RISK ASSESSMENT POLICY

Policy Owner | Directors / Executive Headteacher / Health & Safety Officer
Approved by | Directors of SV Academy
Date Approved | September 2026
Last Reviewed | September 2026
Next Review | September 2027, or earlier if legislation, guidance or operational circumstances change

Core principle: SV Academy manages real and significant risks sensibly and proportionately. Risk assessment supports safe education and activities; it is not intended to eliminate all risk or create unnecessary paperwork.

1. Statement of Intent

SV Academy is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for students, staff, visitors, volunteers, contractors and anyone else who may be affected by its activities. Risk assessment is a key part of the Academy's arrangements for managing health and safety.

The Academy will identify hazards, assess the likelihood and potential severity of harm, put proportionate control measures in place, record significant findings and review controls to make sure they remain effective.

SV Academy recognises that effective risk management is about enabling education, development and participation safely. It is not about removing every possible risk. Decisions will focus on risks that could cause real harm and on measures that are reasonably practicable.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all SV Academy activities, premises and persons affected by the Academy's work, including:

students and learners, including those with additional needs or individual vulnerabilities;
employees, agency staff, volunteers, trainees and visitors;
contractors and self-employed persons working on behalf of the Academy;
curriculum and enrichment activities, practical lessons, events and clubs;
educational visits, off-site activities, work experience and placements;
premises, equipment, substances, maintenance and facilities activities; and
foreseeable emergency, security and public-health risks where relevant.

3. Legal and Guidance Framework

This policy has been prepared with regard to relevant health and safety legislation and guidance, including:

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974;
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999;
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005;
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH);
Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992;
Work at Height Regulations 2005;
Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992;
Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR);
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, where applicable;
Equality Act 2010; and
current Department for Education and Health and Safety Executive guidance for schools and workplaces.

4. Definitions

TermMeaning
Hazard | Anything with the potential to cause injury, ill health, damage or other harm.
Risk | The combination of how likely it is that harm will occur and how serious the consequences could be.
Control measure | An action, safeguard or system used to eliminate a hazard or reduce the likelihood or severity of harm.
Significant finding | A material hazard, who may be harmed and the key measures in place or required to control the risk.
Dynamic risk assessment | A continuing assessment made during an activity when circumstances change unexpectedly. It complements, rather than replaces, planned risk assessment where one is required.

5. Roles and Responsibilities

5.1 Directors / Employer

The Directors retain overall accountability for ensuring that suitable arrangements exist to manage health and safety risks. They will ensure that appropriate resources, competent advice and oversight are available and that significant risks are addressed.

5.2 Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team

The Executive Headteacher and senior leaders are responsible for implementing this policy in day-to-day Academy operations. They will ensure that risk assessments are completed where needed, actions are followed up, staff understand the controls relevant to their work and concerns are escalated appropriately.

5.3 Health & Safety Officer

The Health & Safety Officer coordinates the Academy's risk-assessment arrangements, provides or obtains competent advice, maintains oversight of key assessments, monitors outstanding actions and supports periodic review. The current Health & Safety Officer is Orlando Clement.

5.4 Managers, Curriculum Leads and Activity Leaders

Those who plan or manage activities are responsible for identifying significant hazards within their area, completing or contributing to suitable risk assessments, implementing agreed controls and reviewing them when circumstances change.

5.5 All Staff and Volunteers

All staff and volunteers must take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others, follow agreed control measures, use equipment safely, report hazards or defects promptly and inform a manager if they believe an assessment is no longer suitable.

5.6 Students and Learners

Students are expected, according to their age, understanding and needs, to follow safety instructions, use equipment responsibly and report hazards, accidents or concerns. Risk awareness will be promoted through teaching, induction and activity-specific briefings where appropriate.

6. When a Risk Assessment Is Required

A written risk assessment will be completed where there is a significant or specific risk that needs to be managed or where legislation or guidance requires one. Routine low-risk activities do not require excessive paperwork where effective controls are already understood and in place.

Risk assessments may include, where relevant:

general premises and workplace risks;
practical curriculum activities and specialist equipment;
educational visits, off-site activities, transport, work experience and placements;
fire safety and emergency arrangements;
hazardous substances and cleaning chemicals (COSHH);
manual handling, working at height and use of equipment;
display screen equipment and workstation risks;
asbestos, legionella and building or maintenance risks;
contractors and construction or maintenance work;
lone working and personal safety;
work-related stress and violence/aggression risks where relevant;
security-related risks and significant events;
individual needs, including health, disability, mobility, pregnancy or other circumstances where an individual assessment is appropriate; and
public-health incidents or other emerging risks.

7. The SV Academy Risk Assessment Process

SV Academy follows the HSE five-step approach to risk management:

Identify the hazards: Consider what could cause harm. Use observations, staff knowledge, manufacturer information, accident and near-miss records, maintenance information and specialist guidance as appropriate.
Decide who might be harmed and how: Consider staff, students, visitors, contractors and members of the public. Give particular attention to people who may be more vulnerable or affected differently.
Assess and control the risks: Consider existing controls, the likelihood and severity of harm, and what further measures are reasonably practicable. Prioritise elimination or reduction of the hazard before relying on personal protective equipment.
Record significant findings and communicate them: Record the significant hazards, who may be harmed, controls already in place, additional actions, responsible person and target date. Make sure those affected understand the controls.
Review the controls: Check that controls are working in practice and update the assessment when it may no longer be valid or when circumstances change.

8. Hierarchy of Controls

When deciding how to control risk, the Academy will consider controls in the following order, so far as reasonably practicable:

eliminate the hazard where possible;
substitute it with a safer activity, material or process;
use engineering or physical controls to isolate people from the hazard;
use administrative controls, procedures, supervision, information and training; and
use suitable personal protective equipment where residual risk remains.

More than one control measure may be required. Personal protective equipment should not normally be the first or only control where a more effective measure is reasonably practicable.

9. Risk Rating Method

SV Academy may use a simple 5 Ã— 5 scoring method to help prioritise action. This is an internal management tool and does not replace professional judgement or the requirement to put reasonably practicable controls in place.

High and very high risks require prompt management attention. An activity should not proceed where the residual risk remains unacceptable after reasonably practicable controls have been considered.

10. People Requiring Particular Consideration

Assessments must consider whether some individuals may be affected differently or require additional controls. This may include:

children and young people because of age, maturity or inexperience;
students with SEND, disabilities, medical conditions, sensory needs or mobility needs;
new or expectant mothers;
young workers, trainees, new employees and inexperienced workers;
lone workers;
people with temporary injuries or health conditions;
agency, temporary or visiting staff who may be unfamiliar with the site; and
contractors, visitors and members of the public.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered where required. Individual risk assessments should support inclusion and participation and should not be used unnecessarily to exclude a student or member of staff from an activity.

11. Educational Visits, Off-Site Activities and Work Experience

Activities away from the Academy will be planned using proportionate risk management. Existing or generic assessments may be used where they remain relevant, but leaders must consider the specific group, location, travel arrangements, staffing, medical needs and foreseeable hazards for the particular activity.

Higher-risk or unusual activities may require specialist advice, provider checks, specific written assessments and additional approval. Dynamic assessment by staff during the activity may be necessary where conditions change.

12. Dynamic Risk Assessment

Staff are expected to remain alert to changing circumstances. Where an unexpected hazard arises, the person responsible should pause or modify the activity if necessary, take proportionate immediate action and seek assistance where required. Significant changes or lessons learned should be recorded afterwards and incorporated into the formal assessment where appropriate.

13. Recording and Approval

Risk assessments should be clear, practical and proportionate. As appropriate, they should record:

the activity, area or person being assessed;
the assessor and date of assessment;
the hazards identified;
who may be harmed and how;
existing control measures;
the initial and/or residual risk level where a scoring system is used;
additional actions required, responsible person and completion date;
the review date and any approval required; and
evidence that significant controls have been communicated to relevant people.

Where five or more people are employed, the significant findings of workplace risk assessments must be recorded. In practice, SV Academy will maintain written records of significant assessments as part of its health and safety management system.

14. Communication, Consultation and Training

People affected by a risk assessment must be given relevant information about significant hazards and the precautions they need to take. Managers will consult staff and, where appropriate, students or representatives when this will improve the quality of the assessment or the controls.

Staff will receive health and safety information and training appropriate to their responsibilities. Staff who undertake specialist or higher-risk assessments will receive appropriate instruction, training or competent advice.

15. Review of Risk Assessments

Risk assessments are living documents. SV Academy will review formal assessments at suitable intervals and, as an internal standard, normally at least annually where the assessment remains relevant. An earlier review must take place where:

there is reason to believe the assessment is no longer valid;
there has been a significant change to staff, students, equipment, substances, premises or working methods;
an accident, incident, near miss or safeguarding/security event indicates that controls may be inadequate;
staff or students identify a material concern;
new legislation, guidance or manufacturer information affects the activity; or
monitoring shows that controls are not being followed or are not effective.

A review does not necessarily require a completely new document. Where the assessment remains suitable, the review and any changes may simply be recorded.

16. Monitoring and Audit

The Health & Safety Officer and senior leaders will monitor whether risk assessments are completed where required and whether agreed controls are implemented. Significant or overdue actions will be escalated to the appropriate manager or Director.

Risk-assessment arrangements will be considered as part of health and safety inspections, incident investigations and periodic management review. Findings will be used to improve procedures, training and control measures.

17. Records and Data Protection

Risk-assessment records will be stored securely and retained in accordance with the Academy's records-management arrangements and applicable legal requirements. Assessments containing personal or medical information will be shared only with those who need the information to manage the risk safely and lawfully.

18. Related SV Academy Policies and Procedures

Health and Safety Policy;
Safeguarding / Child Protection Policy;
Fire Safety and Emergency Procedures;
Educational Visits procedures;
First Aid arrangements;
COSHH and hazardous substances arrangements;
Lone Working arrangements;
Security / Lockdown arrangements;
Contractor management procedures; and
individual medical or support plans where applicable.

19. Key External Guidance

20. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually and earlier where legislation, statutory guidance, the Academy's activities or lessons from incidents indicate that changes are required.

Approved by | Directors of SV Academy
Policy date | September 2026
Next review | September 2027

Risk Assessment Policy