School health and safety policy

This policy applies to [school name] where it operates as a maintained or academy primary or secondary school in England. Its allocation of accountability and delegated functions must reflect the school's employer type, governance arrangements and operating model.

Purpose and scope

The school will follow the employer's health and safety policy and maintain effective arrangements for managing the real health and safety risks arising from its activities and site. This policy covers governance oversight, leadership responsibilities, workforce cooperation, contractor control, communication, competence and the escalation of health and safety concerns.

The employer for the school is [employer name]. The person or body responsible for day-to-day school health and safety leadership is [school health safety lead].

Governance oversight

The governing body will take reasonable steps to check that the school is following the employer's health and safety policy and procedures. This will include regular discussion of health and safety at governance meetings, together with appropriate support and challenge for school leaders.

The governing body will ensure that staff receive adequate training to enable them to carry out their health and safety responsibilities, promote a sensible approach to health and safety, and make use of competent health and safety advice when required.

Where governors are also trustees or company directors responsible for the school, their health and safety role will reflect that employer relationship. The applicable governance relationship is [governing body employer status].

Head teacher and school management

The head teacher and school management team will ensure that the school follows the employer's health and safety policy and has effective arrangements for managing the real health and safety risks at the school.

School leaders will maintain effective communication with the employer, governors and the school workforce. They will provide pupils, visitors and contractors with clear information about significant risks on site and the procedures and precautions that apply to them.

School leaders will ensure that staff have appropriate training and competence to deal with risks within their areas of responsibility. Staff will be informed of their responsibilities and how to access support and advice to help them manage risks responsibly.

Workforce cooperation and concerns

Everyone working for the school must take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by what they do, or fail to do. Staff must cooperate with the employer, colleagues, contractors and others to enable safe working arrangements to be made and maintained.

Staff must raise health and safety concerns through the school's local arrangements. The route for raising concerns is [staff health safety concern route]. Concerns should be communicated to [health safety concern contact] or through [health safety concern method].

The school will consult and work with recognised trade union safety representatives, employee representatives and safety committees where these arrangements apply.

Contractors and contracted activities

Where the school procures or manages contractors or other contracted activities on the school site, risks must be addressed through the school's contracting procedures.

Contractors must be informed of site-specific risks and the relevant site procedures and precautions. Their activities on site must be overseen in a manner proportionate to the work and risks involved. Staff and visitors must also be made aware of the on-site procedures and precautions that apply to them.

The current contractor arrangement for the school is [school contractor activity]. The person responsible for contractor coordination is [contractor coordinator].

Communication, competence and support

Health and safety information will be communicated to the employer, governors, the school workforce, pupils, visitors and contractors as appropriate to their responsibilities and exposure to significant site risks.

The school will identify the training and competencies needed for staff to deal with risks in their areas of responsibility and will provide or arrange appropriate training. Staff should use the support and advice available through [health safety support route] when they need help to manage risks responsibly.

Responsibilities and escalation

The employer retains responsibility for the employer's health and safety policy. The governing body provides oversight, support and challenge in accordance with its relationship to the employer. The head teacher and school management team implement and manage the school's arrangements. Staff, contractors and others must cooperate with those arrangements and raise concerns through the local route.

A health and safety concern that cannot be resolved through normal local arrangements must be escalated to [escalation role or body] using [escalation route]. The school will communicate significant risks and relevant precautions to those who may be affected.

Local arrangements

The school records its employer type as [employer type], its governance arrangement as [governance arrangement], and its operating model as [operating model]. These arrangements determine how accountability and delegated functions under this policy are allocated.

The school will maintain local arrangements that give effect to this policy, including arrangements for governance discussion, leadership management, workforce cooperation, contractor control, communication, competence and escalation of concerns.