The short answer
LPS 1175 is the Loss Prevention Certification Board's standard for testing how well fences, gates and other barriers resist forced entry. Issue 8 rates a product on two scales: a letter from A to H for the tools and number of attackers assumed, and a number of minutes of delay (1, 3, 5, 10, 15 or 20). Most school perimeters do not need a rated fence; a rating is worth paying for on the few stretches that protect something specific.
On this page
Security ratings turn up in fencing quotes and manufacturers’ literature, usually as a string like “SR2” or “B3”. They sound reassuring, but they only help if you know what was tested and whether your site needs it. This note explains the standard in plain terms and when a school should pay for a rating.
What LPS 1175 is
LPS 1175 is a Loss Prevention Standard published by the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB), part of BRE. Manufacturers send fences, gates, doors, shutters and other barriers to be attacked under controlled conditions by trained testers using a set toolkit. If the product holds out for the required time, it is certified, and the certification is listed publicly in the LPCB Red Book.
The point is that the rating comes from a physical test by an independent body, not from the manufacturer’s own claims.
How the ratings work in Issue 8
Issue 8 of the standard changed the format. A rating now has two separate parts.
| Part | Scale | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Threat level | Letters A to H | The tools and number of attackers assumed. Higher letters mean more capable tools and more people. |
| Delay | 1, 3, 5, 10, 15 or 20 | The minimum minutes the product should resist manual forced entry. |
So a fence rated B3 has been shown to resist an attack with the B category of tools for at least 3 minutes. A C5 product resists a more capable toolkit for at least 5 minutes. Because the two parts are separate, there are nearly 50 possible combinations.
The older SR grades
Before Issue 8, products were graded SR1 (lowest) to SR8 (highest) on a single scale. Many fences on school sites, and in product catalogues, still carry SR1 or SR2 ratings, and they remain valid for those products. There is no exact one-to-one conversion between the old SR grades and the new letter and number pairs, so compare like with like and ask the contractor which issue a rating was tested to.
Does a school fence need a rating?
DfE’s guidance does not ask for one. It lists effective perimeter fencing among the measures against intruders and tells schools to assess their own site, but it does not name a standard or a grade.
For most school boundaries, a well-specified 2.4 m twin wire or 358 mesh fence, properly fixed, is enough. A rating earns its extra cost where:
- the boundary protects something specific, such as a plant room, server room, fuel store or high-value equipment store;
- the incident log shows repeated, determined break-ins rather than casual trespass;
- a police or security adviser has recommended a rated product after a site visit;
- a gate is the only barrier on a vulnerable stretch.
Remember that a rated fence is only as strong as the weakest part of the line. A B3 fence next to an unrated gate, a low wall or a climbable bin store gives B3 protection to nobody.
What a rating costs
Certified fences cost more than equivalent unrated panels, because of heavier sections, special fixings and the cost of testing. The uplift varies a great deal by product and grade, so price the rated stretches separately in your specification rather than applying a rating to the whole perimeter.
Questions to ask a contractor
- Which issue of LPS 1175 was the product tested to, and what is the exact rating?
- Can you show me the Red Book listing for that product?
- Is the gate tested to the same rating as the fence?
- Are the installation details, such as post depth and fixings, the same as the tested set-up?
- What is the price difference compared with the unrated version of the same system?
For the panel most schools use on their weak stretches, see what is 358 mesh fencing. Our school security fencing page covers heights and detailing for the whole boundary, and the cost calculator prices a mixed scheme.
If you want a contractor to look at which parts of your boundary would justify a rated product, use the form below.