Fire Evacuation Policy

SCHOOL: Sheffield High School for Girls

FIRE OFFICER: Mr Malcolm Hinchliffe

The primary aim is to prevent injury and loss of life. The duty of members of staff is to ensure safe and speedy evacuation of the school. Tackling the fire is very much a secondary duty and must not be undertaken if there is any risk.

The above aim will be achieved by:

1. Appropriate fire notices, appliances and notices of escape routes being in place at all necessary points, according to Health and Safety Regulations.

2. Designated persons having specific responsibilities.

3. Thorough familiarisation with all means of escape.

4. Termly fire practices for the whole school.

Assembly Points

Junior School -  On the junior netball court. 

Senior School – Astro-turf all weather pitch.

Note: Any pupils sitting external exams are to be marshalled to the far end of the astro-turf and kept apart from all others.

Responsibilities

1. Teachers will be responsible for leading their class along the designated escape route for that room and must be familiar with alternative routes. They will assist with registration at the assembly point. Any pupils with mobility issues (eg crutches) will be escorted by the teacher to the assembly point once the rest of the class have been evacuated. There are ‘patient saver evacuation chairs’ available (they are located in Senior School, Moor Lodge, Sixth Form and Junior School). Trained staff are to use these chairs to assist with the evacuation of individuals who cannot exit the building themselves. Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans will be prepared by the school nurse for any individual who may have a mobility concern. 

Note: From 24/6/24 until 13/12/24 the exit located next to the spiral staircase on the ground floor of the senior school main building and the fire exit in th esenior school library will not be accessible and other exits must be used to evacuate the building. All staff and pupils have been made aware and this information will be repeatedly shared during this period.

2. The person discovering a fire or having a fire reported to him/her will activate the fire alarm, or telephone the emergency services.

3. These designated persons namely – The Head, DFO, Deputy Head, Fire Officer (Mr Hinchliffe) will be responsible for ensuring the the fire service has been called in the case of fire if the monitoring service have not already contacted the school. 

4. The Administrative team will be responsible for ensuring that the day registers and the Inventry tablets are readily available and are taken to the assembly point where form teachers will collect them for registration. This task will be undertaken by the main school administration staff. In Melbourne House the Junior School Secretary is responsible for this. They should also take the walkie-talkie radio so that there can be communication with the DFO and / or the Site Manager. The main school receptionist is to position herself by the main school gates to meet the Fire and Rescue Service and to direct them to the main fire panel location (pupil entrance) until she is relieved from this duty by a member of the caretaking staff.

5. Form teachers will register their forms and immediately report to the Headmistress/Deputy Head/Head of Junior School if anyone is missing. All teaching staff must report to the Deputy Head, administrative and all support staff and visitors to the DFO. Junior School staff should report to the Head of the Junior School.

6. All girls in Y7 – Y13 who have permission to leave school at any time after registration must record their absence from and return to school using the Inventry management system at the reception desk.  Junior/Infant School pupils may only leave the site with an authorised adult, who will sign them out and in using the Inventry management system (junior school) or the signing out book (infants) at the applicable reception desks.

7. The Fire Officer will be responsible for consulting the Headmistress about pertinent variations in fire practices, so as to familiarise pupils and staff with alternative escape routes.

8. Staff in practical teaching situations and in the kitchens will render safe all services and activities as they leave, and all staff will close windows and doors, providing that this can be done without risk.

9. All staff must familiarise themselves with the fire evacuation policy. This is covered in the induction procedures for new staff.

10. At the beginning of each school year, form tutors are required to remind their forms of the procedures for evacuation. This sould include:

• The need to know escape routes from all rooms and parts of the school.
• The need to move to and stand on the Astroturf/Melbourne House netball court for Junior pupils in silence during fire practice. Instructions have to be heard.
• That no belongings should be brought out – people carrying bags and coats will block the corridors.
• That they should close windows and doors where possible.

If you discover a fire

1. Activate the nearest fire alarm or report to supervisor/manager immediately

2. If safe to do so turn off electrical/gas devices and close windows.

3. Leave the room and close the door – do not take bags and items with you.

4. Leave the building via the nearest exit.

5. Report to the assembly point.

Note: It is imperative that the building is evacuated of all people. Do not attempt to fight the fire unless it is blocking your exit route.

When the alarm sounds

1. Leave the building immediately.

2. Close doors and windows along your escape route if accessible.

3. Switch off any appliances or equipment.

4. Leave personal belongings.

5. Move quietly and orderly to the assembly point.

6. Staff in labs, cookery classroom and school kitchens should, if safe to do so, press the utility shut off switches as they exit the space.

At assembly point await manager/teacher for roll call

At certain times individuals may have a PEEP due to physical/medical limitations. These individuals are to be assisted in evacuating the building. The school has a number of evacuation chairs and members of the premises team and admin team have been trained in the use of these devices. They are to be called to assist if required. 

Note: At no point should the sounding of alarms or evacuation be ignored because a member of staff or visitor suggests that it is a false alarm. Any sounding of the alarms is a call to evacuate all buildings.

In case of fire (Pupils)

1. If no member of staff is present when the alarm sounds pupils should walk out in silence in a single line and make their way to the assembly points via the correct route.
2. Do not bring bags or attempt to collect coats – these are replaceable, YOU are not.
3. Once at the assembly point line up in forms in alphabetical order. The Form Leader should check the form and report to staff when they arrive.

Note: staff should act as marshals to ease congestion and direct pupils to the nearest exit. This is particularly important if the main hall is being used by a large group.

NB make sure that you know the escape route from every room in the school.

At the Assembly Point

1. Form registers will be taken out and staff should collect theirs before joining their forms.

2. Once on the Astroturf forms should line up in alphabetical order with Year 7 nearest to the Sports Hall/ Melbourne House playground for Junior pupils. Form Staff should check their forms, report as soon as possible to the Fire Officer and return their forms.

3. Non form staff are allocated supervision duties by the Deputy Head. They should report to the Deputy Head before taking up these positions.

4. The Deputy Head, Head of Junior School, Fire Officer and DFO report to the Headmistress who will, at the appropriate time, dismiss everyone. The Fire Officer will communicate to the Head of Junior School who will at the appropriate time, dismiss everyone in the Junior School.

If the fire alarm sounds outside of normal school hours follow the procedures below:

1. Registers should be taken by Staff responsible for activities taking place

• before and/or after school hours
• on school premises.

2. Fire practices are to be organised before and after normal school hours, to emphasize the out of school hours procedures.

3. The procedures for evacuating the buildings are to be the same as for the usual fire practices.

4. Each member of staff, after assembling on the Astroturf/ Melbourne House playground for Junior pupils, will check his/her group.

5. The staff present will designate a Fire Officer who will then be responsible for

· checking numbers

· assessing risk

· reporting to Head, DFO, Fire Officer, Head of Junior School or Police as appropriate

· making the decision to re-enter building when there is no further risk.

6. If there are still pupils and staff in school, staff will be responsible for activating the nearest fire alarm and escorting pupils out of the building, via the correct route, and checking that all pupils are present. On hearing the fire alarm, the security guard will telephone the fire brigade from the nearest telephone by dialling 9 to get an outside line, then 999.

7. If there is only the caretaker on site, then they alone will be responsible for activating the nearest fire alarm and telephoning the fire brigade from the nearest telephone.

When the alarm sounds:

1. Leave the building immediately

2. Close doors and windows along your escape route if accessible

3. Switch off any appliances or equipment

4. Leave personal belongings

5. Move quietly and orderly to the assemble point

6. At assemble point await manager for roll call

If you discover a fire:

1. Activate the nearest fire alarm or report to supervisor/manager immediately

2. Leave the room and close the door

• Be familiar with and follow all fire safety procedures in your working environment. Including arrangements to prevent fires such as the correct storage of waste. Locating fire escape routes and alarm points.
• Always respect items and equipment in place for the purpose of fire safety including signage, fire doors, fire call points and fire extinguishers.
• Report all uncontrolled fire safety hazards immediately.
• Never attempt to use a fire extinguisher/put out a fire unless you have received specific training to do so and are authorised.
• Never block fire escape routes or leave combustible materials in them.
• Do not prop open fire doors or leave equipment/materials in the way.

Evacuation Chairs:

Members of the premises team and the admin support team have been trained in the use of the school evacuation chairs. Should the school be aware that someone may need assistance if an evacuation were to be commenced, then the premises and admin support team are to be made aware so that support for the individual will be despatched as soon as the alarm is activated.

Should school staff be aware of the need to support someone else, they are to inform a member of SLT at the assembly point so that assistance can be sent immediately.

Refuge Areas:

A refuge area is located in the 6th form extension next to the lift on the first floor. The refuge area links to a phone by the front door of the 6th form building. If any pupil has mobility concerns they will have had a PEEP prepared by the school nurse and staff will be aware of the pupils needs. If this pupil is a 6th form pupil then staff are to check the refuge call point as they exit the building. In addition to this, a member of the premises team is to also physically check the area unless informed by a member of staff that they have already checked the area and confirmed there is no one there. 

Maintenance

1. The Fire Officer and a caretaker will be responsible for testing the fire alarm weekly, varying the point of test sequentially and keeping a log of the test and the result.

2. The DFO and Fire Officer through the Trust Surveyor will be responsible for the general maintenance and upkeep of means of escape, warning notices and fire extinguishers. The Head through the Fire Officer will be responsible for initiating fire practices. The Trust Surveyor and Fire Officer will be responsible for liaising with fire authorities and the Trust’s Safety Advisers.

Appendix A - USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Deputy Head Ext 25006

Director of Finance & Operations Ext 25001

Head of Pastoral Care Ext 25030

Head of Junior School Ext 25038

Junior/Infant School Secretary Ext 25039

Police Station - central switchboard 0114 220 2020

Children’s Hospital 0114 271 7000

Royal Hallamshire Hospital 0114 271 1900