Outdoor dining canopies are hard-wearing covered structures built to reduce overcrowding and provide extra space for schoolchildren and staff during dinner and break times whilst protecting them from the weather.
Schools install dining canopies to help schools avoid staggered lunchtimes, to allow better supervision and to reduce pressure on staff while maintaining safeguarding standards.
But they can also be used for other activities, like PE lessons when it’s raining or the sun is too hot, messy play or as an alternative classroom.
The legal guidance for minimum dining space differs depending on the type of school, according to Department for Education (DfE) guidelines.
For mainstream primary and secondary schools, it’s 0.9 m² per dining place. Schools then need to calculate the total required size by multiplying 0.9 m² by the predicted number of pupils eating at one time, split across two or three sittings.
There are many benefits to installing an outdoor dining canopy if a school is under pressure with overcrowding.
They help to:
Reduce and avoid staggered lunch breaks and free up space in indoor dining halls.
The type of material used depends on the design of the outdoor dining canopy.
Clear span canopies are generally made of steel while those made of aluminum have a central post.
They can also be made from a type of timber called glulam which can be built with a clear span or a central post depending on your preference.
All the materials are highly durable and are guaranteed to last for 25 years or more.
Yes! The great advantage of outdoor dining canopies is they are extremely adaptable, so different features can be added at the time of installation or as and when your needs change.
If you want a partially enclosed or totally enclosed dining canopy then you can add side walls made from glass or tough polycarbonate.
Installing infrared heaters makes sense in the colder weather and makes the dining canopy more comfortable for students during the winter.
In the same way, LED lighting can be added to make the outdoor canopy feel more cosy and inviting especially in the winter.
If you like the flexibility of having an open and closed dining canopy, then motorised retractable blinds offer both options.
They can be lowered to protect schoolchildren from rainy weather and raised during warmer days.
Many schools are now installing solar panels on school buildings to bring down high energy costs and dining canopy roofs provide the perfect opportunity to do the same.
Even if you don’t have the budget to fit solar panels now, they can always be retrofitted as and when a school is able to afford them.
Almost all canopies fall under permitted development guidelines, so planning permission is generally not required, but it depends on how big you want your dining canopy to be.
School premises are covered by Class M of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development).
Building regulations apply to any structure over 30sqm which is more than 50 per cent enclosed.
The total floor space of your canopy needs to be less than 25 per cent of the entire floor space of an existing building or less than 100 square metres.
It can’t be more than 5m high and you can’t build it closer than 5m from the boundary wall.
Additionally, the dining canopy cannot be installed on usable space that would impact pupil experience, such as play or education areas.
Also, if the school is listed or in a conservation area, you will need to apply for planning permission.
Kensington Systems will be able to help you through the process, including providing detailed drawings and visuals, as well as helping you write the application.
Ask yourself these questions to help you work out exactly what you need.
Sounds obvious but you need to work out exactly how many children or dining spaces you need to cover, and multiply this by 0.9 to get an idea of how large the canopy needs to be.
Dining canopies are often sited next to a building so there is direct access to the school. This gives you more flexibility if you want to use it for different activities such as PE.
If your dining hall gets sunshine all day and you have the space to install a canopy directly next to it, the canopy will help block solar glare.
Courtyards can also be excellent, sheltered locations for dining canopies. If you want to see an example of this, see our case study of Staffordshire’s Great Wyrley Academy.
Of course, it’s not always necessary to add features but side walls, heating and lightning do increase year-round comfort, especially if the area is exposed to the wind.
For example, at Cleeve School we installed a 205m² external canopy over an open space in the school courtyard with side walls and other features in order to protect students from the elements.
Clear span dining canopies aren’t necessary and may be more expensive than canopies with a central post, due to additional larger steelwork required.
But it really depends on the look you want to achieve.
Your supplier can recommend an optimal size to achieve maximum coverage at the best rates.
It’s best to start the procurement process early as if your canopy needs planning or is subject to building regulations, these can take a few weeks and can hold up an installation.
Kensington Systems can advise the best way to approach a project and our experts will be here right from the start.
We have installed dining canopies in numerous schools as our case studies show and take care of everything from site visits, planning permission and building regulations and installation to post installation support.
Please contact us to find out how we can work together.