The Department for Education (DfE) has been criticised for failing to outline "crucial" advice about fire safety in new school buildings across England.
On 24 September 2022, a Schools Week exclusive highlighted growing concerns over the continued delay of the DfE in publishing its final report on fire safety advice for new schools in England. This is despite having already received feedback from its most recent consultation in 2021.
The consultation, which ran from May 2021 to August 2021, related to an update of the Building Bulletin 100: Fire Safety Design for Schools guidance, issued by the government. It offers non-statutory guidance on fire safety for schools and is intended for “all those concerned with fire safety design for schools” and, of course, school staff.
The DfE first invited views on the matter in 2019, requesting fire engineers, architects, contractors, fire and rescue services, building control bodies, local authorities, and schools to share their views on the following topics:
- Fire suppression systems
- Fire detection and alarms systems
- Vertical means of escape
- Compartmentation
- Inclusive design for special schools
- Cladding
- Fire safety management
At the time, it received 64 responses, which the DfE used to draft new guidance, however, before finalising it, the DfE sought additional responses from the relevant bodies to cement its understanding of fire safety in schools. This second consultation period ended in August 2021, and fire safety experts, school leader unions (such as ASCL and NAHT), and teacher unions (such as National Education Union) are still awaiting the government’s final guidance.
In its current form, the draft has garnered some criticism about the government’s plan to install fire suppression systems – such as sprinklers – in all new schools and new school buildings with a floor level above 11 metres (approximately four storeys or higher).
Many have found this advice to be restrictive, with unions and fire safety experts warning that limiting the installation of sprinklers to only newly built buildings would leave the majority of schools "exposed to fires".
On 17 August 2021, 23 industry bodies collectively presented a signed letter to the then education secretary, Gavin Williamson, insisting that the government needs to "fundamentally rethink its approach and update building regulations so that they unequivocally and clearly mandate the implementation of sprinklers in all new build and majorly refurbished schools in order to protect and improve the resilience of the school estate and to protect life."
Hayley Dunn, a business leadership specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "It is frustrating that the government is now dragging its heels over a decision on what measures to put in place. In the meantime, school buildings are being designed, commissioned, and built without clarity over this matter.
"The government needs to set out clear guidance supported with sufficient capital funding to put the measures in place," she said.
According to Home Office figures, there were over 300 school-related fires in England in the 2021–2022 financial year alone – equating to almost one fire per day. It is also believed that following the end of the government’s consultation period, over 120 new schools have opened, including 23 new special schools. However, it is not clear how many of these schools adhered to the government’s non-statutory guidance.
A spokesperson for the DfE has reiterated the department is reviewing its “fire safety guidance to strengthen the requirements on new buildings, or for when major alterations are taking place to existing buildings”.
The department added that pupil and staff safety in schools is “paramount,” and it is in the process of “analysing feedback”, with a final, revised version of the guidance to be published later.
The consultation draft can be found here.