Covid-19 Risk Assessment Summary Statement
In light of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Department for Education published
guidance on the 2nd July 2020 to assist schools in their planning to safely re-open to
all year groups from September 2020.
This guidance instructs schools to conduct a Covid-19 risk assessment which has resulted in the implementation of control measures that will ensure we provide an environment that is as safe as is reasonably practicable and in line with current government guidance.
New York Primary School are committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our
pupils, colleagues, visitors and contractors. Throughout the pandemic we have
worked closely with our Local Authority partners to risk assess our premises and
activities in order to develop and embed control measures and systems of work that
minimise the risk of transmission of coronavirus (Covid-19).
Our risk assessment was originally developed in May 2020 to enable the progressive
re-opening of school to all year groups and key-worker pupils from the 1 st June 2020.
Since that time our risk assessment has been subject to continual review and
updates as further government guidance became available.
This document sets out a summary of the results of our COVID-19 risk assessment
and demonstrates our commitment to provide a safe environment for the education
of our pupils and a workplace for our colleagues who are working in, and will be
returning to, their normal work setting. It highlights examples of the measures we
have adopted to ensure pupils, staff, visitors and contractors attending New York
Primary School can do so safely.
Our risk assessment follows the Health and Safety Executive’s Five Steps to Risk
Assessment which includes:
- Identifying the hazards
- Deciding who can be harmed and how
- Evaluating the risks and deciding on precautions
- Recording the findings and implementing them
- Reviewing the risk assessment and updating it where required (i.e. where guidance has changed)
We have developed our risk assessment in consultation with key stakeholders within
the school, including our Governing Body, our staff, parents and pupils and our
trade union representatives. The risk assessment is a ‘live’ document which
continues to be reviewed on a regular basis following changes in guidance and
taking on board feedback from staff, pupils, parents and visitors.
We appreciate that some of our parents and carers may have concerns about their
children returning to school, but we would like to reassure you that we have acted
on professional advice; we have consulted with relevant bodies; and we have taken
all reasonable steps to ensure the environment is as safe as possible.