Fire Risk Assessment for Schools & Education Premises
Professional Fire Risk Assessments for Schools and Education Premises Across South Wales
Helping Headteachers, Governors and Site Managers Stay Compliant, Legal & Protected
Fire Risk Assessments for Schools in South Wales
FireBugged provides professional fire risk assessments for schools, colleges and other education premises across South Wales. Education settings bring together large numbers of children and young people, high occupancy at set times of day, specialist areas such as science labs and kitchens, and pupils who may need extra support to evacuate safely. If you are responsible for a school or education premises, you have a legal duty to make sure it is covered by a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment.
Led by Paul Williams, a Level 4 qualified Fire Risk Assessor with over 26 years’ experience, we work with primary and secondary schools, colleges, nurseries and independent settings across Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Bridgend, Pontypridd and the wider South Wales region. Every assessment is carried out personally by Paul, with a full written report issued within 48 hours.
Are Fire Risk Assessments a Legal Requirement for Schools?
Yes. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a school is non-domestic premises and falls within scope, so the responsible person must ensure a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is carried out and kept under review. As schools employ five or more people, the assessment must be recorded in writing.
Responsibility for who acts as the responsible person depends on how the school is run. For a community school this is often the local authority, while for a voluntary aided school, foundation school or independent school it usually sits with the governing body or proprietor. Whoever holds the duty must ensure the assessment is carried out by a competent person and acted upon. In Wales, these duties are enforced by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, which inspects education premises on a risk basis and can issue enforcement or prohibition notices where fire safety is not being properly managed.
What Does a School Fire Risk Assessment Cover?
A FireBugged assessment looks at the whole site, from classrooms and corridors through to specialist areas and outbuildings. It will cover:
- Escape routes and exits: checked for suitability at full occupancy, including timely evacuation of large groups of pupils
- Personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs): reviewing arrangements for pupils, staff or visitors who need support to evacuate
- Fire doors: checked for correct installation, self-closing and condition, a common weak point in busy school buildings
- Fire detection and alarm systems: assessing type, coverage and audibility across the whole site
- Emergency lighting: checking escape routes stay lit during a power failure, including halls and internal rooms
- Specialist areas: science laboratories, design and technology workshops, kitchens and boiler rooms assessed as higher-risk spaces
- Firefighting equipment: the right extinguishers, correctly sited and serviced
- Assembly points and evacuation procedures: reviewing how the site is cleared and accounted for
- Temporary and modular buildings: demountable classrooms and outbuildings included in the assessment
- Fire safety management and drills: checking arrangements, training and record-keeping
- Photographic evidence of all findings
- A written report with prioritised recommendations and clear timescales for remedial action
What Type of Education Premises Do We Assess?
We carry out fire risk assessments for education settings of every kind across South Wales, including:
- Primary and infant schools
- Secondary schools and sixth forms
- Nurseries, preschools and childcare settings
- Further education colleges
- Independent and private schools
- Special educational needs settings
- After-school clubs and community education premises
Who Is Responsible for the Fire Risk Assessment?
For a school, the responsible person is usually the local authority, the governing body or the proprietor, depending on the type of school. In practice the duty is often managed day to day by the headteacher, business manager or site manager acting on their behalf. Where a site is shared, for example a school used by community groups outside hours, more than one party may hold duties and the law requires them to cooperate and share fire safety information. If you are not sure where responsibility sits, Paul can help you establish it before the assessment.
How Often Should a School Fire Risk Assessment Be Reviewed?
School fire risk assessments should be reviewed regularly, as a minimum annually, and sooner whenever something changes that could affect the fire risk. This includes:
- New buildings, extensions or modular classrooms
- Refurbishment or a change to the layout of the site
- A change in how spaces are used or in pupil numbers
- Replacement of alarms, emergency lighting or fire doors
- Any fire, near-miss or enforcement action
Areas We Cover
We provide school and education fire risk assessments across South Wales, including:
- Cardiff
- Newport
- Swansea
- Bridgend
- Vale of Glamorgan
- Pontypridd
- The South Wales Valleys and surrounding areas
Need a fire risk assessment for your school or education premises? Get in touch today for a fast, professional response and no-obligation quote.
FireBugged provides school and education fire risk assessments across South Wales. Get in touch to discuss your requirements or request a quote.