Coping with a School Emergency: Practical Resources for Schools

< Insert school name here >Emergency Plan

GENERAL AWARENESS TRAINING< Insert date here >1Introduction

This training aims to provide staff with an overview of the school emergency plan. It is suitable for all members of staff and governors. Extended services might also benefit from attending.

This training is designed to last approximately one hour. Instead of a stand-alone session, this presentation could also incorporate grab bag demonstration and / or site tour training.

Ideally, staff should have copies of the emergency plan available to them. All copies of the plan, including any spare versions printed for training purposes, should be controlled.

AimTo provide staff with an overview of the school emergency plan2Introduce yourself and thank everyone for attending.

Outline the objectives of the training. This may include:Considering the risks which could affect the schoolProvide an overview of the school emergency planEnsure that staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities in an emergency.

State that it is important staff know how the school will respond to an incident and to ensure staff are familiar (and confident) with their roles in the emergency plan.

Explain that this training is interactive and ask staff to raise any questions they might have during the session.

If any documentation (e.g. copies of the emergency plan) will be used to support this training, consider distributing these now.Risk assessment exerciseDiscuss what emergencies you think could affect < insert name of school here >Put these risks into priority order, taking into account the likelihood of the risk, and the impact it would have3Optional slide.

You may wish to involve staff in a short exercise to consider the emergencies which could affect your school:Split into small groups and ask attendees to identify risks to the school.Ask each group to consider the likelihood of each risk and the impact it would have.Ask for feedback from each group.

Alternatively you may wish to show footage of headteachers discussing a variety of real incidents they have experienced. This footage is available from:www.schoolemergencies.info

RisksFireFloodingLoss of utility supplyBuilding collapseSuspicious packageTransport accidentPublic health incident4Outline that there are many types of incidents that could happen at school, or on an educational visit.

State that it is important to have an emergency plan which can help staff respond to a wide variety of emergencies.

Explain that some incidents are much more likely to occur than others.

State that an emergency plan can help to prevent, or lessen, the effect of these emergencies.Benefits of preparing for emergenciesIdentify possible emergencies and put measures in place to prevent themAssist in responding to an emergencyMaintain the provision of education during an incidentAssist in recovering from an emergency

5Explain that preparing for emergencies can:Save lives.Identify potential emergencies before they occur (thus providing an opportunity to put measures in place to prevent, or lessen, the risk).Assist in responding to an emergency.Help to keep the school runningAssist in recovering from an emergency.Contents of the emergency planContact detailsRoles and responsibilities of staffInformation on the school siteCommunication arrangementsProcedures for evacuation, shelter and lockdown6Outline what is included within the plan (ask staff to have a brief look through it if copies are available).

Strongly encourage staff to read the emergency plan after the training (if they havent already done so).

Distribution and securityWhere are copies of the plan held?Who has copies of the plan?Security considerations7Outline who has been given copies of the plan (e.g. staff, governors, extended services).

Explain how the plan has been distributed (e.g. hard copy, electronic copy) and if a public version is available.

State that the plan contains sensitive information (e.g. contact details) so it must be kept secure:All versions of the plan (including hard copies and electronic versions) should be controlled.Hard copies of the plan should be locked away when unattended and electronic versions should be password protected.State if log books have also been distributed alongside the plan.

Roles and responsibilities SEMT

School Emergency Management Team (SEMT) roles include:Co-ordinationBusiness continuityCommunicationsLog-keepingMedia managementResourcesWelfare

8Explain that it will often be impossible for one person (usually the headteacher) to carry out all the actions necessary on behalf of the school.

State that a School Emergency Management Team (SEMT) should be assembled. This team should be involved in managing the schools response to an incident.

Provide an overview of each role. It may be useful to provide each attendee with copies of the roles and responsibilities section of the emergency plan. Explain that these actions are generic and not all of them would need to be carried out during one incident.

Outline who has been identified for each role (and their deputies, if applicable).

Roles and responsibilities other staffEnsure the safety of pupils wherever possibleRespond calmlyProvide reassuranceFirst aid

Maintain the normal school routineAssist other members of staff

9Staff that do not have a specific role in the SEMT are still vital in responding to an incident. They will be required to maintain the school routine wherever possible and provide reassurance to pupils and parents / carers.

Governors also have an important role to play during an incident:Assist in the recovery from an emergency.Linking with the community.

Educational visits< Insert emergency procedures for educational visit here >10Optional slide.

You may wish to include some information about the arrangements your school has in place for educational visits.Extended services< Insert emergency procedures for extended services here >11Optional slide.

You may wish to include some information about the emergency arrangements in place for extended services.Evacuation procedures< Insert information on evacuation procedures here >12Optional slide.

You may wish to include information about evacuation procedures here.Shelter procedures< Insert information on shelter procedures here >13Optional slide.

You may wish to include information about shelter procedures here.Lockdown procedures< Insert information on lockdown procedures here >14Optional slide.

You may wish to include information about lockdown procedures here.CommunicationsMethods of communicating with:PupilsParents / carersGovernorsExtended services

15Explain that effective communications, both internal and external, are vital for the efficient management of an incident.

Outline how the school will communicate with:Pupils.Parents / carers.Governors.Extended services.Log-keepingIn an emergency, events can occur very rapidly and it is vital to keep an accurate record of eventsAll staff involved in the response should maintain an incident logAny emergency affecting a school may afterwards become the subject of a detailed inquiry. Records should be retained after the incident for future reference.16All employees involved in the response to an emergency should maintain an incident log. Within this log, staff should record actions taken, decisions made, significant conversations and any other important information pertinent to the incident. Records of expenditure should also be kept.

Inform staff that they should have a log book readily available (preferably kept alongside their copy of the emergency plan).ReviewingFrequency of reviewResponsibility for reviewDestroying old copies of the plan17Highlight the importance of reviewing and why it is necessary (e.g. contact details need updating on a regular basis).

Outline how frequently the plan will be reviewed.

Outline who is responsible for reviewing the plan (if staff have any suggestions for improving the plan they should contact this person).

Explain that once a new version of the plan has been issued, all old versions must be destroyed. Staff should not retain any old copies of the plan.

State that the person responsible for reviewing the plan will ensure a copy is archived for audit purposes.

QuestionsIf you have any questions about the plan, or suggestions for improving it, please contact:

< Insert name and contact details here >18Ask trainees to raise any queries they may have.

Inform trainees of who to contact if they have any further queries.

If any other training events / exercises are scheduled, provide details of these.

If you have printed additional copies of the school emergency plan, remember to collect these from staff and store / destroy them as appropriate.

Thank everyone for attending.