Fire safety for schools, colleges and nurseries
Every school, college and nursery needs a current fire risk assessment and fire safety measures that are tested, maintained and understood by staff. We help headteachers, business managers, estates teams and trusts do that, in maintained and independent settings, with assessments and works planned around term times so teaching is not disrupted.
- PAS 79-1:2020Assessment standard we use
- BB 100 · ADB (Wales)Design guidance each side
- Term-time awareIntrusive works in holidays
- One contractOne school or a whole trust
Who is responsible for fire safety in a school?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to education buildings in England and Wales. The Responsible Person is normally the employer, which depends on the type of school: the local authority, the governing body, an academy trust, a proprietor or a college corporation.
Day-to-day management is usually delegated to the headteacher, business manager or site manager. Shared sites, evening community use and PFI buildings add parties who must co-operate, so your fire risk assessment should say clearly who does what.
In England
Academies and free schools are England-only; the academy trust is the employer. The Department for Education's Building Bulletin 100 (BB 100) is the fire safety design guidance for schools, used alongside Approved Document B.
In Wales
School buildings are designed to Approved Document B (Wales), and the Welsh Government has expected new schools to be fitted with sprinklers.
Fire risks we see in schools
Arson
A frequent target out of hours: bins against walls, open perimeters, poor lighting.
Labs and workshops
Gas, flammable chemicals, heat sources, dust, machinery and hot work.
Kitchens
Cooking oils, extraction ductwork and gas appliances, each needing the right controls.
Displays and clutter
Work on corridor walls, storage in plant rooms and furniture on escape routes.
Old meets new
Where extensions join older buildings, compartmentation is often incomplete.
Lockdown vs evacuation
Two emergency procedures that must not undermine each other.
What we do for schools
For a single school or a multi-school estate. Staff training, fire door and fire stopping works are carried out by our own team.
Fire risk assessments
To PAS 79-1:2020, including evacuation, lockdown interplay and PEEPs.
Fire doors
Inspection, repair and replacement to BS 8214, booked into holidays.
Fire stopping
Compartmentation surveys and remediation above ceilings and in roof voids.
Alarms and lighting
Alarm servicing to BS 5839-1 and emergency lighting testing to BS 5266-1.
Extinguishers
Selected and sited to BS 5306-8 and serviced to BS 5306-3.
Fire strategies
For new blocks, extensions and remodelling, with advice at design stage.
Assess in term time, build in the holidays
Term-time visits show how the building is actually used; we can observe a drill and speak to staff. Noisy or intrusive work is best done in holidays and at half terms. Tell us your term dates early and we will book the right people for your summer programme.
For trusts and local authorities, a compliance contract brings every school onto one schedule, one contract and one set of records in the Vocus Fire Safety Portal.
The detail, when you need it
Who is the Responsible Person for each type of school?
- Community and voluntary controlled schools (England and Wales): usually the local authority.
- Foundation and voluntary aided schools (England and Wales): usually the governing body.
- Academies and free schools (England only): the academy trust.
- Independent schools and private nurseries: the proprietor or operator.
- Further education colleges: the college corporation.
Anyone with control of the premises, such as a local authority that owns the buildings, has duties to the extent of that control.
Lockdown and evacuation
In a fire everyone gets out; in a lockdown everyone stays in. Staff and pupils must be able to tell the fire alarm apart from the lockdown signal. Doors secured during lockdown must still allow escape in a fire, and plans need to cover what happens if the fire alarm sounds during a lockdown.
Pupils with special educational needs or mobility impairments may need a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP), and evacuation from upper floors needs particular thought where there is no evacuation lift.
Arson, labs, workshops and kitchens
Your fire risk assessment should consider arson specifically and set out practical measures, such as moving wheelie bins away from the building and securing them, and dealing with combustible materials in outbuildings.
Science labs, design and technology workshops and kitchens each need appropriate controls, gas isolation, safe storage of flammable materials and the right extinguishers, selected and sited to BS 5306-8. The aim with displays is not to strip character from a school, but to keep escape routes clear and limit combustible material in them.
New schools and major works
In England, BB 100 is used alongside Approved Document B, and sets out when sprinklers should be considered based on a risk assessment. In Wales, schools are designed to Approved Document B (Wales), and the Welsh Government has expected new schools to include sprinklers. If you are planning a new block or remodelling, we can prepare the fire strategy and advise at design stage.
At a glance
- Who it's for
- Headteachers, business managers, trusts, local authorities, colleges and nurseries
- Key risks
- Arson, labs and workshops, kitchens, cluttered routes, mixed old and new buildings
- Guidance
- PAS 79-1:2020 · BB 100 (England) · ADB (Wales)
- Scheduling
- Visits in term time, intrusive works in holidays
- Price
- Fixed quote before we visit
Speak to the team
Questions about your building or your duties? Talk them through with us before you commit to anything.
0330 133 4591Fire service experience, one accountable contract.
30+ years in Fire and Rescue
Our Managing Director, Paul Chamberlain, spent more than three decades in Fire and Rescue, from operational incident command to strategic leadership. That is the lens every assessment is written through.
Wales and England, done right
Fire safety law differs either side of the Severn. Every report and recommendation is written for the rules that actually apply to your building.
One accountable contract
Assessment, remediation and ongoing maintenance under one contract, with one point of contact. No gaps between contractors for you to manage.
Every record in one place
Reports, certificates and next-due dates for every site in the Vocus Fire Safety Portal, ready to show an inspector, insurer or auditor.
School fire safety questions
Short answers to what schools ask us most. Can't see yours? Call us on 0330 133 4591.
Who is the Responsible Person for a school?
Normally the employer. For community and voluntary controlled schools that is usually the local authority, for foundation and voluntary aided schools the governing body, and for academies in England the academy trust. Day-to-day management is usually delegated to the head or business manager, so your fire risk assessment should record who does what.
How often should a school's fire risk assessment be reviewed?
Regularly, and whenever something significant changes, such as building works, a new block, a change in how rooms are used or a fire. There is no fixed legal interval. Many schools review annually, and your report will recommend a date.
How often should we hold fire drills?
Most schools hold a drill at least once a term, and it is good practice to hold one early in the autumn term so new pupils and staff learn the routine. Vary the scenario, for example by blocking an exit, and record the time taken and any problems.
Can you carry out the assessment during term time?
Yes, and it often gives a better picture of how the building is used. We work around lessons, sign in and follow your safeguarding procedures. Intrusive works are best booked for holidays.
How do we make lockdown and fire evacuation work together?
Use a lockdown signal that cannot be confused with the fire alarm, make sure any doors secured during lockdown can still be opened for escape, and decide in advance what staff do if the fire alarm sounds during a lockdown. We review both procedures as part of the assessment.
Do new schools need sprinklers?
In Wales, the Welsh Government has expected new schools to include sprinklers. In England, BB 100 sets out when sprinklers should be considered, based on a risk assessment. We can advise on your project at design stage.
Can you cover every school in our trust or authority?
Yes. We can assess and maintain a whole estate under one compliance contract, with a single schedule planned around term dates and every report and certificate held in the Vocus Fire Safety Portal.
Services
Sectors
Further reading: School fire risk assessments explained · What is a PAS 79 fire risk assessment? · Fire strategy vs escape strategy
Plan your school's fire safety
Tell us about your site, its buildings and your term dates, and we will propose a programme that fits around teaching and a fixed price.