Legal context
Education premises are covered by the RRO 2005, with sector-specific guidance in DfE Building Bulletin 100. Maintained schools, academies and independent schools share the same legal duty, but the Responsible Person differs — Local Authority, Academy Trust or Proprietor respectively. Ofsted and the DfE expect a current fire risk assessment and a fire safety policy to be available on inspection.
Why this sector is different
- Large, transient occupant numbers — pupils, staff, visitors, parents
- Lab, DT, food-tech and kiln rooms create concentrated ignition / fuel risks
- Out-of-hours lettings (sports halls, community use) extend the responsible-person duty
- Older estate often has timber stairs, suspended ceilings and historic compartmentation gaps
Typical scope on a schools & nurseries job
- Whole-site Type 1 fire risk assessment with separate sub-assessments for high-risk rooms
- Lockdown vs evacuation procedure review (DfE guidance)
- Fire door inspection across all classroom, corridor and protected-stair doors
- Review of fire marshal coverage during teaching hours and after-school clubs
- Sign-off pack suitable for Academy Trust or LA records
Common findings we record on schools & nurseries sites
- Classroom fire doors wedged with door-stops or chairs
- Display work covering more than 20% of corridor wall area
- Stage drapes and curtains without recent flame-retardant certification
- Out-of-date PAT and extinguisher tags in IT and DT rooms
- Fire alarm zoning that doesn't match how the school actually evacuates
How often to reassess
School fire risk assessments should be reviewed annually and re-issued in full every 1–3 years depending on age of estate and frequency of building changes. Any new modular classroom triggers a fresh sub-assessment.
What it costs
Typical fixed fees: £450 for a single-form-entry primary, £900–£1,400 for a two- or three-form-entry primary, £1,800+ for a secondary school site. Multi-site Trusts get a per-site rate.