Today, Wednesday 7 August, the London Fire Brigade issue a press release with which calls for sprinklers to be installed in every school. This was covered by the Evening Standard and the Telegraph and on broadcast by BBC Breakfast and ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
The department has recently undertaken a call for evidence on its fire safety design guidance for building new schools, as part of wider work on fire safety across government.
We are also working with experts and key stakeholders from across the fire sector and construction industry, including representatives of the London Fire Brigade, to ensure we take into account the latest views and positions on fire safety in schools, before any further revision to the guidance is made.
A Department for Education spokesperson said:
The safety of pupils and staff is paramount and schools are fundamentally safe places, designed to be evacuated as quickly as possible in the event of a fire.
All schools are required to have an up-to-date Fire Risk Assessment and to conduct regular fire drills.
All new school buildings must be signed-off by an inspector to certify that they meet the requirements of building regulations and where sprinklers are considered necessary, they must be installed.
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