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Fire safety in schools: requirements and guidance

Understand the statutory requirements for fire safety in schools, including risk assessments, fire alarms and staff training.

Last reviewed on 5 June 2025
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 12988
Contents
  1. Include fire safety procedures in your premises management policy
  2. Your 'responsible person' must create all fire-related documents
  3. Carry out fire risk assessments on all buildings
  4. Create a fire evacuation plan
  5. Install fire-fighting equipment and alarms
  6. Train your staff in fire safety
  7. Consider connecting your fire alarm to a monitoring service

Include fire safety procedures in your premises management policy

All maintained schools and academy trusts must have up-to-date premises management policies.

This is set out in the list of statutory policies in the governance guides for maintained schools and for academy trusts.

The DfE's guidance on good estate management outlines your legal responsibilities relating to fire safety.

You can download and adapt our model premises management policy.

Independent schools, non-maintained special schools and PRUs 

You're not required to have a premises management policy, but you must still meet the fire safety requirements set out in this article.

Your 'responsible person' must create all fire-related documents

Carry out a fire risk assessment of the premises and review it regularly Tell staff or their representatives about the risks identified Put in place, and maintain, appropriate fire