School health & safety audit checklist: what should schools review?

A whole-school health and safety audit is a structured examination of how safety is actually managed — not simply whether paperwork exists. This article sets out the principal areas an effective audit may consider, so leaders know what to expect and can judge whether a proposed scope is sensible for their school. It is an explanation of what a good audit looks at, not a professional audit checklist, and it does not reproduce the SchoolSafe Systems audit methodology.

Scope should be proportionate

No two schools carry the same risk profile. The employer must make suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks arising from its undertaking^[2], and audit scope should follow the same logic: proportionate to the premises, the activities taking place, the age groups involved and the school's own risk profile. A single-site infant school and a large multi-site secondary with workshops, science laboratories and a minibus fleet warrant different depth in different places. Sampling — rather than examining every record — is normal and appropriate in a time-bounded audit.

The Department for Education sets out the health and safety responsibilities that apply to schools and who holds them^[3], and the Health and Safety Executive publishes sensible, proportionate guidance aimed specifically at the education sector^[4]. Both are reasonable benchmarks for an audit to work against.

Health & safety management and governance

The foundation of the audit. Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 the employer holds the primary duty^[1], so an audit usually begins by establishing who the employer is and how the duty is discharged in practice.

• The health and safety policy: current, approved, and reflecting how the school actually operates.
• Named roles and responsibilities, from the board to the site team.
• Competent health and safety advice and how it is accessed.
• Governor or trustee oversight — what is reported, how often, and what happens to issues raised.
• Incident reporting, investigation and statutory reporting arrangements.
• Staff consultation arrangements.

Certain injuries, occupational diseases and dangerous occurrences must be reported to the enforcing authority^[17], so an audit will normally test whether the school recognises what is reportable. Further reading: who is responsible for health and safety in schools and health and safety committees.

Risk assessment

An audit looks at whether risk assessments are genuinely used rather than filed: whether they cover the significant risks, are specific to the setting, identify realistic control measures, and are communicated to the people who need them. It will typically sample general premises assessments, curriculum and activity assessments, and individual assessments such as new and expectant mothers or pupils with specific needs. See school risk assessment support.

First aid, medical needs and allergy/anaphylaxis

Employers must provide adequate and appropriate first-aid equipment, facilities and personnel^[7], and the DfE expects schools to have arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions^[8]. An audit may consider first-aid needs assessment, trained personnel and coverage across the school day and off site, accessibility of equipment, individual healthcare plans, medication storage and administration, and arrangements for anaphylaxis — including adrenaline auto-injectors, staff awareness and the interface with catering.

Fire safety and emergency arrangements

The responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and put general fire precautions in place^[6]. An audit typically examines the fire risk assessment and whether its action plan has actually been progressed, alarm and emergency lighting testing records, fire doors and escape routes, evacuation procedures including personal emergency evacuation arrangements, and drill records. Frequency of drills is not fixed by a single national rule: what matters is that drills happen often enough to show the arrangements work, and that the school can explain its reasoning. Further reading: fire safety in schools and how often a fire risk assessment should be reviewed.

Educational visits

Approval arrangements, the role of the educational visits coordinator, planning and risk assessment proportionate to the activity, provider assurance for adventurous activities, staffing ratios, and emergency arrangements while off site. DfE guidance on health and safety on educational visits^[9] is the usual benchmark. See educational visits risk assessments.

Contractor management

How contractors are selected, inducted, supervised and signed off; risk assessments and method statements; permits for higher-risk work; safeguarding and site-access controls; and, where construction work is involved, the duties that fall on the school as client^[10]. See contractor management in schools.

Security, site access and accessibility

Perimeter and entrance control, visitor management, lone working, and how safeguarding expectations^[18] interact with day-to-day site arrangements. Accessibility is a separate but connected question: schools have duties towards disabled pupils, staff and visitors under the Equality Act 2010^[13], including reasonable adjustments and evacuation arrangements that work for everyone on site.

Premises, maintenance and statutory compliance

The largest single area in most audits. Typical lines of enquiry include asbestos management where applicable^[11], water safety and legionella control^[12], electrical and gas safety, lifting and pressure equipment, working at height, PPE and hazardous substances, plus the planned maintenance regime behind all of it. The DfE's good estate management guidance^[5] and the school premises requirements^[14] provide useful reference points. See the statutory compliance checklist for schools.

Curriculum and higher-risk areas

Where applicable to the school, an audit may sample the practical areas where risk concentrates:

• Science — chemical storage, ventilation, model risk assessments and practical supervision.
• Design technology and workshops — machine guarding, local exhaust ventilation, training and authorisation.
• Art — kilns, solvents, dust and ventilation.
• Drama and performing arts — rigging, staging, lighting, temporary electrical installations and crowd management at events.
• PE and sports facilities — equipment inspection, gymnastics apparatus, pool arrangements where present, and supervision.
• Grounds and outdoor play — play equipment inspection, surfacing, traffic separation and grounds maintenance.

EYFS and nursery provision

Where a school has early years provision, the statutory framework sets specific safeguarding and welfare requirements^[15] — including supervision, premises and equipment suitability, paediatric first aid and nappy-changing or intimate-care arrangements. See EYFS health and safety requirements.

Catering and food allergen management

Whether catering is in-house or contracted, an audit may consider food safety management arrangements, kitchen equipment and maintenance, allergen information and controls^[16], and how allergy information flows between catering, pastoral staff and first aiders.

Transport and minibus arrangements

Where a school operates vehicles: driver checks and licensing, vehicle maintenance and inspection records, passenger arrangements, journey planning and breakdown procedures, and the interaction with educational visits planning.

How findings should be presented

A useful audit does not stop at observations. Findings should be prioritised, written in plain English, and turned into an action plan with owners and realistic timescales, plus a summary governors and trustees can actually use. Where SchoolSafe Systems recommends something beyond the legal minimum — for example a particular reporting rhythm to governors — that is our practical recommendation rather than a statutory requirement, and it should be described as such in the report.