Health and Safety

Policy and Intent

  1. The governors of The Minster Schools recognise and accept their corporate responsibility under the Health and Safety at work Act 1974, to provide a safe and healthy environment for the teaching and non teaching staff, the pupils and other people who may come into the premises. The Governors consider the achievement and maintenance of a high standard of health, safety and welfare throughout the school to be a primary objective.
  1. Governors will take practicable steps within their power to fulfil this responsibility.
  1. The Governors intend that, for health and safety purposes, the schools will operate within the structure and framework laid down by the London Borough of Croydon and, in particular, the Education Department Health and Safety Policy. They will also apply all health and safety instructions, codes of practice and other advice issued by the Education Department.
  1. The Head Teachers are required to draw up the necessary arrangements to secure compliance with all health and safety requirements; to ensure that such arrangements are recorded in writing and to further ensure that such information is circulated to all existing and future staff, and to the Governing Bodies, and subsequently to monitor the implementation of these arrangements.
  1. The Governing Bodies intends to consult with representatives of staff on health and safety matters and with individual members of staff before allocating to them particular health and safety functions.
  1. Where appropriate, the Governing Bodies will seek any necessary expert advice to determine the risks to health and safety within the school and the precautions required to deal with them.
  1. The Governing Bodies will provide staff with sufficient information necessary to carry out their duties in a safe and healthy manner and will provide such training for staff in respect of risks to health and safety as is necessary.
  1. The Governing Bodies calls the attention of all members of staff within the school to their duty under section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to co-operate with Management in health and safety matters by carrying out their duties in a safe and healthy manner, following safe working procedures, using adequate equipment kept in good order and reporting all hazards at the earliest opportunity.

To view our full Health and Safety policy, please click here.

Critical Incidents Plan

CRITICAL INCIDENTS DEFINED: occasions when our school may experience incidents of a significantly extreme nature and scale. They are ‘Unexpected occurrences, which may suddenly have a major impact on school’. 

Preventative and precautionary measures

  • all staff and pupils familiar with school routines for fire and evacuation of the building on hearing the fire alarm.
  • all staff familiar with the routines and procedures for dealing with emergencies in this document
  • all staff and pupils familiar with school security procedures, in particular that all visitors not wearing a visitor’s lanyard should be questioned and escorted to reception.
  • all staff organising school trips and visits follow the guidelines as in the Staff Handbook / School Visits Policy and write a risk assessment to be signed off by the Headteacher
  • all staff sign in and out of the premises
  • all staff aware of pupils with medical needs / health problems (pictures, names, condition on staffroom board)
  • all staff aware of procedures to deal with violence at work (two members of staff to be available )
  • all staff aware that associated risks to children are assessed before carrying out a curriculum or other activity
  • all staff aware of their responsibilities for assessing risks to themselves before undertaking an activity

A major incident is defined as:

  • An accident leading to a serious injury or fatality;
  • Severe injury or severe stress;
  • Circumstances in which a person or persons might be at serious risk of illness;
  • Circumstances in which any part, or whole of the school is unable to function as normal due to external influences Any situation in which the national press or media might be involved

To view the complete document, please click here. 

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