CalmComplianceRisk Assessment template
School Structural Stability Risk Assessment
- Version
- v1
- Updated
- 1 October 2026
- Audience
- Responsible bodies and persons managing or controlling buildings at maintained and academy schools in England, including local authorities, academy trusts, governing bodies, estates teams, school leaders, competent inspectors and professional advisers.
- Jurisdiction
- england
Activity assessed
Assessing, recording and managing structural-safety risks for school buildings and structures, including risks associated with building use, construction type, flooding, nearby watercourses, historical mining activity, ground conditions, inspection arrangements, changes in structural condition, professional advice and remedial action. Applicability of each factor must be determined from the actual building and site circumstances.
Assess each hazard and its controls against your site before use. Template ratings require local review.
Hazards and controls
Structural instability or failure of a school building, structure or element, potentially affecting pupils, staff, visitors, contractors, occupants or neighbouring persons.
- Existing controls
- Record the building-specific controls already in place, such as current inspection arrangements, maintenance arrangements, defect-reporting routes, restrictions on access or use, and any professional assessments. Do not assume that a control exists unless it has been verified for the building being assessed.
- Proposed controls
- Confirm the responsible body and the person responsible for coordinating structural-safety arrangements. Identify all buildings and relevant structures within scope. Maintain a building-specific record of construction type, use, age or alteration history where known, known defects, inspection records, reports and remedial actions. Arrange proportionate inspection and maintenance, using competent professional advice where necessary. Formally report and action visible changes in structural condition. Where structural safety is uncertain, consider interim precautions such as restricting access or use pending competent advice.
Local assessment and additional controls
Inspection arrangements that are unsuitable for the building's use, construction type or environmental conditions, resulting in damage or deterioration not being identified in time.
- Existing controls
- Record the existing inspection schedule, inspection scope, responsible person, competence arrangements, records reviewed and escalation arrangements. State any elements that have not been verified.
- Proposed controls
- Set and document inspection arrangements for each building. Ensure the nature and frequency of inspections reflect how the building is used, its construction type and relevant environmental conditions. Define what is checked, who performs each inspection, how findings are recorded, when escalation is required and how overdue inspections are managed. Review the arrangements when use, construction, condition or environmental circumstances change.
Local assessment and additional controls
Failure, deterioration or damage associated with an unrecorded or insufficiently understood construction type, including traditional brick, steel, concrete or timber frame construction.
- Existing controls
- Record the construction type or types identified for the building, the source of that information, known structural elements, alterations and current controls. If the construction type is unknown or uncertain, record that fact rather than inferring it.
- Proposed controls
- Establish and retain an accurate description of the building's construction type and significant structural elements where practicable. Consider how the construction type affects inspection scope, frequency and competence requirements. Obtain advice from a suitably competent professional where construction, alterations, defects or stability cannot be reliably understood from available information.
Local assessment and additional controls
Flooding or exposure to flood-related conditions causing damage, deterioration, movement or loss of structural stability, where flooding is relevant to the building or site.
- Existing controls
- Record whether flooding is relevant to the building or site, the information reviewed, any existing inspection or maintenance controls, known damage or restrictions, and any emergency or recovery arrangements already in place. Keep applicability conditional and do not record flooding as a site condition without evidence.
- Proposed controls
- Where flooding is relevant, incorporate the risk into inspection frequency, inspection scope, maintenance and escalation arrangements. Inspect for visible changes or damage following relevant events or where concerns arise. Obtain competent professional advice on structural implications where damage, movement or uncertainty is identified. Record and action required repairs or restrictions before affected areas are returned to normal use.
Local assessment and additional controls
Structural deterioration, scour, movement or other damage associated with a nearby watercourse, where a watercourse is relevant to the building or site.
- Existing controls
- Record whether a nearby watercourse is relevant, the information reviewed, existing monitoring, inspection and maintenance arrangements, and any known structural concerns. Do not assume that a watercourse is present or materially affects the building.
- Proposed controls
- Where a nearby watercourse is relevant, include associated environmental considerations in the inspection and maintenance arrangements. Define how visible changes, ground movement, erosion, water-related damage or other concerns will be reported and escalated. Seek competent professional advice where the condition or structural implications are uncertain, and implement any recommended restrictions, repairs or monitoring.
Local assessment and additional controls
Ground movement, subsidence or other ground-related change affecting structural stability, where ground conditions or historical mining activity are relevant.
- Existing controls
- Record the ground conditions and historical mining information reviewed, whether either factor is relevant, known signs of movement or damage, existing monitoring or inspection controls, and any professional reports. If information is unavailable or applicability is uncertain, record the uncertainty.
- Proposed controls
- Where ground conditions or historical mining activity are relevant, reflect them in the inspection scope, frequency and escalation criteria. Record and investigate visible changes such as cracking, distortion, settlement, displacement or changes in level where observed. Obtain competent professional advice where ground-related movement or structural implications are suspected or cannot be assessed reliably. Implement and track recommended remedial measures, monitoring or access restrictions.
Local assessment and additional controls
Visible change in structural condition is not formally reported, assessed, communicated or actioned, allowing deterioration or unsafe conditions to persist.
- Existing controls
- Record the existing reporting route, persons able to identify and report concerns, records reviewed, communication arrangements and any current defect-management process. Do not treat an undocumented process as evidence that it is operating.
- Proposed controls
- Provide a clear route for reporting visible changes in structural condition. Record the location, date, description, source of the report, photographs or other supporting information where available, immediate precautions, responsible person, professional advice obtained, decision made, action owner, target date and completion evidence. Escalate urgent or uncertain concerns promptly and communicate restrictions to affected users and contractors.
Local assessment and additional controls
Inspection, diagnosis or remedial action is undertaken without appropriate competence or professional advice, resulting in an unsuitable decision about structural safety.
- Existing controls
- Record which inspections are undertaken by school or estates staff, the competence relied upon, professional advisers used, reports received and current arrangements for deciding when specialist advice is required.
- Proposed controls
- Define triggers for obtaining advice from a suitably competent professional surveyor or other appropriate specialist. Triggers should include uncertainty about structural condition, significant or progressive visible change, unclear construction or alteration history, suspected ground-related movement, relevant flood or watercourse effects, and proposed remedial work affecting structural elements. Retain advice and recommendations, assign actions, and verify that remedial work is appropriately specified, controlled and reviewed.
Local assessment and additional controls
Building use, occupancy or activities place demands on the structure that are not reflected in inspection, maintenance or control arrangements.
- Existing controls
- Record the actual uses, occupancy patterns, access arrangements, temporary uses, significant changes of use and existing controls for the building or area. Do not assume that use is uniform across the building.
- Proposed controls
- Describe how each building and relevant area is used, including any changes or temporary arrangements. Consider the effect of use on inspection frequency, access, loading, vibration, storage, alterations and occupancy. Review structural-safety arrangements before significant changes of use or building work, and obtain competent professional advice where the effect on structural stability is uncertain.
Local assessment and additional controls
Remedial actions are incomplete, ineffective, not tracked or not reviewed, leaving known or suspected structural risks unmanaged.
- Existing controls
- Record open and completed remedial actions, responsible persons, target dates, supporting reports, interim controls, verification arrangements and any outstanding uncertainty. Do not mark actions complete without appropriate evidence.
- Proposed controls
- Maintain an action register linked to each finding or professional recommendation. Specify the required action, owner, priority determined by the responsible body, target date, interim controls, completion evidence and review date. Reassess affected areas after remedial work or monitoring, confirm whether restrictions can be removed, and retain records for future inspections and building management.
Local assessment and additional controls