SAMHE Admin Participation Info

SAMHE (Schools' Air quality Monitoring for Health and Education)

Version: 2.1

Last updated 22/08/2024

You can also download this document here:SAMHE Admin User Information Sheet (.pdf)

Admin User Welcome and Information Sheet

This document contains information about the project, the implications of creating an admin account for your school, and how we are going to use data entered via the Web App.

Who is involved with SAMHE

The project is jointly led by Imperial College London (Dr Henry Burridge from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department), and the University of Cambridge (Professor Paul Linden), in collaboration with the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) at the University of York, the University of Surrey, the University of Leeds and the UK Health Security Agency (UK HSA).

Participating in SAMHE as an admin user

When you completed the registration form you were asked to provide a generic email address. This is the email address that will be used for your school's Admin account.

Before you set up your school's Admin account, we'd like to remind you why the research is being done and what participating in SAMHE will involve for your school.

Please note:

As part of the Admin account creation process you will also be asked to set up a 'school handle' and two different 'Secret Words'- one for pupils and one for teachers. All subsequent users will need to enter your chosen school handle and the appropriate Secret Word to associate their account with your school.

We therefore recommend that you make a note of your school's 'school handle' and 'Secret Words'. Please be aware that these are means of securing accounts at your school and they should not be shared beyond teachers or pupils at your school. Your pupils can create their own SAMHE Pupil accounts. This will not identify the pupils to either you or the research team. We have created an opt-out letter for parents and guardians which you can download and send as appropriate.

Please take time to read the following information carefully.

If there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information, please contact us.

Thank you for reading this.

What is the purpose of the study?

The purpose of this project is to establish an air quality monitoring network in schools across the UK and through the network record measurements of carbon dioxide and selected air pollutants to evaluate classroom ventilation levels. The monitors we provide schools are for schools to keep. They measure carbon dioxide, particulate matter, total volatile organic compounds, temperature and relative humidity. Our Web App will allow teachers and pupils to see how these measurements change over time.

Through interactions with the Web App both teachers and students will gain an enhanced understanding of air quality science. Teaching materials, including videos, information sheets, and links to other resources about air quality will be provided. The Web App will prompt pupils and teachers to complete activities relating to the monitor. These can be done as part of lessons (e.g. geography, science, IT, maths), or in extra-curricular clubs such as science or eco clubs. We hope that monitors provided as part of the project will enable your school to monitor air quality in teaching environments and make informed decisions to control ventilation and improve air quality.

Why have I been asked to complete this process?

You are being asked to complete this Admin account creation process on behalf of your school, as you or someone at your school has requested a SAMHE air quality monitor. All schools in the UK, except those exclusively for early years pupils, are eligible to take part.

Does my school have to take part?

We appreciate that schools are very busy and it might not be easy to find the time to keep on top of SAMHE activities, so we'll be doing everything we can to make sure that it is easy for you to do. You can decide to stop taking part in SAMHE activities at any time and there will be no repercussions.

As part of the account creation process, you will be asked to confirm on behalf of your school that your school agrees for the data entered using the Admin account to be used for the purposes outlined herein.

What will setting up an account involve?

As outlined above, to create Admin account for your school you will need to create a 'school handle' and two 'secret words' (one for students and one for teachers). You will also need to create a password to secure your account.

We require that you associate your school's Admin account with a generic email address which does not identify anyone at your school and should not relate to a specific member of staff. This is because we need your school to be able to maintain access to your school's account even if staff members are on leave, or if they stop working at your school. By default, we use the generic email address provided via the registration form, if you need to change it for any reason, please contact us.

What are the responsibilities of an Admin user?

As an Admin user you, and any other members of staff who help you to monitor this account, will be responsible for managing this account, including sharing Secret Words which other users will need to create their accounts, and maintaining your school's Room List.

What if something goes wrong?

The SAMHE project is gifting your school a monitor. By accepting this gift, your school is accepting responsibility for the monitor, its safe usage within your school, and any liability that arises as a result. For advice on the safe usage of the air quality monitor, including standard operating procedures and a risk assessment, please refer to the documentation accompanying the delivery of your monitor. You can also access this information on our Safety and Data protection page.

If you are harmed by taking part in this research project, there are no special compensation arrangements. If you are harmed due to someone's negligence, then you may have grounds for a legal action. Regardless of this, if you wish to complain, or have any concerns about any aspect of the way you have been treated during the course of this study then you should immediately inform the research team at hello@samhe.org.uk If you are still not satisfied with the response, you may contact the Imperial College Research Governance Integrity Team (rgitcoordinator@imperial.ac.uk) .

Who will be able to see our data?

The data from your monitor will only be accessible to your school, researchers involved with the SAMHE project, and other researchers as authorised by the project team. No other schools will be able to see the data from your monitor. For the purposes of comparison, we plan to show average results from schools within the local authority.

What will happen to the results of the research study?

Results from this study will be analysed and summarised in academic papers which will be made publicly available. Once these have been published, they will be made available on the SAMHE website. Data supporting the Web App will be stored in a data repository and be made available to other researchers. No personal data will be included in data repositories. Unless we receive written permission from your school, your school will not be identified in any project outputs.

Who is organising and funding the research?

Initial funding for this project was granted by the Department for Education, which continues to be involved. Funding for the main project is provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Who has reviewed the study?

This study was given favourable opinion by the Science, Engineering and Technology Research Ethics Committee (SETREC) and approval by Washington Ochieng, Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Research Governance and Integrity Team (RGIT).

Contact for Further Information

If you would like any further information about this project please contact the SAMHE team using hello@samhe.org.uk.