A school risk assessment is the written thinking behind one activity or one part of the school: the chemistry practical, the lunchtime yard, the museum trip, the side gate that contractors use. It names what could go wrong, who would be hurt, what is already done about it, and what more is needed before the activity runs. This template starts with what you are assessing and the adults supervising it, opens the sections that fit — a practical, break time, a trip, the premises, visitors — and then builds a hazard register with ratings, owners and dates. It records students' medical and individual needs as arrangements, never as names. Fill it in here and download a finished PDF without creating an account.
One activity or area at a time
A single risk assessment for "the school" ends up too vague to help anyone on a Tuesday afternoon. This form is built to cover one thing: a lesson type, a supervision period, a visit, an area of the site, or the way people get in and out. Pick the kind of assessment at the top and the form shows the questions that matter for it, so a trip gets transport, consent and headcounts, and break time gets zones, blind spots and wet-weather plans.
Routine lessons that follow a well-tried scheme of work do not usually need their own assessment. Write one when the activity is new, carries more risk than usual, involves a group with particular needs, or something has changed since last time.
Supervision comes first
Many school accidents happen when there are too few adults, the wrong adults, or adults in the wrong places. So before the hazard list, the form asks for the ratio, who is leading, whether they are trained for this activity, whether a first aider is on hand and what happens if one adult has to leave with a student. A gap there is flagged straight away.
Individual needs without personal data
A risk assessment is often shared widely — with supply staff, volunteers, a trip venue. That is why this form never asks for a student's name, initials or diagnosis. It asks whether students with health care plans or support plans have been identified, whether their plans have been checked against this activity, whether their medicines will be on hand and whether the staff with them know what to do. The detail stays in each student's own plan, where access is controlled.
From hazards to a decision and a review date
Each hazard is rated with the controls already in place and again once any extra steps are done; anything still High is pulled to the top of the report. The final section asks for a decision, records who has read the assessment, and sets a review date, with prompts to review sooner after an accident, a near miss or a change in the group or the space.
On the phone, speak while you walk, and the document writes itself: walk the lab, the yard or the route with a colleague, talk through what you see and take photos, and the sections fill in.
Common questions
How is this different from a school facility inspection?
A facility inspection is a regular walk of the building, room by room, checking condition and safety equipment. A risk assessment looks at one activity or area, asks what could hurt someone and decides what controls are needed. Most schools need both.
Who should complete a school risk assessment?
The member of staff leading the activity or responsible for the area, ideally with a colleague who knows it well. The principal or head teacher, or the person they delegate to, signs it off. For trips and higher-risk activities, the school's visits coordinator or safety lead usually reviews it too.
Can I name students with medical needs or disabilities in it?
Avoid it. Risk assessments get shared with people who do not need personal details. Record that the relevant students have been identified and their plans checked, and keep names and conditions in their individual health care or support plans.
How often should it be reviewed?
Set a review date when you write it — once a year is common for routine activities — and review sooner after any accident or near miss, when the group, staff, equipment or space changes, or when guidance changes.
Is this an official form?
No. It records a risk assessment in a complete, readable shape. Your district, trust, local authority or insurer may set its own format or extra steps; use this as the working document and follow their requirements.