How Often Should School Fire Risk Assessment Be Conducted?

Every School Needs a Current Fire Risk Assessment — Here Is What the Law Expects

Every parent who drops their child at the school gates is placing an enormous amount of trust in the adults inside that building. Fire safety is one of the most fundamental ways schools honour that trust — yet it remains one of the most inconsistently managed responsibilities across the education sector.

So, how often should school fire risk assessment be conducted? The short answer is at least annually, and more frequently whenever significant changes occur. The reality across UK schools is far more varied — and in some cases, deeply concerning.

The Legal Framework: What UK Law Actually Requires

Schools in England, Wales, and Scotland are legally required to carry out a fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order. This legislation places a clear duty on the “responsible person” — typically the headteacher, governing body, or academy trust — to ensure a suitable and sufficient assessment is in place at all times.

The legislation does not prescribe a fixed review interval. Instead, it requires that assessments remain current and valid, and that they are reviewed whenever there is reason to believe they are no longer adequate.

That might sound flexible, but it carries significant legal weight. If an assessment is out of date and a fire occurs, the responsible person faces serious legal liability — including potential prosecution, unlimited fines, and in the most serious cases, imprisonment.

What the Law Defines as a “Competent Person”

The assessment must be carried out by a competent person — someone with sufficient training, experience, and knowledge to identify fire risks accurately and recommend appropriate control measures.

In practice, this means most schools should commission an external specialist rather than relying solely on internal staff. A member of the facilities team ticking boxes on a checklist does not constitute a competent fire risk assessment. This is a professional process that requires expert judgement and documented evidence.

How Often Should School Fire Risk Assessment Be Conducted?

The general industry standard, supported by fire safety professionals across the UK, is that a full fire risk assessment should be conducted every twelve months as a minimum. For larger schools, schools undergoing building work, or schools that have experienced a fire-related incident, reviews should happen more frequently still.

HSE guidance and the Department for Education both make clear that schools are high-occupancy premises with a vulnerable population — children who depend entirely on adult guidance in an emergency. This places schools in a higher-risk category, which should directly inform how frequently assessments are reviewed and updated.

The gap between what the law requires and what actually happens in UK schools has long been a cause for concern. Some schools operate on a two-year cycle, which is arguably insufficient. Others claim to review their existing assessment annually without commissioning a new one — a practice that falls short when the building, its occupants, or its usage have changed significantly.

The responsible person cannot simply dust off last year’s document and sign it off. If anything material has changed — and in a busy school, something almost always has — a fresh assessment is required.

When Should You Trigger an Immediate Review?

Beyond the annual cycle, certain events should automatically trigger a full reassessment. Waiting until the annual review date to address any of the following is not acceptable practice — and could constitute a breach of the responsible person’s legal duty.

• Any structural changes to the building, including extensions, refurbishments, or changes to internal layouts
• A change in the school’s use — for example, adding an early years provision or a sixth form
• A significant increase or decrease in occupancy numbers
• Installation of new equipment, particularly anything that generates heat or involves flammable materials
• Any fire, near-miss, or fire alarm activation that reveals a gap in the existing plan
• A change in the responsible person or key fire safety personnel
• Feedback from a fire authority inspection indicating deficiencies

What a Thorough School Fire Risk Assessment Must Cover

A properly conducted fire risk assessments for a school is not a brief walkthrough. It is a structured, documented process that examines the building and its operations in detail.

1. Identification of Fire Hazards

The assessor must identify all potential sources of ignition, fuel, and oxygen across the entire site. In a school environment, this includes science laboratories, kitchens, art rooms, storage areas, boiler rooms, and any areas where electrical equipment is in regular use.

Particular attention should be paid to areas where combustible materials are stored — paper, cleaning products, and workshop materials all present meaningful risks that need to be properly managed and documented.

2. Identification of People at Risk

Schools present a unique challenge here. Children — particularly younger pupils and those with special educational needs or physical disabilities — may require specific evacuation strategies. The assessment must account for every individual who may be on the premises, including staff, contractors, and visitors.

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) should be in place for any individual who cannot self-evacuate. These must be reviewed whenever the relevant individual’s circumstances change, not simply at the annual assessment date.

3. Evaluation and Removal of Risks

Once hazards and at-risk individuals are identified, the assessor evaluates the likelihood of a fire starting and the potential consequences. Where risks can be eliminated entirely, they should be. Where they cannot, appropriate control measures must be documented and implemented without delay.

4. Fire Detection and Warning Systems

The assessment must confirm that fire detection equipment — smoke detectors, heat detectors, manual call points — is appropriate for the building’s layout and is functioning correctly. Alarm systems must be audible throughout the entire premises, including outdoor areas used during school hours.

Testing schedules for alarm systems should be documented and adhered to. Weekly tests are standard practice, and any faults must be logged and rectified promptly. A gap in the testing log is a red flag during any inspection.

5. Means of Escape

Every area of the school must have clearly defined, unobstructed escape routes. Fire doors must be functioning correctly — propped-open fire doors are one of the most common and dangerous failures found during assessments.

Emergency lighting must be operational, and exit signage must be clearly visible. Evacuation routes should be assessed for their suitability given the number and type of occupants. A route that works for able-bodied adults may be entirely unsuitable for a class of five-year-olds or a pupil using a wheelchair.

6. Firefighting Equipment

Appropriate fire extinguishers must be in place, correctly located, and regularly serviced. Staff must know where they are and — critically — must understand that their primary responsibility is always to evacuate, not to fight fires.

7. Staff Training and Emergency Procedures

The assessment should evaluate whether all staff have received adequate fire safety training. This includes understanding evacuation procedures, knowing the location of assembly points, and being clear on their individual roles during an evacuation.

Fire drills must be conducted at least once per term in most schools. Records of all drills — including the time taken to evacuate and any issues identified — must be kept. These records form part of the evidence base that the responsible person is meeting their legal duty.

The Consequences of Getting It Wrong

The consequences of inadequate fire risk management in schools are not abstract. Fires in school buildings occur with regularity across the UK, and when they do, the adequacy of the fire risk assessment is one of the first things investigators examine.

Responsible persons who cannot demonstrate that a current, competent fire risk assessment was in place face potential prosecution, unlimited fines, and in the most serious cases, imprisonment. Beyond the legal consequences, the reputational and human cost of a preventable fire in a school is immeasurable.

Schools that commission professional fire risk assessments and maintain rigorous review cycles are not just ticking a compliance box — they are actively protecting lives.

Asbestos and Fire Safety: A Dual Responsibility Schools Cannot Ignore

Many school buildings — particularly those constructed before 2000 — contain asbestos-containing materials. This is directly relevant to fire safety, because fire damage or the disruption of building materials during an emergency can disturb asbestos, creating a serious secondary hazard.

Schools in the capital should ensure they have a current asbestos survey London on record alongside their fire risk assessment. Schools in the north-west should consider commissioning an asbestos survey Manchester to ensure their asbestos register is accurate and up to date. Similarly, schools in the Midlands should have a current asbestos survey Birmingham completed by a qualified surveyor.

Managing asbestos and fire safety together — rather than treating them as entirely separate concerns — gives schools the most complete picture of their building’s risk profile. A fire that disturbs asbestos-containing materials turns one emergency into two, and the consequences can extend far beyond the immediate incident.

Practical Steps Schools Should Take Right Now

If you are responsible for fire safety in a school, work through this action plan without delay:

1. Check the date of your last full fire risk assessment. If it is more than twelve months old, arrange a new one immediately.
2. Review your assessment against any changes since it was last completed. New classrooms, new staff, new equipment — all of these may require the assessment to be updated.
3. Confirm that your assessor is genuinely competent. Ask about their qualifications, experience, and whether they are a member of a recognised professional body such as the Institution of Fire Engineers or the Fire Protection Association.
4. Audit your fire safety equipment. Check that extinguishers, alarms, emergency lighting, and fire doors are all in good working order and that service records are up to date.
5. Review your staff training records. Every member of staff should have received fire safety training, and this training should be refreshed regularly — not treated as a one-off induction exercise.
6. Conduct a fire drill and document the outcome. Schedule one now if you have not done so recently, and record the results formally, including evacuation time and any issues identified.
7. Ensure PEEPs are in place for any pupils or staff members who require them, and check that these plans are current.
8. Cross-reference your asbestos register. Ensure your asbestos management plan and fire risk assessment are considered together, particularly if building works are planned.

Choosing the Right Fire Risk Assessor for Your School

Not all fire risk assessors are equal. When selecting a provider for your school, look for assessors who have specific experience with educational premises — the risk profile of a primary school is genuinely different from that of an office block or a retail unit, and your assessor needs to understand those differences.

Ask for evidence of their qualifications and professional memberships. Check whether they carry appropriate professional indemnity insurance. Request references from other schools they have assessed, and ask how their reports are structured and what follow-up support they provide.

A good assessor will not simply hand over a report and disappear. They should be available to discuss findings, answer questions from the responsible person, and provide clear guidance on how to address any deficiencies identified.

Avoid any provider who offers to complete a school fire risk assessment remotely, or who cannot demonstrate direct, recent experience with educational buildings. A school is not a generic commercial premises, and it should never be assessed as one.

How Supernova Can Help Your School Stay Compliant

At Supernova Asbestos Surveys, we work with schools, academy trusts, and local authorities across the UK to deliver professional fire risk assessments and asbestos surveys that meet the full requirements of current legislation. Our assessors have direct experience with educational premises and understand the specific demands of school environments.

We do not offer tick-box compliance. We offer thorough, documented assessments carried out by qualified professionals — with clear, actionable reports that give responsible persons the evidence they need to demonstrate they are meeting their legal duty.

Whether your school is due its annual assessment, has recently undergone building work, or has never had a formal assessment carried out by a qualified external professional, we can help. With over 50,000 surveys completed nationwide, we have the experience and capacity to support schools of every size and type.

Call us today on 020 4586 0680 or visit asbestos-surveys.org.uk to discuss your school’s fire safety requirements and arrange an assessment at a time that suits you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should a school fire risk assessment be conducted?

As a minimum, schools should conduct a full fire risk assessment every twelve months. However, assessments should also be reviewed immediately following any significant change to the building, its occupants, or its use — such as a refurbishment, a change in pupil numbers, or a fire-related incident. Annual reviews are a baseline, not a ceiling.

Who is responsible for the fire risk assessment in a school?

The legal duty falls on the “responsible person” — in most schools, this is the headteacher, the governing body, or the academy trust. They are required under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order to ensure that a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment is in place and kept up to date. The responsible person does not need to carry out the assessment personally, but they are legally accountable for ensuring it is done correctly.

Can a member of school staff carry out the fire risk assessment?

Only if they are genuinely competent — meaning they have the training, experience, and knowledge to identify all relevant fire hazards and recommend appropriate control measures. In practice, most schools should commission a qualified external assessor. An internal staff member completing a basic checklist is unlikely to meet the legal standard of a “suitable and sufficient” assessment, particularly for larger or more complex school buildings.

What happens if a school does not have a current fire risk assessment?

The responsible person faces potential prosecution under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order, which can result in unlimited fines and, in the most serious cases, imprisonment. Beyond the legal consequences, an out-of-date or absent assessment means the school may have unidentified fire risks that put pupils, staff, and visitors at genuine risk of harm.

Does asbestos affect fire risk assessments in schools?

Yes. Many school buildings constructed before 2000 contain asbestos-containing materials. A fire can disturb these materials and create a serious secondary hazard. Schools should ensure their asbestos management plan and fire risk assessment are considered together, so that both risks are properly understood and managed. A qualified asbestos survey should sit alongside the fire risk assessment as part of the school’s overall building safety documentation.