Risk assessment in schools
Schools have a duty to carry out risk assessments to keep staff, pupils and visitors safe from harm. Use this course to get all staff up to speed on how to create a risk assessment for any situation.
Who it's for
All staff
We've updated the scenarios in this course to improve the user experience. We've also included more information on risk assessments for school trips.
This course covers:
- The importance of risk assessment to health and safety in your school
- What the ‘hierarchy of controls’ is and how to apply it
- The principles of good risk assessment
- How to write a good risk assessment
We want our training to be a positive experience for all learners. If you have any access needs (for example, a visual impairment or dyslexia), please let us know to see how we can help by contacting [email protected].
We'd love to hear your feedback
If you've completed this course, we'd love to hear your thoughts on it. Our feedback form takes about 3 to 5 minutes to complete.
Sources
- Health and safety: responsibilities and duties for schools, GOV.UK - DfE
- Managing risks and risk assessment at work, Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) at work regulations from 6 April 2022, HSE
Our thanks to the experts who also helped us develop this course:
Trevor Bailey has extensive experience in school leadership and management. He was a secondary school headteacher for 14 years.
Martin Owen is a chartered accountant and a Fellow of the Institute of School Business Leadership. He has more than 20 years’ experience working in schools to improve their governance, leadership and management of business, financial and operational processes.
More risk assessment resources for your school
Templates and guidance to help you create compliant risk assessments
Statutory risk assessments: checklist and guidance
Stay compliant and keep your pupils, staff and visitors safe with our checklist of the risk assessments you need to have in your school. Plus, see advice on when to do a risk assessment.
Risk assessment: generic template and guidance
Find the resources you need to start carrying out a risk assessment, including a generic template and guidance on statutory requirements. Plus, use our flowchart to help you decide if you need a risk assessment for specific activities.