Fire safety for SEN &
special schools.
Built around your pupils, from £295.
A fire risk assessment for a special school has to do everything a thorough assessment always does, and then get right the part that matters most here: how pupils who cannot evacuate themselves will actually get out. Pupils may use wheelchairs, may not respond to a sounding alarm, may abscond under stress, or may rely on medical equipment that cannot simply be left behind. We carry out fire risk assessments for SEN schools, special schools, and specialist provision across the North West, built around the real needs of your pupils and the way they would evacuate.
Who is the Responsible Person?
Governance follows the school type, but in a special school the assessment is dominated by evacuation needs whoever holds the duty.
Responsibility is shared between the local authority as building owner and the governing body as employer. A current, site-specific assessment that addresses each pupil's evacuation needs is the clearest evidence of compliance.
The academy trust is the Responsible Person and employer. The duty rests with the trust, with day-to-day management delegated locally, and PEEPs sitting at the centre of the arrangements.
The proprietor or governing body is the Responsible Person. Independent special schools are also subject to inspection where evacuation arrangements for pupils are reviewed directly.
Where the school provides residential or respite places, sleeping accommodation raises the risk significantly and brings additional duties. Night-time evacuation of pupils with complex needs has to be planned explicitly.
The problems we
hear most often
Fire safety in a special school sits with staff who already manage complex care and education needs. These are the gaps we find most regularly.
"We know we should have personal emergency evacuation plans for our pupils, but we do not have them, or they are out of date and do not reflect our current cohort."
Personal emergency evacuation plans for the pupils who need them are one of the most important parts of fire safety in a special school, and they are the area most often missing or outdated. Our assessment identifies which pupils need a plan and advises on what each should cover, so the people who know your pupils can put effective plans in place. We do not write the plans for you, but we make sure the assessment points clearly to where they are needed and what good practice looks like.
"We have evacuation chairs, but they are not maintained, or staff have never been trained to use them and would not be confident in an emergency."
Evacuation equipment that nobody can use is not a safeguard. We check that your evacuation aids are suitable and maintained, and our training includes hands-on use of evacuation chairs, so the staff who would actually carry out an evacuation are confident with the equipment in front of them.
"We have opened a residential or respite unit, or changed our provision, and our fire safety arrangements have not caught up with sleeping pupils on site."
Sleeping accommodation changes the risk profile completely, particularly for pupils who cannot self-evacuate. We assess residential and respite provision specifically, covering night-time staffing, detection, and how pupils with complex needs are moved at night.
What makes special schools
different to assess
A special school is the clearest example of why a generic assessment fails. A thorough assessment covers the building and its systems as it always would, but here it has to give particular weight to the individual needs of the pupils and how they would evacuate.
Wheelchairs & non-ambulant pupils
Pupils who use wheelchairs or who cannot walk unaided cannot self-evacuate. The assessment has to address how each pupil is moved, what equipment is used such as evacuation chairs or ski-sheets, and whether the staff present can achieve it, particularly from upper floors.
Response to alarms
Some pupils experience a sounding fire alarm as overwhelming, may not recognise it as a signal to leave, may freeze, or may try to hide or abscond. The assessment and the PEEPs have to reflect how pupils actually respond, which may mean adjusted alarm signals and specific staff roles.
An individual plan per pupil
Personal emergency evacuation plans are a critical part of fire safety in a special school. Each pupil who needs one should have a plan covering how, by whom, and with what equipment they are evacuated, kept current as the cohort and the individual change. Our assessment flags where they are needed and advises on what they should address.
Oxygen & powered devices
Pupils may rely on oxygen, powered wheelchairs, hoists, or other equipment that introduces its own fire considerations and cannot simply be abandoned in an evacuation. Storage of oxygen in particular is a specific hazard the assessment must address.
Evacuation depends on people
Evacuating pupils with complex needs is staff-intensive, often requiring more than one adult per pupil. The assessment has to test whether normal and reduced staffing can actually evacuate everyone safely, and what happens when key staff are absent.
Sleeping accommodation
Where the school provides residential or respite places, sleeping pupils with complex needs represent one of the highest-risk scenarios in any premises. Night-time detection, staffing, and evacuation procedures need specific, explicit assessment.
Personal emergency evacuation plans — and evacuation chair training
PEEPs are not paperwork for its own sake. They are the difference between an orderly evacuation and a dangerous improvisation when pupils cannot leave a building on their own. Our fire risk assessment identifies which pupils need a personal emergency evacuation plan and advises on what each should address, so the people who know your pupils can build plans that work. We do not write the plans themselves, but we point clearly to where they are needed. Where evacuation chairs or other aids are used, our evacuation chair training gives your staff confident, hands-on competence with the equipment, so the plan works in practice and not just on paper.
Three services.
Built around your pupils.
Fire risk assessments, fire door inspections, and fire safety training including evacuation chair use, delivered by one consultant who understands the demands of a special school.
Fire risk assessments
From £295 per assessmentA comprehensive assessment that gives particular weight to the needs of your pupils, identifying where personal emergency evacuation plans are needed and covering equipment, staffing, and any residential provision. Clear written report, prioritised action list, and documentation suitable for inspection and your trust or LA.
- Pupils needing a personal emergency evacuation plan identified, with advice
- Evacuation equipment checked for suitability and upkeep
- Staffing tested against realistic evacuation
- Sensory and behavioural responses to alarms considered
- Residential and respite provision assessed where present
- Oxygen and medical equipment hazards addressed
Fire door inspections
From £14 per doorSpecial schools rely on fire doors to protect escape routes that pupils may move along slowly or with equipment. We inspect every component and give you a clear, photographed condition record for each door.
- Frame, leaf, intumescent seals, hinges & hardware
- Self-closing devices and smoke seals
- Clearance and operation for wheelchair access
- Photographic evidence per door
- Prioritised remedial recommendations
Fire safety training
From £395 per sessionPractical, on-site training for staff, including hands-on evacuation chair use, focused on evacuating pupils with complex needs rather than a generic workplace session.
- Fire marshal training for staff
- Hands-on evacuation chair training
- Following PEEPs under real conditions
- Supporting pupils with sensory and behavioural needs
- Certificates issued to all attendees
The framework
special schools work within
A special school answers to fire safety law, to inspection, and to the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils, and the assessment has to satisfy all three.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 applies to all non-domestic premises, including special schools. The Responsible Person must carry out a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and implement the measures it identifies. In a special school, suitable and sufficient is impossible to achieve without addressing how each pupil who cannot self-evacuate will actually be moved.
The Equality Act 2010 requires reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils, and this extends to emergency evacuation. Personal emergency evacuation plans are the recognised way of meeting that duty in practice, which is why they sit at the centre of fire safety in any special school rather than being an optional extra.
The DfE's Building Bulletin 100 (BB100) remains the reference for school fire safety, and is applied with particular attention to evacuation provision in special schools. Where the school provides residential places, the relevant boarding and residential standards also bring fire safety duties for sleeping accommodation.
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Always appliesRequires a suitable and sufficient assessment for all non-domestic premises including special schools. For pupils who cannot self-evacuate, this cannot be met without PEEPs. Failure can result in unlimited fines or prohibition.
Equality Act 2010
Reasonable adjustmentsRequires reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils, extending to emergency evacuation. PEEPs are the recognised means of meeting this duty in a special school.
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
From January 2023Requires Responsible Persons to record fire safety measures, provide information to relevant persons, and maintain records of checks and actions. Applies to special schools.
DfE Building Bulletin 100 (BB100)
Schools guidanceThe reference document for school fire safety, applied with particular attention to evacuation provision for pupils with additional needs.
Experience you can
put in a report.
Tim founded Fletcher Risk Management to bring genuine expertise and personal accountability to fire safety consultancy in the North West. With more than 30 years in the fire industry, he has assessed special schools and specialist provision across the region, where the assessment turns entirely on the evacuation needs of the pupils. He understands that a plan only matters if the staff on shift can actually carry it out. When you book with Fletcher Risk, Tim carries out the work.
- ABBE Level 4 Diploma in Fire Risk Assessment
- NEBOSH National General Certificate
- FPA Fire Safety Management Certificate
- Member — Fire Protection Association
Sam oversees operations and handles the coordination and documentation that keeps things running efficiently, so you have one point of contact and a consistent standard of reporting from first visit to final action log. For trusts and LAs running special provision across several sites, that means consistent PEEP-focused documentation and a single point of contact.
- ABBE Level 4 Certificate in Fire Risk Assessment
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- 10+ years fire safety experience
"We have engaged Fletcher Risk Management to carry out surveys on a number of our sites for a very important client. The work produced exceeded our expectations by far. I would definitely recommend using this company." — Marie Morgan · EIS Ltd ★★★★★
"Without doubt one of the best and most professional businesses I have used for our Fire Risk Assessment. Tim Fletcher is a highly regarded professional in his field. Don't take a chance — protect your staff, protect your building."
"We have engaged Fletcher Risk Management to carry out surveys on a number of our sites. I would never hesitate to send Tim — always professional, friendly and accommodating. The work exceeded our expectations."
"Thorough, professional, and excellent value. The report was clear and the action points prioritised in a way that made it easy to know exactly what to tackle first. Would recommend without hesitation."
Book an assessment
built around your pupils.
Whether you need a fresh assessment, advice on where personal emergency evacuation plans are needed, or evacuation chair training for your staff, we can help. Call us for an honest conversation with no obligation.