SECTOR EDUCATION & SCHOOLS

Fire & Security
Systems for
Education

From primary schools to university campuses, Centurion designs, installs, and maintains fire alarms and CCTV systems. It also provides access control and intruder alarm systems for education estates. These systems support safeguarding needs and term-time operations.

  • NSI Gold Accredited
  • BAFE Registered
  • Paxton Gold Partner
50+ yrs
In commercial fire & security
NSI Gold
All 4 disciplines
Paxton gold
Access control partner

About this sector

Centurion in education

Education environments place unique demands on fire and security systems. From primary schools operating under strict safeguarding obligations to university campuses managing thousands of students across dozens of buildings, every site presents its own compliance requirements, operational rhythms and duty-of-care responsibilities.

Centurion has designed, installed and maintained fire and security systems for schools, colleges, academy trusts and higher education estates across Yorkshire and the UK. We understand what it means to work in a busy, occupied school. We plan installations around term dates. We coordinate with estates managers and safeguarding leads. We design systems to meet DfE guidance, KCSIE duties, and BS 5839 standards from day one.

Installation completed across the full site during the summer break. Back to school - every system live, compliant, and commissioned.

- Estates Manager, Multi-Academy Trust, West Yorkshire

Our engineers are DBS-checked and experienced in education estates. They understand visitor management and lockdown integration. They can support multi-site MAT contracts. They also follow CCTV privacy rules. These rules cover how footage is kept, accessed, and shared. Footage may be shared with parents, staff, and external agencies.

Standards & Compliance

The regulations that govern your estate

Every education system we design meets statutory guidance, British Standards, and sector-specific requirements. Your site is accountable for these.

DfE BB100

Building Bulletin 100

Core Department for Education fire safety guidance for school buildings and education premises.

BS 5839-1

Fire Detection & Alarm Systems

Code of practice for the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection systems in non-domestic buildings.

KCSIE

Keeping Children Safe in Education

Statutory safeguarding guidance that directly shapes how CCTV, access control and visitor management systems must be designed and operated.

GDPR / DPA 2018

Data Protection

CCTV retention periods, access rights, signage obligations and footage handling for pupils, staff and site visitors.

BS EN 62676

CCTV System Standard

Video surveillance standards for security applications - covering camera specification, recording quality and system performance.

NSI Gold

National Security Inspectorate

Highest tier of independent security certification - covering CCTV, access control, intruder alarms and emergency lighting.

What we provide

Fire & security services for education

Every system is designed around your site's safeguarding obligations, compliance requirements and operational constraints - not a generic school specification.

  • CCTV & IP Video Surveillance

    Safeguarding-aware CCTV systems designed for education environments. HD IP camera coverage across the perimeter, entrances, corridors, and car parks.GDPR-compliant retention, access controls, and remote monitoring.

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  • Access Control & Visitor Management

    IP access control for school gates, reception, staff areas and sensitive zones. Integrated visitor management, DBS-check verification workflows, and multi-door Paxton systems across single and multi-site estates.

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  • Intruder Alarm Systems

    NSI Gold-certified monitored intruder alarm systems for education buildings. Graded systems designed for out-of-hours security and term-break risks. They integrate with existing access control and CCTV systems.

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Why this sector is different

The challenges we solve

02

Term-Time Disruption

Installation and maintenance must be planned around lessons, exams, holiday windows and out-of-hours access - with minimal impact on teaching and learning.

03

Multi-Site MAT Compliance

Academy trusts, colleges and universities need consistent standards, centralised records and consolidated reporting across multiple buildings and locations.

04

Lockdown & Invacuation

Education estates need coordinated response systems that support lockdown, invacuation, evacuation and emergency communication - integrated and rehearsed.

05

Controlled Visitor Flow

Reception, gate and door entry systems must balance safeguarding obligations, visitor management workflows and the operational convenience of busy school days.

Featured insight

Guide

How Martyn’s Law affects schools, colleges and universities

Discover how Martyn's Law reshapes your business security strategy. Learn essential elements and key steps to ensure compliance and enhance safety.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE →

Written by

Centurion

Published

20 May 2026

Read time

7 min read

Common questions

Education sector FAQs

We answer the questions school estates managers and business managers ask us most. Can't find what you need? Call 0800 590 592.

Can you work during school holidays to avoid disruption?
Yes - we plan the bulk of disruptive installation work during school holidays, evenings and out-of-hours windows. For multi-site MAT contracts, we coordinate a phased programme across the academic year so no single school is disrupted at a critical point in the calendar.
Are your engineers DBS-checked?
Yes. All Centurion engineers working on education sites are DBS-checked and briefed on site-specific safeguarding procedures before attending. We can provide certification on request.
Do you handle multi-site academy trust contracts?
Yes - we support multi-academy trusts with framework delivery, centralised compliance records, consolidated PPM contracts and a single account manager for the estates team. One contract, one relationship, consistent standards across every site.
Can fire and security systems integrate with lockdown procedures?
Yes. We can integrate fire detection, access control, CCTV and lockdown alerting into coordinated response workflows aligned to your estate's emergency procedures and safeguarding policy. Systems can be configured to support both invacuation and evacuation scenarios.
How do you handle CCTV and GDPR compliance in schools?
We design school CCTV systems with GDPR compliance built in - appropriate retention periods, controlled access to footage, correct signage and privacy zoning for sensitive areas. We can support your DPO in producing or reviewing a CCTV policy to accompany the system.
Do you work on both new-build and existing school buildings?
Yes. We work across new builds, extensions and existing occupied buildings. For existing buildings, we carry out a full site survey before design - assessing the current system, identifying compliance gaps and recommending a phased upgrade plan that fits your budget and calendar.