SAMHE careers activity.
January 2024
You can now read short, simple summaries of SAMHE project reports and research papers on our new outputs page. There are suitable for older school students. As a citizen science project, it’s important that we share our outputs in an accessible way with all who contribute to the research, including teachers and pupils at SAMHE schools.
Watch a three minute Introducing SAMHE video to hear project leads Henry Burridge and Sarah West (SEI) introduce the project and teachers share how they are using SAMHE and the benefits for their pupils, themselves and their schools.
December 2023
The first two papers from the SAMHE project have now been published. See the SAMHE publications list for details.
The December 2023 issue of the SAMHE Newsletter introduced our end of term quiz, careers resource and the first SAMHE research papers and announced the winner of our November connection competition.
November 2023
The November 2023 issue of the SAMHE newsletter was sent out on 8 November – World Ventil8 Day. It introduced a new Web App activity (a video on the science of ventilation followed by a quiz), improved data views, easier-to-use activity steps, our new connection competition, the first results from analyzing the SAMHE air quality data, and more.
Air Quality News Magazine published a three page article (p. 10-12) on the project, under the title ‘UK schools help monitor classroom air quality in massive citizen science project’. We have also reproduced that as an SEI perspective (see below).
Perspective /
"Scientists, teachers and pupils are working together to evaluate air quality in UK classrooms" writes Sarah West in Air Quality News Magazine.
Professor Sarah West was interviewed for the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology in its most recent briefing on indoor air quality. Read a feature discussing her contribution to the POST briefing, based on her work on SAMHE and also the INGENIOUS project which is investigating air quality in UK homes.
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September 2023 (part 2)
SAMHE was included as a case study in the The Child of the North: Addressing Education and Health Inequity report, published September 2023. The report highlights how children born into the poorest fifth of families in the UK are almost 13 times more likely to experience poor health and educational outcomes by the age of 17.
“I was delighted to contribute a case study about the SAMHE project to this important report, as citizen science projects like this can be an important way of empowering schools to better understand their environment and take low cost actions to improve it, thereby reducing inequalities.”
Early in the month we released the exciting new SAMHE Web App activity ‘Data Detectives’, which supports pupils to investigate data patterns they find interesting, including formulating a research question and finding an answer backed by evidence. We also finalized the Web App makeover, giving it a new colour scheme and improving navigation, helping pupils and teachers to find our activities and resources more easily.
We now have over 800 schools registered with the project. This was boosted by a piece on SAMHE by BBC Newsround, with Newsround presenter Ricky Boleto and SAMHE lead Henry Burridge visiting to one of our Pioneer Schools.
We’re delighted to have seen a rush of schools signing up to take part in the project! This has been helped by a large number of school-facing organizations sharing our promotional material, inclusion in a Department for Education sector mailing, and media coverage including an article in Schools Week.
April 2023
SAMHE has launched! From today (24 April), schools across the UK are able to register to receive their SAMHE monitor and access to the Web App. SAMHE will be available to 1500+ UK schools and we hope to recruit a wide diversity of schools across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, representative of the whole UK school community.
February 2023 – Beta testing phase nearly complete
Over the last few months our SAMHE Pioneer Schools have been testing and reviewing important aspects of the SAMHE offering to ensure that it meets schools’ needs.
With their feedback we have revised our instructions for schools logging in and connecting their SAMHE air quality monitors and improved the functionality of the data views on the Web App. They have also tried out our first Web App Activities and helped us refine our in-app ‘Achievements’ structure and the rewards strategy for how badges and certificates are gained.
Over the coming few weeks Pioneer schools will be invited to start testing our new ‘Data Detectives’ activity, which will help students investigate ‘spikes’ in their air quality data and explore what could be causing them.
That will bring our beta testing process with schools to an end. The SAMHE team will continue to implement the feedback, create new activities and tidy up the Web App and SAMHE website ready for the official SAMHE launch after Easter when we make SAMHE available to another 1500+ schools.
Screenshot from the SAMHE Web App in development
October 2022 – SAMHE ‘pioneer schools’ are go!
Our school registration form is now live. If you are are a staff member at a UK school, you can sign your school up to receive a SAMHE air quality monitor this autumn and help test the beta version of the SAMHE Web App.
October 2022 – SAMHE website launched
The SAMHE website is now live. Visit it to read more about the project and find out how UK schools can get involved.
September 2022 – SAMHE logo design finalized
The SAMHE co-design schools have helped us design our logo, which we are very pleased with!
May 2022 – The process of co-design has begun!
Teachers from our first co-design schools have met with members of the SAMHE team to start shaping the design and functionality of the web app. We have also started getting feedback on possible logo ideas from young people.
Other publication /
This two-page brief brings together SAMHE's findings and other evidence on air quality in UK schools and makes recommendations for policy and practice.
Journal article /
The SAMHE Web App was co-designed with schools to ensure maximum acceptance and engagement by teachers and pupils, as this is critical to the project's success.
Journal article /
The SAMHE project introduces a novel method to generate and analyze extensive datasets via collaborative citizen science methods, in this case with UK schools.
West, S. E., Way, L., Archer, R., Beale, V. J., Bland, S., Burridge, H., Castro-Faccetti, C., Chatzidiakou, L., Kumar, Findings from Autumn term 2023 for SAMHE Champions and other interested schools/partiesP., Vouriot, C., Williams, N., & SAMHE Project Consortium. (2023). Co-Designing an Air Quality Web App with School Pupils and Staff: The SAMHE Web App. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice, 8(1), 64.
Air Quality News Magazine published a three page article (p. 10-12) on the SAMHE project in their November issue, launched on World Ventil8 Day, under the title ‘UK schools help monitor classroom air quality in massive citizen science project’. SAMHE also featured on the front cover of the issue.
Media coverage /
The children's news programme visited a school where pupils were investigating their classroom's air quality using the SAMHE monitor and Web App.
Media coverage /
The Schools' Air Quality Monitoring for Health and Education (SAMHE) project receives a boost from the UK government, reported Schools Week.
Around 20 schools worked with the research team to co-design aspects of the project. They helped shape the design and functionality of the interactive Web App and shared ideas for activities it could offer. They also helped design the SAMHE logo (below).
SAMHE logo
In Autumn 2022 a further 100+ schools joined us as ‘SAMHE Pioneer Schools’. They received SAMHE air quality monitors and access to the beta version of the SAMHE Web App.
Pioneer schools helped us iron out potential issues schools could face in setting up and connecting their monitor. They also gave valuable feedback on the Web App, the initial activities it offers and the in-app achievement structure and rewards system.
Following the co-design and pioneer phases, SAMHE launched fully in April 2023.
Members of Inclusive Citizen Science, SEI York’s citizen science research group, are leading on stakeholder engagement, including co-design and project communications.
Project /
An interdisciplinary network set up to understand particulate matter in indoor air, its health impacts and effective and equitable ways to address it.
Project /
CHILI aims to ensure that we support and improve children’s health and education as school and nursery buildings are adapted for energy efficiency.
Other publication /
This two-page brief brings together SAMHE's findings and other evidence on air quality in UK schools and makes recommendations for policy and practice.
Event on 26 June in Madrid /
Sarah Foster will explain how creative approaches can make climate change and sustainability education more accessible, emotional and actionable.
