Following the official opening of the new King Henry VIII 3-19 school last week, some people have criticised the approach that has seen the building left without air conditioning and a limited energy capacity during the hottest weeks of the year.

Learners will soon be leaving the for the school holidays, having been making use of the state-of-the-art facilities since their return from the Easter break, but some parents have told the Chronicle their children will be pleased to see the back of the new building.

“My daughter and a few of the pupils have been complaining that the bright white walls give them a headache,” said one mother.

“Otherwise I have only heard good things, although more space is something she has said [would be helpful] a few times.”

Something that might be more difficult to change is the fact that the school also doesn’t have any air conditioning, with visitors to the official opening ceremony last Thursday evening telling the Chronicle how warm it was inside the building at a time when students will be taking exams and staff are still settling in to the new building.

Instead, there is an air recirculation system which is designed to play a crucial role in maintaining good indoor air quality by filtering and reusing air, reducing energy consumption, and managing temperature and humidity. But when the recycled air is as warm as it has been through the start of July, it is understandable that some will find the conditions uncomfortable.

While air recirculation systems go some way into regulating indoor temperatures and ensure the air inside the building is fresh, they’re based on exchanging existing heat with outside air

Measures like this is what has contributed to the school becoming the first net-zero all-through school in Wales, which has been hailed as a great success by the Welsh Government and Monmouthshire County Council.

The school runs entirely on building and ground mounted solar panels with mains electric backup, including 18 electric vehicle charging points. There’s also a rainwater harvesting system and a storm water retention storage system to minimise the impact of surface water downstream.

It it widely accepted that a net-zero approach was the right one to take and that the facilities on offer at the new school far outweigh those of the old building, which currently lives in its shadow.

“Great buildings and facilities really help,” said headteacher, Jonathan Watson.

“The facilities that Welsh Government and Monmouthshire County Council are providing us are enabling us to give the very best to those that need the most.”

“To see pupils thrive in the specialist areas and large, IT-rich classrooms and love the modern dining spaces and new sports facilities is simply marvellous.”

Having cost over £70 million, measures including air permeability are constantly under review as per the Low Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI) RIBA Stage 3. But as weather experts warn that extreme conditions could become more normal in the UK, the argument for bringing the outside in has taken a hit with some.