Health and safety
8 articles
First aid and medical care
- Administering medicines in school: guidance Find guidance on administering medication to pupils in school, including on school trips and in the early years. Download our printable sheet of 'dos and don'ts' that staff can refer to.
- Administering medicines: parental consent Find out how you can seek permission to give non-prescription medicines to pupils, and what to do if a parent doesn't consent. Plus, download and use our multi-purpose consent form.
- Administering medicines: template record forms Find templates for recording medication administered to all pupils and to individual pupils, and guidance on how long to store these records.
- EpiPens in school: guidance and risk assessments Find guidance on keeping spare EpiPens on site and administering them to certain pupils in an emergency. Plus, find examples of consent forms and risk assessments.
- First aid provision: requirements and guidance Find out what you need to do to comply with requirements on first aid provision in schools and early years settings.
- Individual healthcare plans: guidance and templates Learn when and how to create an individual healthcare plan to support pupils with medical conditions. See a template plan from the DfE, and example plans for pupils with epilepsy, diabetes and allergies.
- Supporting pupils with asthma Get government advice on supporting pupils with asthma and on the use of emergency inhalers, including guidance on staff responsibilities, parental consent and policies.
- Supporting pupils with complex medical needs Find out about the statutory requirements around pupils with complex medical needs, and how to seek additional help if you are struggling to support them.
4 articles
Health and safety of pupils and staff
- Keeping school pets: guidance Get guidance on whether keeping a pet is right for your school. Learn about keeping and handling animals, and see examples of pet policies from schools.
- Managing late collection of pupils Get expert advice on what to do if parents don't collect their children from school on time, or fail to collect them. See examples of school policies on late or non-collection.
- Schools' duty of care to pupils Find out about your school's duty of care to pupils, when you might be held liable for an injury and how to minimise the risk of this happening.
- Social media for teachers: cheat sheet Help staff members keep their social media profiles secure and be clear on what to do if they're contacted by a pupil or parent online. Find practical tips for protecting staff privacy on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
7 articles
Incident planning and response
- Accident recording and reporting: requirements and guidance Get to grips with the statutory requirements for recording and reporting accidents and incidents on your school site, including the additional rules for early years settings and special schools.
- Business continuity plans Have a look at examples of business continuity plans, including local authority templates and plans from primary, secondary and special schools.
- Emergency school closures: guidance UpdatedUnderstand when you can close your school in an emergency. Find out how and when to contact your local authority and parents, and how to request an Ofsted inspection deferral due to emergency closure.
- Fire drills: guidance Find out how to maintain fire safety and run fire drills during coronavirus and beyond. See examples of fire drill and evacuation policies from schools.
- Fire safety: emergency evacuation procedures Learn about your school's requirements for fire evacuation and see example fire emergency planning policies.
- Forms for recording and reporting violent incidents Are there examples of violence report forms? In this article you will find forms for reporting violent and aggressive incidents, including examples from the HSE and two schools. We also link to another article from The Key which sets out the requirements for reporting incidents.
- Personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs): templates See templates for personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) for individuals with disabilities, including examples from schools, fire and rescue services and the government. Get tips too on how to write a PEEP.
7 articles
School premises: health and safety
- Fire safety in schools: guidance Understand guidance on fire safety in schools, including fire alarms, soft furnishings and staff training, and read expert advice from the London Fire Brigade and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service.
- Health and safety audit: template and examples Use our template to help you conduct a health and safety audit in your school. See examples of audit and inspection checklists from local authorities.
- Health and safety checklist: school office Download and use our checklist to assess the health and safety arrangements in your school offices, and record any actions you need to take.
- Health and safety checklists for classrooms Use these health and safety checklists for classrooms to save time and make sure staff and pupils are working in a safe environment. Download our specialist classrooms checklist to use alongside a checklist from the Health and Safety Executive.
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Health and safety duties of trusts: overview template and how to comply
As a trust you have health and safety duties because you're the employer. Be clear on what these are and understand how to fulfil them. Use our overview tool to help you keep track of and monitor your requirements across your trust.
For Trust Leaders
- Health and safety: regular duties for schools Find out which health and safety checks you should perform daily, weekly, termly and annually to stay on top of your statutory duties, and see examples of other schools' regular health and safety checks.
- Signing visitors in and out It's up to you whether you ask visitors to sign in and out. Find out what to consider when deciding, and have a look at the approaches some schools take.
1 article
Transport and visits: health and safety
- School trip health and safety: planning checklist and guidance UpdatedAhead of a school trip, use our checklist and find guidance to help you feel confident you’ve considered everything from a health, safety and safeguarding perspective.
