9 Term Plan (Plan Do Check is a term from the HSE s revised system guidance. See HSE website for further guidance) Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4 Term 5 Term 6 Term 7 Term 8 Term 9 PLAN Audit H&S policy check plan major project for next 3 yrs For example do you have a new SEN student coming to the school? Check updates to LA guidance Particularly the A to Z guide on SchoolSurf DO Review H&S policy check Site security Check updates to LA guidance Particularly the A to Z guide on SchoolSurf CHECK Assess H&S policy check Term 1 audit report - final check for recommendations not yet implemented Check updates to LA guidance Particularly the A to Z guide on SchoolSurf Are we better than we were in Term 1? Inspect Inspect Inspect Inspect Inspect Inspect Inspect Inspect Inspect Fire drill Fire drill Fire drill Fire drill Fire drill Fire drill Fire drill Fire drill Fire drill Update fire risk assessment Use or external adviser or auditor required this year Site safety (safeguarding) risk assessment School trips Local responsibilities for building maintenance under the Property SLP Incident and first aid records Update fire risk assessment Use or external adviser or auditor required this year Site safety (safeguarding) risk assessment School trips Local responsibilities for building maintenance under the Property SLP Incident and first aid records Update fire risk assessment Use or external adviser or auditor required this year Site safety (safeguarding) risk assessment School trips Local responsibilities for building maintenance under the Property SLP Incident and first aid records Asbestos with Corporate Property Adviser Target setting for H&S policy Maintenance with Corporate Property Adviser Risk assessment update Condition survey with Corporate Property Adviser H&S training AND H&S promotional work Asbestos with Corporate Property Adviser Target setting for H&S policy Maintenance with Property Adviser Risk assessment update Condition survey with Corporate Property Adviser H&S training AND H&S promotional work Asbestos with Corporate Property Adviser Target setting for H&S policy Maintenance with Property Adviser Risk assessment update Condition survey with Corporate Property Adviser H&S training AND H&S promotional work Updated March 2018 NC and AH 1
Walsham le Willows CEVC Primary School Health, Safety and Welfare Policy General Statement of Intent and Commitment The governors and head teacher acknowledge and accept that: 1. Suffolk County Council has the prime responsibility for health and safety and that the governing body (management committee in the case of a PRU) and headteacher have specific responsibilities to manage health, safety and welfare at the school level. These responsibilities must be laid out in the scheme of delegation for the school and are covered in general terms in the county council s scheme of delegation, available on SchoolSurf. They also have responsibilities to fulfill the duties contained in the scheme of delegation and To support the published policies and aims of the county council, and To promote continuous improvement in the health and safety performance. To learn from the experiences of others with the overall aim of updating procedures and arrangements to meet high standards of health and safety management and risk control. 2. The headteacher, as Local Health and Safety Coordinator, must ensure that guidance, codes of practice and other advice from Suffolk County Council are implemented; 3. The governing body must ensure that the headteacher is assisted in implementing the policy, advice and guidance of Suffolk County Council and fulfils its own responsibilities for health, safety and welfare of all those who may be affected by the way the school is managed. This duty extends to ensuring that: working conditions and environment substances used equipment provided, and working methods adopted do not impair the well-being of any employee, or any other person including clients, contractors, visitors, volunteers and any member of the public who may be affected by the conduct of its work. This document must be made available to all staff in the school. NB: It is not necessary to provide a copy to each person though a copy must be provided if requested. It is generally sufficient to make the document readily available to ALL staff. This policy document has been adopted by the governing body and is signed by the chair of governors on its behalf. (chair of governors) Date approved The head teacher, as the Local Health and Safety Coordinator for the workplace, also signs the policy. (head teacher) Date Updated March 2018 NC and AH 2
ORGANISATION Persons Responsible Mrs A Hunter, Mrs J Pascoe, Admin Assistant Health and Safety Co-ordinator Health and Safety contact in school Task HSW System & Policy Job title of person responsible Health and safety committee and/or governor committees Communication and information management Critical Incident Management Governors Admin Assistant 1 H&S Training Programmed updating training Personal safety procedures (also Schoolsafe) Planned checks Procedures/Premises/Equipment Risk assessments for managed moves, EOTAS and excluded pupils Infection Control Incident reporting/investigation Coordination of risk assessment work Fire procedures including personal emergency evacuation plans Locally organised premises maintenance, repair and improvement First Aid (training and equipment) Vehicle control and pedestrian safety Educational visits coordinator (EVC) Stress and Wellbeing Child Protection Co-ordinator Supporting pupils with medical needs Premises Security Contractors on site Outside lettings Admin Assistant Admin Assistant Admin Assistant Admin Assistant Chair of Governors Admin Assistant Admin Assistant Admin Assistant The head teacher has responsibility for day-to-day management of health and safety issues and is known as the Local Health and Safety Coordinator. Updated March 2018 NC and AH 3
All staff should have regard to their own health and safety and that of others including pupils, clients, visitors and colleagues. They should communicate any concerns to the appropriate person or to the headteacher so that hazards can be dealt with quickly. Health and safety duties form part of the job of every employee. The level of duty is directly related to the level of the post in the school s organisation and follows the overall management structure of the school. All staff are aware of safety/emergency procedures. The example set by all staff reinforces positive attitudes to Health and Safety in school. Pupils are taught and reminded of the simple rules that make the school environment a safe one: walking around the school sensibly; respecting their own and others and the schools property; safe use of playground games and equipment. They are taught to show consideration for others, and to respect the needs and rights of others in the school community. Regular update of information to and from parents When their child starts school, parents fill in an emergency contact form and medical needs form. Parents are reminded to inform the office should there be any changes to this information. The school prospectus makes it clear that should we be unable to contact parents or named parents, in an emergency the school will act in loco parentis and seek medical treatment from a doctor, or carry out whatever measures are in the child s best interest. Health, Safety and Welfare Policy Review This policy is available to all staff. It will be ed annually by the governing body and amended as required. At each the governors will formally adopt the new policy and renew the relevant signatures. Health, Safety and Welfare Governor Committee The governors have a termly committee meeting that considers health, safety and welfare issues. The group monitor progress regarding any targets identified in the current edition of the school s health and safety policy. The Terms of Reference for the committee are ed to adequately cover the functions that the school needs for the health, safety and welfare system to be effective and complete. The proceedings of the meetings formally recorded and action points brought forward for. The head teacher includes a termly report in the recommended format for health and safety to the whole governing body in her termly s Report. The committee s any incident records for each term, and for each year, to identify any patterns or other indicators requiring management attention. Governors are reminded to the content of the Governors web site (School Governor Centre). Updated March 2018 NC and AH 4
Communication and Information Management: Other than this document, Health and Safety Information is contained in the health and safety manual and other relevant documents in the office and the staff room policy file. Any new information or initiatives are communicated at staff meetings or briefings and the Education Health and Safety Local Management of Schools file is updated. All staff have a copy of this policy. A copy of the Health and Safety Law What you should know leaflet has been issued to all staff and a copy of the poster is displayed in the staffroom. In addition, any further Health and Safety information is displayed on the staffroom noticeboard. Subject co-ordinators are responsible for disseminating information about subject specific health and safety and related documents are held by co-ordinators and are available to all staff. The head teacher is responsible for checking the Schools Portal for Health and Safety updates and this is done at least half termly. All staff members are given notification of any child with specific medical problems, and action to be taken in an emergency. Files in the office contain contact numbers. All staff are reminded that such information is confidential. All complaints and concerns expressed by staff, parents, pupils and visitors regarding Health and Safety will be investigated and dealt with promptly when necessary. Critical Incident Management and temporary staffing absences A Critical Incident policy is in place and all staff are aware of the procedures should such an incident occur. In addition, a Business Continuity Plan is also in place based on Suffolk County Council guidance. The school will make reliable arrangements to cover the occasional (but foreseeable) absence of key staff so that first aid provision, medical needs and security are maintained. This may be due to planned absence, industrial action or emergencies of any kind. Health and Safety Induction Training All staff must receive an appropriate induction training including training that is matched to their specific work and responsibilities. Members of staff who are new to the school, particularly those with management responsibilities, will need a comprehensive induction. A general checklist for use with employees could include the following, which includes both basic and more specialised criteria. Absolutely essential items for induction are highlighted in bold. Overview of the school s health and safety policy and organisational structure Tour of the premises Current health and safety priorities for the school safety policy targets Communication and relationships with other departments, schools and Suffolk County Council. General health and safety advice, including the schools own guidance and that from the LA The use of the Incident Reporting form for incidents, hazards, work-related injuries and illnesses and fires. Where appropriate, curriculum specific guidance Updated March 2018 NC and AH 5
For certain staff (head teacher, bursar, business manager, caretaker, etc) the arrangements for ensuring the duties relating to asbestos management are fulfilled and that the asbestos survey report is available. Initial advice to women of child bearing age about the need for 'expectant and new mothers' risk assessment Smoking restrictions around the school site. Fire evacuation and emergency procedures Critical Incident procedures The arrangements the school has for managing visitors (accompaniment within the school site, visitor badges, how to react on discovering an unexpected person in school) Infection Control arrangements Employee problems and concerns - specific duties and responsibilities for the management of staff welfare Grievance procedures (as they relate to health & safety) Information on hazards that are specific to the school, and established controls or precautions (for example: a narrow drive shared by pedestrians and vehicles) Use of equipment and/or tools including defect reporting and the correct use of guards (where relevant) Trained first aid personnel and first-aid facilities staff expected to undertake first aid duties must be advised that they are expected to deal with casualties including the staff, pupils, visitors to the site and any member of the public that may need assistance whilst on the school grounds. Fire extinguishers and blankets location and use Access to well being advice, counselling and other staff support schemes Security Manual lifting and handling general advice and risk assessment What to do in an emergency, including fires which start in class Specific issues arising from mobility difficulties or other reasons giving rise to the need for Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans. Routine Updating Training 17 members of staff have received basic first aid training. In addition, 2 members of staff have received Paediatric First Aid training. All staff have been given the opportunity to receive training in fire extinguisher safety and working at heights. All staff have received training from School Safe on personal safety and ways to deal with behaviour problems. This training will be updated at least every 3 years or as when a situation arises which makes it necessary to update earlier. The head teacher is responsible for keeping a record of training. Personal Safety procedures, Schoolsafe and control of violence All school staff who may deal with anyone presenting challenging or threatening behaviour have been trained to the Schoolsafe standard. In addition, the head teacher and a teaching assistant employed as a 1:1 assistant have completed the higher level physical de-escalation training. Staff have been advised about the Dealing with abuse, threats and violence towards school staff guidance and a copy is available in the school staffroom. All threats or abusive behaviour should be reports immediately to the head teacher. Visitors should be clearly directed to use the main entrance to the school. Signs are clear and visible from the outside of the building and from the car park. Visitors and people entering the building must be monitored and are accompanied around the school site at all times. All visitors Updated March 2018 NC and AH 6
are required to sign in at reception and be issued with a badge or label. All teaching staff, Admin Assistant, the cleaner and the lettings co-ordinator hold a set of master keys. The head teacher and the Admin Assistant also hold a key to the safe. All key holders are listed and this is regularly updated and kept in the office. All teaching staff have the code for the burglar alarm should they come in to school out of hours. The alarm system is regularly serviced and recorded. A lone worker risk assessment has been undertaken to help ensure the safety of any lone workers and outreach staff such as cleaning and catering staff, and staff who come into school during holiday periods. Specific risk assessments are needed for these potentially higher risk activities. Planned Safety Checks Procedures Health and safety issues are monitored by the head teacher and the health and safety governor. It is their responsibility to ensure that matters arising from the health and safety audit are addressed. The health and safety governor is responsible with the head for undertaking required checks on a daily or weekly basis. Equipment SportSafe, a LA recommended contractor, checks the indoor and outdoor climbing apparatus and defects are remedied after consultation with the head teacher. This is completed annually. Staff will perform a visual check on outdoor play equipment and the playing field before the children are allowed to use them each day. A full hygiene, temperature and legionnaires disease checks are completed on the water system annually through County and water temperature checks are completed monthly within school. County Catering Service (Vertas) are responsible for checking all kitchen equipment. Contract Service (Vertas) carry out their own Health and Safety checks annually, covering Catering, Cleaning and Grounds Maintenance. Any safety hazards noted by the safety cocoordinator are reported to the appropriate contract service manager. Hazardous materials used for cleaning are kept in a locked cupboard. The key is available for adults only and kept near the office. Forms recording all maintenance / repairs authorised via Property Services are kept in the office. Electrical Equipment The duty to maintain all electrical systems is qualified by the phrase so far as is reasonably practicable and as may be necessary to prevent danger. Arrangements for installation, maintenance and inspection of conventional mains installation are the responsibility of the Property Services. Any problems are reported to West Suffolk House immediately and the hazard is isolated until the contractor arrives. Updated March 2018 NC and AH 7
Informal use checks are casual inspections made as a matter of course before use and should be carried out weekly. Formal visual inspections are methodical checks carried out looking for signs of wear and tear and damage, and should be carried out every 4 months. The LA, following their guidance of annual checks for earthed equipment and 5 yearly checks for double insulated equipment, checks all electrical equipment regularly. Staff should not bring any electrical items into school for use unless they have been subjected to a LA safety check. No electrical equipment should be repaired or interfered with in any way. The LA should carry out all inspections and repairs. Premises The head teacher and health and safety governor carry out a health and safety inspection of the school grounds and external premises termly. A form is completed, and any defects are noted and dealt with promptly. A visual check is completed daily by the head teacher to ensure that fire exits and routes are clear and that the fire alarm is in place. The school buildings and grounds are non-smoking and signs alert visitors to this. No members of staff, visitors or contractors are allowed to smoke on the school grounds. Infection Control Arrangements in school Advice on infection control is displayed in the office and school staff are informed if any infectious diseases are reported to the school. Advice is also given on intimate care arrangement and managing medicines and students with medical needs (see Administration of Medicines Policy). Incident Reporting/Investigation As the local safety co-ordinator, the head teacher is responsible for ensuring that the statutory general duty and the common lay duty of care are satisfactorily discharged (ref: Suffolk County Council Education Department, First Aid in Schools, and related Guidance). The head teacher is also responsible for the day-to-day organisation and management of the school, including health and safety matters. The County Council Incident Report Form is used for reporting any incidents and accidents. The form is checked and signed by the head teacher before it is sent to area office. The school will then conduct its own and risk assessment of the situation and put into place any actions and procedures required to prevent the accident from happening again. The cleaner informs the head teacher of any potential hazards or repair and maintenance items that need to be dealt with immediately. All staff know that they should inform the head teacher immediately about potential hazards or dangerous occurrences. All incidents or accidents requiring medical treatment are recorded in the incident book, held in the office. The head teacher is responsible for completing the entry in the incident book, copies of which are sent to the Area Education manager as required by regulations. Parents or emergency contacts are informed immediately. Minor accidents are recorded in the school accident book. Parents are notified by telephone if necessary, or notified by staff when Updated March 2018 NC and AH 8
they collect their child especially where bumps on the head are involved. Teachers, midday supervisors, teaching assistants and the head teacher investigate all accidents as soon as possible. Coordination of Risk Assessment Work Risk assessments may be required under many circumstances, but in general they will only need to be completed in schools when published guidance or recommended practice is not followed, is not completely relevant to the activity considered, or does not exist. An overview of the school premises and activities may assist with the general risk assessment and indicate the areas for more detailed risk assessment and control work. For some hazards, (including those which require major expenditure) longer term planning may be necessary for adequate risk control measures to be implemented. The following are examples of risk assessments that are likely to be required due to the need for specific precautions: First aid arrangements, (numbers of trained staff, level of training and equipment) Lone working situations, including custodian security checks and locking up Staff stress and well-being (through the well being programme) Educational visits and trips Tree maintenance (by County) Display screen equipment/workstations Manual handling New and expectant mothers Level of supervision in playgrounds and for play equipment Working at height (ladders) Hinge protectors for doors Pedestrian safety where vehicles may be moving Keeping animals in school (see separate policy) Supervision of swimming (off site) School fetes, drama productions etc. All risk assessments are recorded and filed in the health and safety file in the office. Fire Procedures Emergency exits are clearly marked and are kept clear at all times. All staff and children are aware of emergency procedures. Fire drills are held at least once per term, and notice may not always be given. A fire drill may occur at unusual times, such as assembly or dinnertime. All drills are logged in the Fire evacuation log book. A personal evacuation plan will be required for any person requiring assistance to evacuate the building. This will have training implications for any support staff or carers and arrangements will be put into place as and when required. Teachers lead their children out in an orderly fashion and the school assembles on the playground. Teachers count heads then check the register. Registers are taken out from the office. All staff are aware of their responsibilities. However, the paramount consideration is the safety of pupils and adults in the school. Fire extinguishers are checked visually once a week and annually by the contractor and are appropriate to the area which they serve. The only time staff may be expected to fight a fire is to affect an escape. Their first duty is to evacuate the children and themselves safely. Updated March 2018 NC and AH 9
Fire Risk Assessments have been undertaken by the Health and Safety Governor and a fire assessment file is available in the office. FRAs are ed annually or when any significant changes to the premises occurs. Staff have received training in the use of fire fighting equipment and other techniques to enable them to deal with a situation where a person s clothing is on fire and to enable them to escape in an emergency. Weekly alarm tests and emergency lighting checks will be completed by the head teacher. All checks are recorded and signed. Weekly checks are also undertaken on fire exits and door with visual checks done daily. However, if public events are being held (plays, parents evenings etc) fire exit route doors should be checked specifically for such events. Wheelie bins are kept approximately 7 metres from the school building and have locked lids. Fire safety arrangements are comprehensively checked with a competent adviser every 3 years. Locally Organised Premises Maintenance, Repair and Improvement Procedures are in place to ensure the Landlord Consent Form procedure is followed. The Admin Assistant is responsible for informing Property prior to any work commencing, and again on completion of the work. A copy of the asbestos survey report is available for all staff and contractors in the asbestos folder. All contractors are shown a copy of the report before work commence Any necessary alterations to the asbestos survey report are notified to the County Council by the Property Advisor after discussion and assistance from our county council s Property Advisor. Services that are procured through County (cleaning, catering and grounds maintenance) have service specifications that are adequate and contractors work to appropriate standards. Risk assessments and safe systems of work are comprehensive and subject to periodic specialist audit. First Aid Training and equipment There are currently 17 members of staff trained in first aid and 2 members of the EY team trained in Paediatric First Aid, trained by St John s Ambulance. Training is updated every 2 years or when a new member of staff joins. The central first aid kit is located by the main office and an additional kit is available at the lower end of the school in Caterpillar Class and in Cricket Class. A portable kit is also available for school trips. Stock levels are monitored by the Admin Assistant and restocked when necessary. Accident books are held in the office. Disposable plastic gloves are available in the office. For further details, see the First Aid policy. MDSAs take a portable first aid kit onto the playground with them to treat minor injuries. All children sustaining any injury are taken to a member of staff and the seriousness of the injury is assessed. Minor injuries are treated. In more serious cases parents will be contacted. All incidents or accidents requiring medical treatment are recorded in the incident book, held in the office. The head teacher is responsible for completing the entry in the incident book, copies of which are sent to the Area Education manager as required by regulations. Parents or emergency contacts are informed immediately. Minor accidents are recorded in the school accident book. Parents are notified by telephone if necessary, or notified by staff when they collect their child especially where bumps on the head are involved. Teachers, midday Updated March 2018 NC and AH 10
supervisors, teaching assistants and the head teacher investigate all accidents as soon as possible. The head teacher or the senior member of staff in her absence will decide whether to contact the General Practitioner / Health Centre / ambulance. An ambulance would be called if there were any doubt about the child s fitness to travel. A member of staff would accompany the child to the doctor or hospital and remain until the parents arrive. Contact details for the Health Centre are available near the phone. All information regarding pupils health, GP, allergies etc. are held in the pupils files so that appropriate action can be taken. Vehicle Control and Pedestrian Safety Parking at the school remains an issue. Parking on the school site is only permitted by people working in school and for authorised visitors. The staff car park is very small and staff also need to park on the road. This space is limited and the access must be kept clear at all times in order not to impede emergency vehicles. Parents are encouraged to walk to school with their children or to park at the village hall and walk in. Deliveries are planned if at all possible to occur outside of school hours. If it is necessary to accept a delivery during school hours, the delivery van will park on the school site and unload in the car park. Refuse collection takes place during the school day and wheelie bins are moved to the outside of the car park and brought back on to site when emptied. Parents and children are encouraged to use the ramped entrance and the steps to enter the school grounds at the start and end of the school day. Parents are asked not to use the car park entrance as staff are arriving and leaving at the start and end of the day. The ramped entrance is also the disabled access to the school. Education Visits Coordinator (EVC) Parents are asked to sign a form giving permission for any activity which involves leaving the school grounds. No child is taken out without written permission. For school visits entailing travel, the LA guidance for School Visits (Learning Outside the Classroom Guidance 2012) sets out guidelines to be followed. These procedures are strictly adhered to, the member of staff arranging the visit following the guidance and checked by the school s co-ordinator for organised visits. We often increase the prescribed ratio of adults to children, especially with younger children, or for activities where it is deemed appropriate. The visit co-ordinator will also ensure that a mobile first aid kit is taken and is available to treat any minor accidents. We use coaches with seat belts and ensure that there is only one child per seat. All staff are aware of, and follow, the school LOtC policy which adopts the model provided by the County Council. All visits are approved by the governing body before the visit takes place. Stress and Well Being All staff are aware of the LA work-life balance policy adopted by the school in the Autumn Term 2005. Any occurrences of stress will be addressed and the source of the stress eliminated as far as possible. Any incidents of stress will be recorded and monitored. As a school we are part of Updated March 2018 NC and AH 11
the Staff Absence and Sickness scheme which includes access to a 24/7 help line for staff well being and stress levels are monitored annually. Staff absences are monitored and support given when necessary. Governors conduct a well-being survey with staff annually and an action plan is drawn up by the governors and points followed up during the year. The Chair of Governors is responsible for conducting the survey, feeding back to staff and drawing up the action plan. School Minibus Although the school does not have a minibus, Miss Lee has been assessed through the County Council Scheme and is qualified to drive a minibus for school trips. This is ed every 4 years in line with County guidance. Child Protection Procedures The head teacher is the designated Child Protection Co-ordinator and Designated Safeguarding Lead and a policy is in place which adopts the current County Council guidance. See Policy for Safeguarding Children. All staff are aware of child protection procedures and are aware of the need for confidentiality. The Senior Teacher, Mrs Lynette Mecrow, and Mrs Alison Isaac are the second DSLs. Mr Winter is the governor responsible for Child Protection. Staff receive update training every 3 years, the DSLs every 2 years, and governors also attend training sessions or complete the on-line Safeguarding Training Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs Teachers and support staff are not obliged to administer any medication in school. Staff will only administer medication once a disclaimer has been signed and all administered medication is recorded. See Administration of Medicines Policy for further details. Premises Security and visitor safety There is a notice stating that all visitors should report to reception on the main entrance door. After stating their business to the Admin Assistant or another member of staff, all visitors are expected to sign the visitor s book. Staff will challenge unexpected and unidentified adults on site. Visitors will be presented with a visitor badge if they are not already wearing one. All visitors will be accompanied on the school site. Contractors on Site All Suffolk County Council contractors should report to the school office when coming on site and before leaving. Building works on site are governed by county council regulations. There is an on-site meeting between representatives of the contractors, the LA and the school, when safety issues are addressed. Any information relating to this contract is given to staff at briefings, children in assembly and reinforced by staff in the classrooms, and parents by newsletter if access is affected. Contractors are responsible for the erection of safety fences around the working area. They are given clear information about the movement times of children around the school. The school should be issued with a Health and Safety programme at the start of the contract and a Health and Safety manual on its completion. No hot work is undertaken in the school without a permit. Updated March 2018 NC and AH 12
Lettings The hall may be used for lettings in an evening and the Lettings Officer is responsible for security and general safety checks before and after the lettings. The office is open to allow access to a phone should an emergency occur. Curriculum health and safety Children are able to bring individual bottles of water so that water is available at all times. Children also have access to water fountains. Children are actively discouraged from bringing sweets to school, and packed lunches are monitored for over-reliance on sweet items. Fruit and vegetables are encouraged and the school is part of the Government s Free Fruit and Vegetable scheme for children. Swimming Years 3, 4 and 5 children attend a weekly deep-water swimming session at Stowmarket Pool during the Autumn Term. Class teachers work alongside a swimming instructor employed by the LA. There may be some parental involvement should there be a child with known physical or health risks. Miss Lee has a level 1 teacher s certificate in swimming. Miss Lee, Mrs Isaac and Mrs Thomas all have shallow water certificates. Playtime supervision There is a playground rota for whole school morning breaks. Morning breaks are supervised by 2 members of staff, in the playground or on the field. A selection of playground games equipment is available for the children to use. During wet playtimes, the children remain inside and the members of staff on duty will supervise. At midday break, we have 3 MDSAs supervising the children in the dinner hall and outside. During wet playtimes, the MDSAs supervise the children in their designated classrooms. End of the day Children are collected from the playground by their parents / child minders. If a child is not collected or the parent is late, they will wait in the library under the supervision of a teacher. Parents who are detained should inform the office who will arrange supervision of the children. Curriculum activities PE The need for safety is a primary consideration. Pupils know that they must not wear jewellery, that they must be dressed appropriately, to move around safely and the correct ways to move apparatus safely. Children are not made to perform beyond their physical capabilities and are shown examples of good safe practice. Art, science, design technology Children are taught the safe use of tools and given the skills necessary to implement their ideas safely. Children are encouraged to design and make items and modify where appropriate, for safe used or safety. Updated March 2018 NC and AH 13
The association of Science Education booklet about Safety in Science and Technology is available. It recognises that Primary Science and Technology are very much open-ended activities, often led by non-specialist teachers. It takes a very positive approach to investigate and experimental activities and provides many useful hints as well as warnings about possible hazards. A similar book is available for art activities. Good practice in safety issues should be demonstrated in all areas of the curriculum and pupils should be encouraged to be pro-active with regard to safety at all times. Original Policy Adopted by Whole Governing Body February 2006 Reviewed and amended February 2007 Reviewed and amended September 2009 Reviewed and amended June 2010 (taking into account new member of admin staff to replace Mrs Edison) Reviewed October 2011 Reviewed and amended October 2012 This version ed and amended April 2013 to take account of new guidance from County. Adopted by the governing body May 2013 Reviewed and amended December 2014 and February 2015 Reviewed and amended March 2016 Reviewed and amended March 2017. Updated August 2017 Reviewed and amended March 2018 amendments in red Updated March 2018 NC and AH 14
s Termly Report to Governors - Recommended minimum content TOPIC SUBJECT NUMBER ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 1. Incident reporting Number of incident report forms completed when a member of staff was the subject Number of incident report forms completed when student was the subject Details of any incidents that have resulted in need for significant follow up, such as incidents which resulted in major injury, Health and Safety Schools using the recommended local recording system for minor incidents relating to students Number of incidents recorded Executive or LA investigation, civil claim against school/la for negligence, revision or writing for the first time of a risk assessment. 2. Numbers of Inspections Carried out by/for management (the headteacher, and senior manager with delegated responsibility and/or governing body, health and safety committee, etc) Carried out by/for trade union health and safety representatives 3. Health and Safety Committee Report on proceedings with update on items/actions outstanding 4. Health and safety training Any induction and other health and safety related training undertaken by staff (including, SchoolSafe, first aid, manual handling, subject specific training which included a health and safety element) 5. Information received from LA Codes of practice, LA policy matters, recommended good practice and commendation of national body advice (such as British Standards, Health and Safety Executive guidance, etc), new preferred suppliers and recommendations about 6. Updates from external consultants and advisers health and safety management. Reports on h&s audits, inspections, fire risk assessments, etc - 15 - Bring urgent or serious items to attention of the governing body, particularly where significant financial implications exist or school policy needs to be amended or extended Append minutes of any meetings since headteacher s previous report to the governing body This report should include contributions from heads of department or subject coordinators when appropriate Outline the arrangements the school has made/is making to implement the advice, particularly where significant expenditure may result. Ensure that outcomes of discussions result in records being created containing detail of actions planned in response to the consultant s report(s).
What is a Incident? When Do I use the Incident Report Form? The county council's Incident Report Form (IRF) is intended for reporting any significant incident where a person could have or did sustain an injury. It is therefore for reporting near misses or hazards and fires, as well as those events which cause injuries. https://www.suffolklearning.co.uk/do_download.asp?did=17022 What does 'significant' mean in this context? Significant incidents are those that arise out of or in connection with work - supervision of children is the work activity when most incidents involving children in school occur. So incidents involving children, as well as staff, may be significant. The deciding factor on whether a IRF is required is whether a risk assessment needs to be amended or created for the first time to help ensure the incident does not occur again. If any reasonable person would conclude that the supervision of the child was: 1. adequate (compare with the advice from Government, local authority, afpe, CLEAPSS, etc) 2. the activity was organised in accordance with published advice and guidance and 3. there was no defect or aspect of the premises that caused the incident then the incident did not arise out of or in connection with work, and it is not necessary to record it on an IRF. A local record including a note of what first aid may have been administered should be made. People often refer to such incidents as pure accidents which means, in practice, nothing could have been done to prevent the incident. In Particular please note: An IRF is for informing the relevant manager(s) within the establishment itself. For more serious incidents there may also be a need to quickly refer an issue to a manager in the local authority for a more strategic consideration of the circumstances (including RIDDOR incidents, see below). In these cases, it is more appropriate to use the Incident Report Form for recording the details. For minor incidents that the local manager(s) only need to know about, a record, kept locally, is adequate. However, note that this record should be formal and auditable and retained for the same period of time that school records are normally - 16 -
kept for that category of person (pupils - until they are 24 -- staff - for 6 years) The statutory requirement to notify the Health and Safety Executive applies for certain specified major injuries and events that cause employee absence from work for more than 7 continuous days immediately after the incident. See http://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/what-must-i-report.htm for the list of injuries that may be RIDDOR incidents. HSE will be notified by the local authority, not the school. Where this is the case, it is required that an IRF will be the record. The school must make a phone call to the Area Support Officer and in most cases a fax of the IRF will also be required immediately. This will initiate the formal notification process. HSE notification must occur within 15 days of the incident (this results from HSE procedural changes introduced in April 2012). Incident Follow-up For all incidents - whether or not the IRF is the form used, it is important for a of the circumstances to take place - the incident investigation. Where, for example, a school's behaviour management plan may be modified by this analysis, the conclusions will generally be relevant locally. However, there may be circumstances where information should be shared with another person (for example, a parent, another school or a home-to-school driver or passenger assistant) and in these cases an IRF is the sensible way to record the incident and it can be used to share the information with relevant colleagues. However if, for example, the investigation concludes that training should to be modified to enable staff to deal with situations differently in the future or that council guidance may need to be modified, then the IRF may be helpfiul in drawing attention to the matter. In this case an IRF may be completed retrospectively, particularly if there is no other convenient means of alerting all the relevant managers in the authority. Repeated minor incidents that record that a child may routinely demonstrate challenging behaviour definitely do not need to be reported on an IRF. If the child's behaviour unexpectedly escalates to causing major injuries (see above) though, it may prompt consideration that the child is wrongly placed and that staff and other children s safety could be at unacceptable risk. This change would certainly warrant the use of the IRF so that the relevant county manager has the opportunity to spot a trend in one school, seen against the bigger picture of information from other similar schools. Trend analysis over longer periods of time can be a useful way by which the authority can assist schools to reduce risk, injury, staff absence and costs. - 17 -
There is also a question about the use of the IRF for recording circumstances when restraint has been necessary. The existing policy on restraint does suggest the IRF should be used. However, the use of restraint is fairly rare, and the Schoolsafe physical techniques are very specific. For the time being, it is only the use of the Schoolsafe physical intervention techniques that require the IRF to be used and there should be separate follow up on these restraint events in every case. - 18 -