Plan and build a new teaching space

Find out the conditions of the funding and what kind of teaching space you can build.

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Inform

  • Boards
  • Principals and Tumuaki
  • Proprietors
  • Administrators

If your school qualifies for new teaching space funding we will work with you to determine the most appropriate type of space for your school.

Key information about new teaching space funding

What it is: Funding to support the planning and building of new teaching spaces.

What it is for: General or specialist teaching spaces, or gym space.

You cannot use new teaching space funding to build non-teaching spaces such as:

  • administration areas
  • resource rooms
  • libraries
  • the staffroom.

How we work out the entitlement

Our School Property Guide (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. For gymnasium entitlement, we include all gym space when working out your existing gym space, including that owned by the community and by the Board.

The Network team prioritises which schools receive roll growth funding nationally.

Space entitlement

Services/utilities

We will consider giving you extra funding to increase the capacity of your school’s services, if you need it.

For example, if you build a new classroom, you might need a new electricity transformer to cope with the additional load on your electricity supply. We may increase the project budget to meet that cost. In this instance, you would be responsible for paying for the new room’s electricity connection and wiring from the project budget.

Type and size of space you can build

Roll growth funding is used to build teaching space. Teaching space includes:

  • regular teaching spaces like classrooms, breakout spaces, learning corridors
  • specialist teaching spaces — these are rooms where specialist teaching occurs such as technology rooms and performing arts spaces
  • gymnasiums.

Teaching space sizes depend on school and type:

  • a teaching space is any space greater than 40m2 net area that is used for teaching purposes.
  • net area is the usable area within a room excluding corridors, reception areas, cleaners’ cupboards, toilets, switch rooms and network spaces.
TypeNet area (m²)Comment
Regular teaching space – primary/ intermediate 78 The average room size as per the School Property Guide (SPG) for Years 1 to 8
Regular teaching space – secondary 70 The weighted average room size as per the SPG for Years 9-13
Regular teaching space – composite 70-75 Varies according to whether the roll is over 200, and the type of composite school
Specialist 105 Not available to contributing primary schools

All specialist teaching spaces are funded at the same rate, although technology rooms at secondary schools get a higher furniture and equipment rate.

Examples of specialist teaching spaces:

  • Audio visual
  • Clothing
  • Drama
  • Graphic
  • Metalwork/hard materials
  • Woodwork/soft materials
  • Food technology
  • Specialist laboratories

How the funding works

Conditions of funding

You cannot build a smaller teaching space than you are funded for.

  • If funding is received for a specific type of space, it must be used only for that purpose.
  • If you build a space bigger than you are entitled to under the SPG, you will not get 5YA funding for that extra space. 5YA funding is capped at your SPG entitlement.
  • We will work with you to determine your needs for specialist space. As a guide, around 40% of a secondary school’s total teaching space should be specialist teaching space.

Technology teaching spaces

Technology teaching spaces are specialist teaching spaces, provided for Year 7 and 8 students at full primary or intermediate schools. They are used to teach curriculum areas such as food technology, and hard or soft materials.

To be entitled to build a technology teaching space, a school must also be a ‘provider’ school for Year 7 and 8 students at other schools in your area.

To apply to become a technology provider for other schools, contact:

Email: resourcing@education.govt.nz

Phone: +64 4 463 8383

Gymnasiums

Not every school is entitled to a gym.

Who is eligible?

  • Schools with Year 9-13 students with a minimum number of students.

Until you qualify, you must use your multi-purpose area to deliver the physical education curriculum.

  • The standard entitlement for a gym is 300m2.
  • However, when you first meet the minimum number of students, you are allowed a gym with a net area of 540m2 (the size of an international basketball court and an additional 120m2 for specialist space and changing rooms).
  • You will be entitled to more gym space at certain points as your roll increases; that is, each time you have a 0.5m2 gym space deficiency of 150m2.

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