Safety plays an important role in schools’, ensuring pupil safety has been part of the ethical framework for decades. Schools also have a responsibility for safety and it is an integral part of the Ofsted framework.
Like other public services, schools are adapting to a period of considerable change as well as continuing to meet existing challenges. There are new structures and accountabilities, additional parental, public and political overview, alongside worries about excessive risk aversion.
There is a new understanding of the benefits of risk-taking as part of young people's development. Safety education and integrating 'risk' within the curriculum is key to this. Meanwhile, schools have a primary duty to safeguard the staff and young people in their care while at the same time creating the 'risk aware, but not risk adverse' citizens of tomorrow.
Health and Safety Policy Statement
The Willows Primary School and its Governing Body recognise and accept its responsibilities to provide a safe and healthy environment for all its staff, pupils, parents, contractors and members of the public.
The Willows Primary School and its Governing Body will comply with its duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act and all associated regulations.
We will have a responsible approach to health and safety, striving to provide a safe environment where staff and pupils enjoy working and learning and we all have the opportunity to develop and play a part in the continued improvement of our school and the community.
We will ensure that our decisions reflect our intention that good health and safety management is integrated into everything we do by having a pupil centered approach that puts our pupils at the heart of everything we do.
We recognise that our staff and pupils are our greatest asset and we are confident that together through involvement, support, communication, co-operation and the continual development of a positive safety culture within our school that we can achieve excellence and be proud of our achievements.
We believe that real progress can only be achieved by having a continual commitment to improving health and safety standards in the day-to-day running of the school for the benefit of our staff, pupils, parents, contractors and members of the public.
We encourage you to safeguard your own and others health and safety by evaluating the risks that you encounter and adopt sensible precautions to minimise risks to both yourself and others.
We all have a responsibility for Health and Safety.
As Head Teacher and Chair of the Governing Body we are committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of staff, pupils and stakeholders. We understand the legal, financial and moral obligations but the greatest of these is our moral obligation, as we truly believe that we should all be able to work, live and learn in an environment that is safe but allows for sensible and controlled risks and activities to further develop learning.
Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, the employer in a school must take reasonable steps to ensure that staff and pupils are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. This applies to activities on or off school premises. Regulations made under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 set out in more detail what actions are required to take, for example the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
Aiming for high standards of health and safety is the right thing to do and is not just about legal compliance. Achieving and proving excellence in the way health and safety risks are managed have massive benefits not least in preventing accidents and injuries.
Health & Safety Policy