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Fire and security systems for schools and colleges

School buildings rarely all run to the same timetable. Reception, teaching rooms and a hall used by evening clubs each need a different approach. We install and maintain fire alarms, CCTV and access control, helping you plan the work around the way your school or college is used.

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Plan around the way your school works

Who uses each part of the site, and when, makes a difference to the equipment you need. We’ll talk through those details with your team.

  • A clear route to reception

    Visitors need to reach reception without having access to the whole school. We plan door entry around who answers the call, how visitors are admitted and which doors lead on to staff or teaching areas.

  • Evening clubs and holiday access

    A group using the hall may only need a few doors. We’ll check how access permissions and separate intruder alarm areas can work together, so the rest of the building can be secured where the equipment allows.

  • Lessons, exams and planned work

    Some jobs need an empty room or an interruption to the existing system. We’ll agree access with you before work starts, taking lessons and exams into account. Holiday clubs can affect the plan too.

  • Extensions and changing room use

    A new teaching block or a room used for a different purpose can affect alarm coverage and escape routes. Share the plans and your current fire risk assessment so we can discuss the changes needed.

Fire alarms, security and fire risk assessments

You may need a new system, an extension to existing equipment or help with recurring faults. Start with the service you need; we’ll check what’s already installed before recommending changes.

Fire alarms

We install and maintain fire alarms for schools and colleges. A practical teaching room, a kitchen and a sports hall can place different demands on detection; we look at how each space is used alongside the existing alarm.

  • Detection suited to the room

    Cooking, dust and practical activities can affect detector choice. We take the conditions in each area into account.

  • Adding to an existing alarm

    We’ll check the panel and devices before recommending how an extension or refurbished block can be covered.

  • Servicing and recurring faults

    Tell us about repeated activations or panel faults. Service records help us investigate what needs attention.

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Access control

Access control for schools needs to fit the visitor route as well as staff access. We install door entry and card or fob systems, with permissions for the rooms each person needs to use.

  • Receiving visitors

    An entry system lets reception speak to a caller before opening the door. It supports your school’s visitor procedure.

  • Staff changes and lost fobs

    We’ll show the people managing the system how to change permissions and cancel a lost card or fob.

  • Doors on escape routes

    How a controlled door opens in an emergency is part of its design. We check the door and its release arrangements.

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CCTV

We install, upgrade and maintain CCTV for schools, with camera views planned around the problem you need to address. An entrance view needs different detail from a view across the grounds.

  • Useful views in changing light

    We consider the position and lighting of each camera, including areas used after dark.

  • Purpose and privacy

    Involve your data protection officer in deciding where cameras go and what they record.

  • Finding a recording

    We’ll discuss who needs access to footage and how they will find and export the recordings they need.

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Fire risk assessments

Fire risk assessments for schools are arranged through Centurion. You receive a written report with prioritised actions, helping your team see what needs attention and plan the next steps.

  • How the premises are used

    Share changes to room use, who occupies the buildings and any arrangements for people who need help to evacuate.

  • Clear priorities for your team

    The report sets out findings and actions. Keep track of those actions alongside your other estate work.

  • Help with the work identified

    If the findings call for alarm, fire-door or emergency-lighting work, we can discuss what’s needed separately.

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Bring the right people into the conversation

Your site team knows the buildings. Reception knows how visitors arrive. For CCTV, involve your data protection officer early, so the purpose of the cameras and the way recordings are used inform the design.

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  • Your current fire risk assessment
  • System details and recent service reports
  • Visitor routes and rooms with restricted access
  • The purpose of CCTV and who can view recordings

If the estate includes accommodation

Tell us about boarding houses or halls of residence at the outset. Sleeping accommodation needs separate consideration from teaching buildings when planning fire precautions.

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Questions about work at your school or college

Can you service systems installed by another company?

Often, yes. We’ll need to check the equipment, its condition and whether we can support it. Send us the make of the system and any recent service reports, including faults or outstanding work. We can then explain what maintenance we can offer and whether anything needs upgrading first.

Can one enquiry cover several schools in an academy trust?

Yes. Start with a list of the schools and what each one needs. Equipment and layouts may differ across the trust, so we’ll look at each site’s starting point. Tell us who manages the systems locally and who coordinates estate work across the trust. That helps us discuss installation or maintenance without assuming every school uses the same platform.

Can you monitor security systems during school holidays?

CCTV and intruder alarm monitoring can be included, subject to checking the equipment and connection. We’ll discuss who should be contacted after an activation. Tell us about holiday clubs, cleaners or contractors who still need access, so the monitoring arrangements reflect when the buildings are actually empty.

What if our college or university has several kinds of building?

Include the different uses when you contact us. A teaching block, a laboratory and a sports facility may have different opening hours and access needs. We’ll discuss the fire and security work for each building. Identify any sleeping accommodation separately, including halls of residence, so it can be considered for its own use.