Fire safety for schools: compliance, risk assessment and evacuation planning
A free online session for school fire marshals, site managers and health and safety leads. We cover the legal requirements under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, how to conduct and document a fire risk assessment for an educational setting, and how to plan effective evacuation procedures including PEEPs.
Session agenda
What we'll cover on 18 November
Who it is for
- School fire marshals and deputy marshals
- Site managers and premises officers
- Health and safety leads and governors
- Business managers with fire safety accountability
- Suitable for primary, secondary, and SEN settings
What you will leave with
- Summary of RRO obligations for educational premises
- Fire risk assessment template for school use
- Drill planning and recording checklist
- PEEP planning guidance
- Link to session recording (shared within 48 hrs)
Session host
FireTheGuide education team
Specialists in non-domestic fire safety guidance and training support
Event FAQ
Questions about this session and school fire safety
The session is designed for school fire marshals, site managers, health and safety leads, and business managers responsible for fire safety compliance. Headteachers and deputies with fire safety accountability are also welcome. The session is suitable for primary, secondary, and special educational needs settings. No prior fire safety qualification is required, though participants working toward a formal fire safety qualification may find the content helpful as supporting CPD.
UK schools (and all non-domestic premises) must comply with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO). This requires a written fire risk assessment, designation of a responsible person, adequate fire detection, escape routes, emergency lighting, extinguisher provision, and documented fire drills at least once per term (twice per year is the common minimum; Ofsted and local fire authorities may expect more). The RRO was amended in 2022 and 2023 to require cooperation between multiple responsible persons in shared buildings — relevant to schools with lettings or multi-tenancy arrangements.
The DCLG guidance for educational premises recommends at least one fire evacuation drill per term — so a minimum of three per academic year. Many local fire authorities recommend one per term plus an additional drill at the start of the school year when new pupils and staff are present. Drills should be recorded in the fire log, including evacuation time, any issues encountered, and corrective actions taken.
A fire risk assessment is a systematic evaluation of a premises to identify fire hazards, the people at risk, and what measures are in place to mitigate them. It must be carried out by a "competent person" — someone with sufficient training and experience to identify hazards correctly. For a simple school building, a trained in-house responsible person may be competent. For complex multi-storey, heritage, or high-risk buildings, a professional fire risk assessor should be appointed. The assessment must be reviewed whenever there is a significant change to the building or occupancy, and at least annually. The DCLG educational premises guide is the primary reference for schools.