Education

Obviously, schools are a place of learning for children and a place of work for teachers and other staff.

Every day, parents drop their children off, secure in the knowledge that they will learn and grow but also under the assumption that they will be safe and well whilst they are there.  This, however, is not an assumption that should be taken.

Assuming that somebody else has got it covered and expecting a school to have adequate procedures in place won’t swing it if an entirely preventable accident or an emergency situation occurs.

Every experienced head teacher knows that accidents do happen on school premises from time-to time, and the fact that they happen rarely is usually testament to the work that has gone in the background to ensure that risks are minimised and procedures are clear, but as parents who entrust the safety of your child to others daily, how confident are you that adequate procedures exist at your school?

So how much do you know about the health and safety procedures at your child’s school and how much does your child know?  

Using the school rules as an example, many of which are written with safety in mind, parents should go through them with their children and ask what each one means and why they are there. 

It can greatly improve a child’s well-being but it will also give parents an idea of how much importance is placed on safety by your school.  Take running in the corridors. Children are naturally impulsive and won’t think about the consequences of it until it is too late and they are on the floor with cartoon birds flying around their heads.

Explaining that rules are there for a reason gives them purpose which can, of course, then minimise the chance of your child having an accident at all. How often do any of us really look at things like fire evacuation plans or where fire extinguishers are situated?

It wasn’t until an actual fire broke out at one of my schools that I began to take it more seriously.  By law, evacuation plans need to be visible for both children and adults, but, if you visited your school, would you know what to do in this instance, more importantly, would your children? 

Because the likelihood of a fire occurring is rare, this important area can sometimes be taken for granted by schools, but, as I know from first-hand experience, if children and staff are well prepared, if a fire does break out, evacuation runs smoothly and everyone is accounted for quickly.

Discussing this with your children can once again minimise risks. You shouldn’t be afraid of asking your schools about their evacuation plans or health and safety procedures and a good school will happily discuss them with you. 

Never assume that the school takes health and safety as seriously as you.  Find out and educate your children so that they understand how they are being kept safe in school and what to do should an emergency arise. It could be the best piece of advice you give them.