School health and safety policy

This policy applies to the activities and premises of [school name] and is intended for staff, pupils, visitors and contractors. It focuses on real and significant risks and proportionate arrangements rather than unnecessary paperwork.

Employer accountability

The employer is [school employer]. The employer retains overall accountability for managing risks to staff, pupils and others so far as is reasonably practicable, including where health and safety functions are delegated to school staff.

The allocation of delegated health and safety responsibilities is set out in [health and safety responsibilities document]. Delegation does not transfer the employer's overall accountability.

Scope and arrangements

The school will maintain sensible approaches to health and safety and arrangements for managing risks to staff, pupils and visitors who may be affected by school activities. Contractors are included where they may be affected by, or involved in, the school's activities and premises.

The arrangements cover risk controls, communication, incident arrangements, monitoring and escalation. The school will tell employees about the real and significant risks present at the school and the precautions needed to manage them.

Employees will have relevant information and training to manage risks on a day-to-day basis, including access to competent health and safety advice where needed. Control measures will be checked to establish whether they have been implemented and remain appropriate and effective.

Responsibilities of employees

Employees must take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by what they do at work. They must cooperate with the employer on health and safety matters, work in accordance with training and instructions, and follow the health and safety procedures put in place by the employer.

Employees must inform the employer of any work situation representing a serious and immediate danger so that remedial action can be taken. Teachers and other staff in charge of pupils must take the same care of them as they would as a parent.

Risk controls and communication

Risk controls will be proportionate to the school's activities and premises. Relevant staff will receive information and instructions about the precautions needed for the risks associated with their work. Where the school requires competent health and safety advice, it will identify how that advice is accessed through [competent health and safety advice arrangement].

Staff must report serious and immediate dangers through [danger reporting route]. The school will consider and take remedial action in response to such reports.

Incidents, corrective action and learning

The school will investigate incidents to determine whether appropriate corrective action is being taken, whether learning is being shared, and whether necessary improvements are being put in place. Escalation of unresolved or significant matters will follow [incident escalation arrangement].

Premises monitoring

Where premises condition or site hazards form part of the school's risk profile, the school may include periodic site inspections in its health and safety arrangements. If adopted, the inspection arrangements will identify the scope, frequency and responsible persons, and will record findings, remedial actions and close-out records.

Monitoring and review

The school will regularly monitor and review this policy and its arrangements to check that risks are being reduced. As part of monitoring, the school will consider incident investigations, corrective action, shared learning and necessary improvements.

The school will generally consider its health and safety performance at least annually and maintain an effective monitoring system supported by sensible performance measures. The review will be undertaken through [health and safety review arrangement].

Local authority direction

If the school is a community school, voluntary controlled school, community special school, maintained nursery school or pupil referral unit, the local authority may have powers to direct health and safety matters relating to school premises or school activities taking place elsewhere where the school's health and safety arrangements are inadequate. This provision does not state that the power applies to academy schools.

Policy ownership

This policy is owned by [policy owner] and is communicated to relevant staff through [policy communication arrangement].