Suffolk County Council has made sprinkler systems mandatory in all new special schools after the DfE refused to fund them. Education chiefs in Suffolk have approved plans which mean all new-build special educational needs schools must be equipped with sprinkler systems, after it emerged the Department for Education did not make the system mandatory.
Suffolk County Council Labour education spokesman Jack Abbott said he was "deeply concerned" it wasn't mandatory for mainstream schools too. A report published last week revealed the shock news that the Department for Education did not fund sprinkler systems in new schools it designed - and did not even make it a mandatory requirement. Locations revealed for new Suffolk special school.
Fire safety systems
All schools are required to have an up-to-date fire risk assessment and to conduct regular fire drills"
It meant that the council was forced to adopt a policy this week which requires all new-build SEND schools to have the fire safety system in place going forward. Contributions from developers are expected to fund those so as not to leave the council footing the bill.
According to the DfE, fire safety features were designed to ensure new schools were safe but did not necessarily mean they had to be sprinklers. A spokeswoman said: “All schools are required to have an up-to-date fire risk assessment and to conduct regular fire drills - and all new school buildings must be signed-off by an inspector to certify that they meet the requirements of building regulations.”
fire sprinkler systems
Conservative cabinet member for education at Suffolk County Council, Mary Evans, said the new build SEND schools coming forward in the county meant the policy was necessary. “Where sprinklers are considered necessary to protect pupils and staff, they must be installed.”