Fire Strategies for Schools and Educational Buildings
Schools require fire strategies that account for large numbers of young people, complex campuses, and specific educational guidance.
18 June 20244 min readFire Safety Services
The Fire Safety Challenges of Educational Buildings
Schools and educational buildings present a distinctive set of fire safety challenges. They accommodate large numbers of young people — many of whom require assistance to evacuate — in buildings that range from Victorian-era structures to modern purpose-built campuses. They operate with changing occupancy patterns throughout the day, school year, and across different areas of the site. And they contain significant fire loads in the form of paper, books, and laboratory chemicals, alongside a wide range of building types from main teaching blocks to sports halls, drama studios, and specialist science facilities.
Applicable Standards
The primary guidance for fire strategies in educational buildings is Approved Document B, supplemented by Building Bulletin 100 (BB100) — Design for Fire Safety in Schools, published by the Department for Education. BB100 provides detailed guidance specifically tailored to school buildings, including compartment size limits, means of escape requirements, fire detection standards, and sprinkler provisions.
BB100 requires sprinkler systems in all new schools in England that are above a certain size or have specific high-risk features. This requirement was strengthened following a series of significant fires in UK schools that caused substantial damage and disruption.
School fires are disproportionately costly and disruptive. A fire in a school building can displace hundreds of children and staff for months or years. Sprinkler systems are the single most effective measure for limiting the damage caused by school fires and are required in most new school buildings.
Key Fire Strategy Considerations for Schools
Occupant characteristics — schools contain large numbers of young people who may require direction and supervision during evacuation. The fire strategy must account for the evacuation of pupils with special educational needs, those with mobility impairments, and those in areas of the school that are remote from the main exits.
Compartmentation and fire spread — educational buildings typically have large open spaces — dining halls, sports halls, drama studios — where compartmentation is difficult to maintain. BB100 sets maximum compartment sizes for different areas of school buildings and requires enhanced fire protection where large open areas connect to teaching accommodation.
Arson risk — schools are a high-risk target for arson, particularly at nights and weekends when the buildings are unoccupied. The fire strategy should address arson risk through robust compartmentation (to limit fire spread if arson occurs), intruder detection and CCTV, and physical security measures.
Laboratories and specialist facilities — science laboratories, art rooms, and design and technology workshops contain significant fire loads and potential ignition sources. These areas require enhanced compartmentation, appropriate ventilation, and in some cases suppression systems.
Evacuation Procedures for Schools
Schools typically use simultaneous evacuation — all occupants evacuate the building when the alarm sounds. The fire strategy must address the management of large numbers of young people evacuating simultaneously, the designation of assembly points away from the building, and the roll-call procedures to account for all pupils and staff.
For complex school campuses with multiple buildings, the fire strategy must address the relationship between buildings, evacuation routes across the site, and the management of pupils who may be moving between buildings when a fire alarm sounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do new schools need sprinklers?
Building Bulletin 100 requires sprinkler systems in most new school buildings in England above a certain size. The specific threshold depends on the building type and size. In Wales, all new schools must have sprinklers regardless of size.
How are pupils with disabilities or mobility impairments evacuated in a fire?
The fire strategy should include a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP) process for pupils with mobility impairments. Where simultaneous evacuation is not possible for all occupants, areas of refuge and fire-rated lifts may be required, and the fire strategy should specify the procedures for assisting impaired pupils to evacuate or to wait safely for assistance.
Does a school need a fire strategy for building control?
Yes — for any new school building or significant refurbishment, a fire strategy is required as part of the building control submission. The fire strategy should demonstrate compliance with BB100 and Approved Document B and should address all aspects of the building's fire safety design.
How should school fire strategies address arson risk?
The fire strategy should address arson risk through robust compartmentation to limit fire spread, specification of ignition-resistant materials in vulnerable areas, and guidance on physical security measures. The fire risk assessment — a separate document — should include a specific assessment of arson risk and the management measures in place to reduce it.
Can a Victorian school building comply with modern fire safety standards?
Older school buildings can be made fire safe, but achieving current standards in historic buildings often requires performance-based fire engineering. Sprinkler retrofitting, enhanced compartmentation, and upgraded fire detection are the most common measures used to bring older school buildings to an acceptable standard without destroying their historic character.
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