A London girls? school is leading the way on healthier classrooms, writes Anne Cuthbertson
The long-suffering school hamster can breathe again. In the modern classroom at a London girls’ school, furry friends look set to be replaced by something with a longer and happier life with health benefits for all ? plants.
In the Great Pavilion at the Chelsea Flower Show in September, Putney High School for Girls? ?Biophilic Classroom? struck a chord with many visitors, proving an educational experience for all and winning a coveted Gold Medal. 
The stand displayed a recreation of the school?s sixth form centre, with its carefully chosen selection of indoor plants such as low maintenance spider plants, Chinese money plants and dwarf palms. During a nine-month study at the school, the right combination of the right plants in a specific ratio saw an improvement in air quality, the removal of chemical toxins and an increase in humidity. Overnight in the school?s biophilic classrooms, air quality increased by 10 per cent and humidity by seven per cent. The benefits are manifold: a fresher environment, a reduction of fatigue in pupils, higher humidity which is better for skin, and pupils don?t feel so dehydrated. Other subtle biophilic design principles, such as images of nature on the walls, also reduce stress and improve focus and emotional wellbeing.
Putney High School for Girls is changing the way schools interact with nature
?I?ve got a school of eco warriors, passionate abou...