Fire Risk Assessment for Schools in Kent

Schools have a duty of care that goes beyond most commercial buildings. Children, staff and visitors all need to be protected, and your fire risk assessment is the document that underpins that protection. A fire risk assessment identifies the fire hazards in your school, who is at risk and what measures need to be in place. We carry out assessments for schools across Kent, from single-site primaries to multi-academy trusts with buildings spread across the county. 

Who Is Responsible for Fire Safety in Your School 

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, every school must have a responsible person who arranges and maintains the fire risk assessment. In a local authority maintained school, that responsibility typically sits with the headteacher or governing body. In an academy or free school, it sits with the academy trust. 

The DfE’s good estate management guidance makes clear that schools must have an up-to-date fire risk assessment for all premises under their control. Whoever holds the responsibility, the assessment must be recorded in writing and reviewed regularly. 

What Our Assessors Check in a School Building 

School buildings present their own set of fire risks. Classrooms, corridors and assembly halls can be densely occupied, and the people in them include young children who depend on staff to manage an evacuation. Our accredited assessors review your school with a focus on: 

• Escape routes from classrooms, halls and upper floors, including how quickly the building can be fully evacuated 

• Fire door condition and performance in corridors and stairwells 

• Kitchen and food technology areas where cooking equipment creates concentrated risk 

• Science laboratories and design technology workshops with flammable materials 

• Emergency lighting coverage and fire detection systems across the site 

You receive a written report identifying every hazard, who is responsible for each action and a target completion date. The report gives governors, headteachers and trust leads a clear record to work from. 

Scheduling Assessments and Annual Reviews 

We recommend reviewing your fire risk assessment once a year. Most schools find it easiest to schedule assessments during school holidays, and we work around your term dates to keep disruption to a minimum. We also offer out-of-hours appointments at no extra charge if a half-term slot works better for your site. 

You should also arrange a review after any significant change to your premises, such as a building extension, a change in how rooms are used, or internal alterations that affect escape routes. Our guide to fire risk assessment review frequency covers the detail behind when and why a review is needed. 

We track your schedule and send reminders ahead of each due date, so compliance stays on track without adding to the workload of your site manager or business manager. 

Multi-Academy Trust Coordination Across Kent 

If your trust manages several schools across Kent, we coordinate assessments across your full portfolio. Digital reporting gives trust leads a single view of compliance status across every school, which is straightforward to share with trustees and insurers. You can also arrange PAT testing for schools through a separate booking, keeping each service on its own schedule. 

Book a Fire Risk Assessment for Your Kent School 

We have accredited fire risk assessors covering Kent and the rest of the UK. Whether you are a single-site primary, a secondary with multiple buildings, or a trust managing a portfolio across the county, we will scope the assessment around your term dates and provide a report your governors can act on immediately.