Fire Evacuation Procedures

Policy details

• Date created - 01/09/2025
• Date reviewed -
• Date approved - 12/09/2025
• Next review date - 01/09/2026
• Policy owner - Shaun Leathers

1. Evacuation
2. Key Responsibilities
3. Individual Duties
4. Testing of the Alarm
5. Raising the Alarm
6. The Alarm and Evacuation Time
7. Returning to the Building
8. Pupils/Staff with a Physical Disability or Injury

1. Evacuation

Parago software ensures that the site manager and business manager keep to the compliance expectations.

In the event, teachers should supervise and check that all pupils have left the classroom. Doors should be closed but not locked. The pupils and staff leave the building by the nearest safe fire exit route. Do not attempt to take any personal belongings. All children gather on the main playground: EYFS children gather inside of the football cage and all other children line up next to this area.

Roles of Members of Staff

2. Key Responsibilities

Our assembly point for the whole school is on the main playground. EYFS children gather within the football cage and all other classes line up next to the cage, where their year group is clearly labelled.

All visitors, who are not directly linked to a class, will also congregate on the main playground.

Class Teachers

        (a)        Collect registers which will be brought outside by an office member of staff.

        (b)        Take and check registers.

        (c)        Complete register, note any discrepancies and give to office members of staff.

SLT

        (a)        Check all classes are being registered.

        (b)        In absence of any class teacher - fulfil that role - see 1. above.

        (c)        If more than one class teacher is absent, instruct an appropriate adult to fulfil the role.

        (d)        Collect Registers from class teachers. SLT collates appropriate forms.

        (e)        Stay with classes and keep order.

Teaching Staff without CLasses

        (a)        Staff (teaching staff) report to Senior Leadership, who will be coordinating attendance in the visitor’s car park

        (b)        Assist in the maintenance of discipline among the pupils and complete register checks if instructed to do so.

All support staff report to administrative staff or Deputy Headteacher and remain with classes.

Administrative Staff

        (a)        Admin staff to print Fire Evacuation Report from Entry Sign.

        (b)        Distribute any information to staff.

        (c)        Admin staff to check all visitors have evacuated the building and report any absences to the person in charge.

Site Manager

        (a)        After performing specific roles, depart building and report to Admin staff. Mobile phones may be used.

Initial Trainee Teachers

1. List of ITTs to be provided to Admin staff by the Deputy Headteacher responsible.

2. Assemble with the class teacher.

Visitors arriving/departing

        Visitors should be prevented from entering/leaving by Admin staff, who will exit the front main entrance and ensure no-one enters the building (this will only be necessary if the magnetic lock is not working).

Visitors on site (including supply teachers)

        (a)        Leave the building for the nearest evacuation point.

        (b)        Report to Admin staff, who will report any absence to the person in charge.

Kitchen/Catering Staff

        The Catering Manager will report to the Admin staff and will account for all members of their own team.

3. Individual Duties

1. Site Manager (during working hours, Charlotte Shannon outside of site manager working hours)

1. Immediately goes to the Fire Alarm control panel to ascertain the area where the alarm was activated. Ascertains whether there is an actual fire WITHOUT PUTTING SELF IN ANY DANGER. The Site Manager is responsible for timing and recording the evacuation time.

2. Liaises with fire crews arriving in the event of smoke alarm or real alarm – not Fire Drill Alarm. Passes on relevant information.

3. Starts and cuts alarm where appropriate (e.g. drill)

        (b)        Deputy Headteacher (Charlotte Shannon)

                (i)        Co-ordinates discipline with class teachers

                (ii)        Co-ordinates all information regarding absent pupils

2. Communicates with Fire Marshalls via radios or mobile phone if necessary.

                (iv)        Reports back to the Headteacher if all is clear.

        (c)        Headteacher (also Fire Marshall)

                (iii)        Reports presence to Admin staff.

                (iv)        Co-ordinates report of staff/pupil absence with Admin staff.

                (v)        Addresses pupils as necessary.

                (vi)        Dismisses pupils – delegated, as necessary.

(vii)  Reviews record of Fire Drill with SLT.

                (vii)        Reviews correspondence with external agencies.

        (d)        Administration Staff delegated

                (a)        Carries out registers (if appropriate), student, staff, visitors and contractors signing in/out information to the evacuation point.

                (b)        Directs visitors to enter muster point if appropriate and instructs them to report to administration staff.

Administration Staff will be deployed according to their location.

Fire Marshalls

Nominated staff should present themselves immediately after the fire alarm bell sounds at the strategic points you have been allocated.

As students approach you, you will give them clear, loud, directions to the nearest and clearest fire exit as well as keeping students calm and quiet. Use your own judgment as to how many students to send per fire exit to ensure the flow of traffic is constantly moving quickly and smoothly with no bottleneck situations and being mindful of the volume of the approaching traffic descending from the stairwells from first floor. All children should be directed by their classroom staff but if any staff are on PPA or not directly with pupils, they should leave via their closest exit.

Once your area has been vacated by staff and students please check/sweep all rooms in your area on your way to the muster point.  At the muster point go directly to the Deputy Headteacher and let them know your area is clear.

Chloe Munnerley conducts a sweep of the KS1 corridor including the main hall and departs through the main hall.

Shaun Leathers conducts a sweep of EYFS & KS2 corridor and vacates through main office.

Other staff

To leave the building by the nearest available exit and make their way to the Admin staff, who will check staff against the signing in and out register.

4. Testing of the alarm

The fire alarm system is tested every Monday morning at approximately 7.00am. It is not tested at any other times during the day/week unless for a termly practice with pupils and staff.

5. Raising the Alarm

If a fire is discovered, then a member of staff should break the glass of the alarm. In most circumstances it is not appropriate for a member of staff to attempt to put the fire out. In certain conditions, staff may use a fire blanket or an extinguisher if they have been trained to do so.

The most important action is to raise the alarm. Pupils are told to raise the alarm immediately if they see a fire, either by speaking to a member of staff who is with them or, in the case of break/lunchtimes (when pupils may not be directly supervised), to break the glass of the alarm. This latter case would be in extreme circumstances.

For a planned evacuation there will be an agreement concerning who will set off the alarm. In the event of a real fire the member of staff who discovers the fire must raise the alarm by breaking the glass of the alarm and then inform the school office (0151 652 5124). Admin staff will phone 999 immediately.

6. The Alarm and Evacuation time

The alarm is a siren type siren/buzzer (not a bell). On hearing the alarm staff must presume that it is a real fire evacuation and supervise the safe and orderly emptying of the building. The school building should be evacuated in no more than 3 minutes. Under no circumstances should a member of staff or pupil re-enter the building once the fire evacuation has started.

7. Returning to the Building

Members of the Senior Leadership Team can use radio communication or mobile phones to check progress during the evacuation. Once all pupils and staff are accounted for across both muster points the pupils will be dismissed from the assembly areas and re-enter the building.

8. Pupils/Staff with a Physical Disability or Injury

Pupils with a current injury (such as a broken bone) or longstanding physical disability (which could include the use of a wheelchair or other aid) will have a PEEP completed and added to Parago which must be followed by school staff.

Co-op Academy Portland
Evacuation of Students with SEN needs - September 2026

9. Appendix

9.1

Fire Marshalls

Staff with Fire Marshall responsibility are listed below:

Shaun Leathers

Charlotte Shannon

Leyla Lindley

Shahnaj Ali

Louise Barr

Tara Campbell

Molly Charlesworth

Rachael Kinsley-Smith

Christina McCarthy

Dawn McCarthy

Louise Patrick

Tom Ogilvie

Ella Pyper

Debbie Smith

Beth Wiggins

9.2

Fire Muster Points