Risk Assessment In Reception Classes

[Guest]

Hello,

Not posted for a long time but have a query. I was on a course recently and a colleague had recently had Ofsted. She had been asked for her risk assessment. Apparently, Foundation Stage/reception classes in schools need a separate risk assessment.

 

So I was wondering if anyone has had a similiar request or has a risk assessment.

 

I have read a thread on this forum about risk assessments but I think they were to do with various different activities and not a 'general' one - bit confused - any advice/help??

 

Thanks

[Helen]

Have you come across our article here? It might be a start. It's also worth looking in the resource library under "staying safe".

[Guest]

Bungalow are you really sure that school EYFS classes need their won as we read it that it was OK with the schools own risk assessments as we are part of the main school. We do of course have risk assessments for those things in our outdoor area that the rest of the school don't have but otherwise our classroom Risk Assessments are the same as the other classes in our school.

 

Loved to know if anyone has the definative answer - perhaps Catma can help?

 

emilia

[Guest ChunkyMan]

Hi, we were Ofsteded in September and were told that we need a risk assessment for our outside area, why it's not covered by the school risk assessment I don't know as KS1 have outside equipment too and they don't have to do one?

[Guest LornaW]

ChunkyMan there should be a risk assessment for all such activities within a school. The one most people know is the PE apparatus but there should be one for each area in a school for the classrooms etc and it is not an excessive list that projhibits but it is to show that the school has thought of the consequences of the equipment and apparatus. All schools have a statutory duty to have a Risk Assessment Policy and in this policy your outdoor area should be comvered.

[catma]

I would say pretty much the same as Emilia/LornaW -

"Schools will not be required to have separate policies for the EYFS provided that the requirements are met through their policies which cover children of statutory school age." p20

 

"It is essential that children are provided with safe and secure environments in which to interact and explore rich and diverse learning and development opportunities. Providers need to ensure that, as well as conducting a formal risk assessment, they constantly reappraise both the environments and activities to which children are being exposed and make necessary adjustments to secure their safety at all times." p21 Are staff responsibilities to ensure they know the reporting processes etc clear and documented?

 

p33 Specific legal requirements

Risk assessment

The provider must conduct a risk assessment and review it regularly – at least once a year or more frequently where the need arises.

The risk assessment must identify aspects of the environment that need to be checked on a regular basis: providers must maintain a record of these particular aspects and when and by whom they have been checked. I would imagine however that this could also be part of the schools processes too e.g. if the premises manager has to check the grounds everyday then s/he could be the person who keeps the record for this

Providers must determine the regularity of these checks according to their assessment of the significance of individual risks.

The provider must take all reasonable steps to ensure that hazards to children – both indoors and outdoors – are kept to a minimum.

 

Statutory guidance to which providers should have regard

The risk assessment should cover anything with which a child may come into contact.

The premises and equipment should be clean, and providers should be aware of the requirements of health and safety legislation (including hygiene requirements). This should include informing and keeping staff up-to-date.

A health and safety policy should be in place which includes procedures for identifying, reporting and dealing with accidents, hazards and faulty equipment.

 

So going from that I would consider a school policy would need to cover those things that are also part and parcel of EYFS provision etc. E.g. We get a lot of urban foxes who just love sand pits outside so a setting might need to demonstrate how they check for this daily. One of our settings was advised by Ofsted to have a signing sheet on a daily basis where the person who is outside or puts out the stuff just initials to say it's been checked. In a previous setting I worked in we had to check the bottom of the garden area on a daily basis because drugs debris could often be thrown over the wall as it backed onto a main road so we had that as part of our procedures.

 

Cx

Edited February 7, 2010 by catma