Petition · past parliament · Department for Education
Government to legally require sprinklers in all new build & refurbished schools
Closed
2,416 signatures
What the petition asks
Ministers should urgently change the law to make sprinklers compulsory in all new-build and refurbished schools as is the case in Scotland and Wales. Investing in sprinklers is a small price to pay for improving the resilience of the school estate and protecting young people’s education.
Schools could be almost twice as likely to be hit by a fire as other non-residential buildings, according to research by the insurer Zurich. Unlike Scotland and Wales, there is no legal requirement in England for sprinklers to be fitted in new-build and refurbished schools. With Government data showing almost 2,000 school blazes over the last three years, this is costing taxpayers millions of pounds, harming children’s education, and potentially putting lives at risk.
Timeline
| 1 Sep 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 1 Mar 2021 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
2,416
Status
Closed
Department
Department for Education
Opened
1 Sep 2020
Closed
1 Mar 2021
Follow this petition
Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.
Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.