A little preparation goes a long way. How to prepare for your school fire risk assessment
A fire risk assessment is only as good as the information behind it. If you have booked an assessment with us, gathering a few records and arranging access in advance means we can give you a thorough report, verify what is already in place, and keep your action plan focused on what genuinely matters. This page walks you through everything you need before we arrive.
Before we arrive
Quick checklistFind your previous assessmentThe last fire risk assessment and its action plan, if one exists.
Gather your system recordsFire alarm and emergency lighting servicing and test records.
Locate your drawingsFloor plans showing escape routes, final exits, and fire compartment lines.
Have your fire log book readyRecords of alarm tests, emergency light tests, fire drills, and staff training.
Note your evacuation strategyWhether the building evacuates all at once or in phases, and your assembly points.
Arrange accessTeaching spaces, science and DT areas, kitchens, plant rooms, and any out-of-hours areas.
Good information makes
a better assessment
There is nothing complicated here, and we are happy to help if anything is unclear. The aim is simply to make sure that when we visit, we have the full picture of your premises and how they are used.
When we carry out a fire risk assessment, we are looking at the building, the way it is occupied, the work that goes on there, and the systems that are in place to keep people safe. Some of that we see for ourselves on the day, but a good deal of it lives in your paperwork, such as when the fire alarm was last serviced, whether the emergency lighting is tested, and how fire-resisting construction divides the building.
If those records are to hand when we arrive, we can confirm what is already in place rather than flagging it as missing, which keeps your action plan focused on the things that genuinely need attention. Where records are not available, we will note that, because an undocumented system is treated as an unverified one, and that can affect both your assessment and your standing with an enforcing authority or your insurer.
Preparing well also keeps the cost down. A well-organised visit takes less time, needs fewer follow-ups, and gives you a report you can act on straight away, whether that is for an enforcing authority, your insurer, the trust or governing body, or your own duty as the Responsible Person.
Faster on the day
With access arranged and records ready, we move through the premises efficiently and you are not left chasing paperwork afterwards.
A sharper action plan
We can confirm what already meets the standard and concentrate the report on the items that actually need your attention.
Evidence that stands up
A complete record is what enforcing authorities and insurers look for, and it demonstrates that fire safety is being managed properly.
The documents
to have ready
Please gather whatever you hold from the lists below. Do not worry if some items are missing, as part of our job is to tell you what is needed; having the rest ready simply means we can do more for you on the day.
Previous fire risk assessment
The most recent assessment and action plan, with a note of what has since been completed.
If heldFire and evacuation strategy
How the site is intended to evacuate, whether simultaneously or in phases, and the assembly points.
If heldFloor plans or as-built drawings
Plans showing escape routes, final exits, and fire-resisting construction across the buildings.
HelpfulDetails of alterations
Extensions, refurbishments, temporary or modular classrooms, and change of use, with rough dates.
If applicableOperation and maintenance manuals
The O&M information for fire safety systems, where you hold it.
If heldOccupancy and use
Pupil and staff numbers, peak occupancy, term-time and holiday use, and any community lettings.
Please note in advanceFire detection and alarm records
Design, commissioning, and recent servicing and test records, and the system category.
BS 5839-1Emergency lighting records
Commissioning, servicing, and test records for escape lighting.
BS 5266Extinguishers and fire doors
Servicing of portable firefighting equipment, and any fire door inspection records.
BS 5306Kitchen and laboratory safety
Catering gas interlocks and extraction, and any science laboratory or DT extraction and gas controls.
If applicableElectrical and gas safety
Fixed wiring report (EICR), portable appliance testing, and gas safety records.
Current certificatesOther fitted systems
Service records for any smoke control, automatic vents, or suppression.
If fittedFire log book and drill records
Your record of alarm tests, emergency light tests, and the dates and outcomes of fire drills.
Please have readyStaff training records
Evidence of fire awareness and fire marshal training across teaching and support staff.
If heldPupils or staff who need help to escape
Whether anyone may need assistance, and any existing evacuation arrangements you already hold for them.
ImportantLettings and contractor control
How out-of-hours and community use is managed, and how hot works and contractors are controlled.
HelpfulIf your school has boarding accommodation
Boarding introduces sleeping risk, which changes the assessment considerably, with a greater emphasis on detection, protected escape routes, and night-time staffing and procedures. If your site has residential accommodation, please have the relevant records and arrangements ready so we can assess that part properly alongside the rest of the school.
Arranging access
on the day
We need to see the whole premises, not just the areas in regular use, to give you a complete assessment. A few minutes spent organising access in advance saves a great deal of time when we arrive.
-
01
Every teaching and support area
Classrooms, halls, science and DT spaces, kitchens, offices, and stores, including any normally kept locked.
-
02
Plant rooms, risers, and roof access
Boiler and plant rooms, electrical intake and risers, and roof spaces and voids.
-
03
Stores, archives, and basements
Storage and archive areas often carry a higher fire load and should be accessible.
-
04
Access during the school day, if possible
Seeing the site in use lets us observe how it is actually occupied, which is central to the assessment.
-
05
Someone who knows the site
A caretaker, estates manager, or colleague who understands the buildings and systems being on hand.
The method
we work through
Our assessments follow a structured, methodical process, informed by recognised standards and guidance such as PAS 79, BS 9999, and the relevant Approved Document. Knowing what we look for helps you understand why we ask for the information above.
A fire risk assessment is an organised look at the premises, the way they are used, the chance that a fire could start, and what would happen to the people inside if one did. We work through it in clear stages so that nothing significant is missed and the reasoning behind every finding is recorded.
The middle stages are the heart of the assessment, where we examine the physical fire protection and how fire safety is managed, with particular attention in a school to escape from large assembly spaces, the evacuation strategy, the hazards in kitchens and science and DT areas, and the way the site is used in and out of term time.
The later stages bring it together into a judgement about the overall level of risk, a prioritised action plan, and a sensible date for review. The result is a clear, defensible report you can put in front of an enforcing authority, an insurer, or a landlord with confidence.
Gather the information
About the building, the work carried on there, and the people who use it.
Identify the fire hazards
Sources of ignition and fuel, from electrics and heating to catering, science and design activities, and stored materials.
Assess the likelihood of fire
How likely a fire is to start, given those hazards and how they are controlled.
Examine the physical protection
Escape routes from classrooms and halls, compartmentation, fire doors, alarms, lighting, and signage.
Review the management of fire safety
Testing, maintenance, training, drills, and record-keeping.
Consider the consequences for people
What would happen to occupants, including anyone who needs help to escape, if a fire occurred.
Evaluate the level of risk
Reach a judgement on whether the remaining risk is acceptable.
Set out the action plan
A prioritised list of what needs doing, and how urgently.
Agree a review date
When the assessment should next be revisited, and the triggers for sooner.
Your report and
what comes next
Once we have completed the assessment, you receive a clear written report with the findings explained and the action plan prioritised, so you know precisely what to do, in what order.
Address without delay
Anything that presents a serious or immediate risk to life is flagged first, with plain advice on what needs to happen and how quickly.
Plan and complete
Items that materially affect safety but allow a little more time, set out so you can plan the work and budget for it sensibly.
Good housekeeping
Smaller improvements and points of good practice that keep the premises in good order and demonstrate a careful approach.
The report is written to be used, not filed away, and it is suitable for enforcing authorities, insurers, and landlords alike. We are always happy to talk you through the findings, and where remedial work is needed, such as fire door repairs or upgrades, we can advise on what good looks like. If you would like to understand more about your obligations first, our schools fire safety page sets out the wider picture.
Fire safety
by school type
We have written in more depth for the specific types of school and setting we work with. Each page covers the responsible person, the particular risks, and the regulation for that setting.
Nurseries & early years
Non-walking infants, sleep rooms, and staffing ratios.
View pagePrimary schools
Young pupils, older buildings, and breakfast and after-school use.
View pageSecondary schools
Science labs, workshops, and large multi-building sites.
View pageSEN & special schools
Evacuation aids and pupils with complex needs.
View pageIndependent schools
Boarding houses, listed estates, and ISI inspection.
View pageAcademy trusts
One standard and a central action log across the estate.
View pageBooked with us?
Let’s get you ready.
If you have an assessment in the diary and anything on this page is unclear, or you are not sure which records you hold, please get in touch. We would far rather answer a quick question now than discover a gap on the day.
This page is general guidance for those preparing for a fire risk assessment and does not constitute legal advice. Fire safety requirements vary between premises and depend on their construction, use, and occupancy. The standards named are examples of those that inform our work and are not an exhaustive list. Fletcher Risk Management provides fire risk assessments, fire door inspections, and fire safety training across the North West, North Wales and the West Midlands. For advice tailored to your premises, please get in touch.