Risk register: template, guidance and examples

Academies must have a risk register, but it's good practice for maintained schools to have one too. Download a template to save time, or use our expert tips to create your own. You'll also find examples from schools, and guidance on how to review yours.

Last reviewed on 7 August 2023
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School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 11404
Contents
  1. What is a risk register for?
  2. Download our template
  3. Tips for creating your own risk register
  4. Who should fill in the register
  5. When and how to review it
  6. See completed school examples

What is a risk register for?

A risk register is a document that allows senior managers and the governing board to plan for, track and monitor key risks and risk controls for the whole school or trust.

Risk registers record the main perceived risks to an organisation's financial or strategic aims.

Don't use a risk register to assess risks for specific activities or to plan for emergencies. Instead, use a risk assessment or a critical incident/disaster plan. Get tips and find examples of critical incident plans.

Download our template

As an academy trust you must maintain a risk register, but there are no specified requirements for the format. 

Our template is based on the Education and Skills Funding Agency's (ESFA) guidance on monitoring risk (see section 2.5), and work with our associate education expert Angela Browne. It's written with trusts in mind, but if you're a maintained school