Unions issue fire safety guidance for school leaders in wake of Grenfell Tower tragedy

A guidance document has been published by three education unions answering common questions, including about combustible cladding and asbestos.

It comes after concerns were raised earlier this year that government guidance on fire safety in school buildings is being ignored in the “rush to build new schools as cheaply as possible”.

Current guidance on new school builds – the Building Bulletin 100 document – states that all new schools, with the exception of a few low-risk schools, should have sprinklers fitted. However, since 2010, only 35 per cent of new schools have been fitted with sprinklers.

In July, the National Union of Teachers, Fire Brigades Union and Association of Teachers and Lecturers, wrote to education secretary Justine Greening raising the issue and seeking assurance that a previous proposal to allow new schools to be built without sprinkler systems will not be adopted.