Two people were taken to hospital with minor burns after a small fire broke out in a community room at Glossopdale School in Hadfield. 

Firefighters from Glossop and Chapel-en-le-Frith stations were called to the site on Newshaw Lane shortly after 9.30am on Sunday morning (22 May). 

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said the fire - understood to be in the community room at The Place - was contained and prevented from spreading thanks to the presence and activation of a sprinkler system. 

They added that an investigation into the cause of the fire has determined it was accidental.

Due to the incident, the school opened at 11.30am on Monday for all students, apart from those sitting exams earlier in the morning. 

The Place was closed for the rest of Sunday and reopened to bookings on Monday evening. 

Derbyshire’s Chief Fire Officer Gavin Tomlinson, who is also the Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council’s Protection and Business Safety Scrutiny Committee, said: “Nationally through the Fire Chiefs Council and locally across Derby and Derbyshire we have been campaigning for a change in legislation that would ensure all new schools and those undergoing refurbishment in England are fitted with sprinklers.

“Sprinklers not only extinguish or contain a fire until the arrival of fire crews, but they prevent the devastating impact on young people’s education, the community and the high costs of rebuilding as a result of fire.”

According to Zurich Insurance, the average fire risk for schools is almost double that of other non-residential buildings.

In Scotland and Wales, there is a legal requirement to fit sprinklers in new build schools.

In November 2020, following three significant accidental and deliberate school fires, Derby City and Derbyshire County Council both signed a ‘Statement of Intent’ to fit sprinklers and the right fire safety measures in new build schools and primary and secondary schools undergoing significant renovation, refurbishment, or extension.

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