FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT in a SCHOOL / COLLEGE on 0800 776 5018 in the UK

Posted on 22nd April, 2026

A Fire Risk Assessment required in a School or College in the United Kingdom
 
 
Yes. A fire risk assessment is a legal requirement for schools and colleges across the United Kingdom. It is not optional guidance.The duty sits on the person or body that controls the premises (the “responsible person” or equivalent dutyholder). Day-to-day tasks can be delegated, but legal accountability cannot.Legislation by nationEngland and Wales
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (the Fire Safety Order) applies to virtually all non-domestic premises, including schools, colleges, academies, nurseries on school sites, sixth-form colleges and universities (non-residential parts).
 
 
From 1 October 2023, Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 tightened recording duties: the assessment must be recorded in full, fire safety arrangements must be recorded, and the name of any person or organisation who carried out or reviewed the assessment must be recorded. The old “five or more employees” threshold no longer applies.
 
 
Scotland
The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 apply. Employers, managers, owners and others with control of the premises must assess fire risk and take fire safety measures. Significant findings must be recorded where there are five or more employees, the premises are licensed/registered, or an alterations notice requires it.
 
 
Northern Ireland
The Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 and the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 apply. The “appropriate person” must carry out a fire risk assessment, reduce risk so far as reasonably practicable, and review it regularly. Recording is required where there are five or more employees or a licence/registration applies.
 
 
Who is responsible in a school or college This depends on governance:
  • Maintained schools: usually the local authority as employer, with day-to-day control often with the headteacher and governing body.
  • Academies / multi-academy trusts: the trust (as employer).
  • Independent schools: the proprietor or governing body.
  • Colleges / universities: the corporation, governing body or vice-chancellor, plus anyone else with control of part of the site (for example a facilities contractor).
If more than one person has control, they must co-operate and co-ordinate. The headteacher is frequently the operational lead, but that does not remove the employer’s legal duty.
 
 
What the assessment must do The assessment must be suitable and sufficient and specific to the actual buildings, activities and occupants. A generic template is not enough.The standard process is:
  1. Identify fire hazards (ignition sources, fuel, oxygen).
  2. Identify people at risk, including pupils, staff, visitors, contractors, people with disabilities, young children, and anyone who may need a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP).
  3. Evaluate the risk and decide whether existing precautions are adequate.
  4. Record the findings and put measures in place.
  5. Review and revise.
Typical school/college hazards that must be considered include:
  • Science labs, DT workshops, kitchens, boiler rooms and plant rooms
  • Electrical installations and portable appliances
  • Flammable chemicals, paper, scenery, sports mats and stored materials
  • Arson risk
  • Compartmentation, fire doors and unprotected openings
  • Means of escape, assembly points and simultaneous evacuation of large numbers of children
  • Lettings, after-school clubs and community use
  • Temporary buildings, portacabins and building works
 
Design standards for school buildings are commonly referenced in Building Bulletin 100 (BB100). How often it must be reviewed There is no single statutory “every X years” date in the Fire Safety Order. The assessment must be kept up to date and reviewed:
  • regularly (annual review is the usual professional and inspector expectation)
  • after significant change (building works, change of room use, new equipment or chemicals, change in occupancy)
  • after a fire, near miss or enforcement visit
  • if there is reason to believe it is no longer valid
  • often at the start of a new academic year, especially for PEEPs and new pupils
Many schools treat a full professional review every 1–2 years plus an in-house annual check as good practice.
 
 
Who can carry it out The responsible person must ensure the assessment is done by someone competent. For a small, simple building that may be an in-house person with appropriate knowledge. For most schools and colleges — multi-building sites, laboratories, kitchens, complex alarms, historic fabric or mixed occupancy — a specialist fire risk assessor is normally used.The National Fire Chiefs Council publishes guidance on choosing a competent assessor. Since October 2023 in England and Wales, the assessor’s identity must be recorded.What else must sit alongside the assessmentThe assessment is the foundation, not the whole system. Schools and colleges also need:
  • A fire emergency plan and regular drills (commonly at least once a term)
  • Staff information, instruction and training
  • PEEPs where needed
  • Maintenance and testing of alarms, emergency lighting, extinguishers and fire doors
  • A fire logbook / records of tests, drills and defects
  • Action-plan tracking of FRA recommendations
Failure can lead to enforcement by the fire and rescue service, prohibition of use of all or part of the premises, unlimited fines, and in serious cases prosecution. There have been school prosecutions for inadequate assessments.Practical next stepIf you are the headteacher, governor, estates lead or college manager:
  1. Confirm who the legal responsible person is for your site.
  2. Check you have a current written FRA covering every building you control.
  3. Check it has been reviewed recently and that actions are closed or programmed.
  4. Use the official educational-premises guide for England (and the equivalent Scottish/NI practical fire-safety guidance for those nations).
  5. If the last assessment is old, generic, or silent on labs, kitchens, disabled evacuation or recent building work, commission a competent review.

 

CALL 0800 776 5018 to obtain a price for a Fire Risk Assessment or to book an appointment . E mail : sales@fireinspector.co.uk

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Leave a Comment

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you would like to, please leave a comment below.

There are currently no comments to display. Add Comment.
TRANSLATE