Our thanks to our associate governance experts Pete Crockett and Julia Skinner for their help with this article.
Key things to know about your school's emergency plan
All schools should have an emergency plan (also called a critical incident plan), which focuses on:
- Minimising disruption to pupils' education
- Maximising the number of pupils receiving face-to-face provision
- Helping staff respond effectively to an emergency on site or during an educational visit
This is explained in the first section of the Department for Education (DfE)’s non-statutory emergency planning and response guidance.
Your school must also comply with legal requirements, including health and safety law, and statutory requirements.
What a good plan should cover
Roles and responsibilities When your school should get advice, and who to ask Details of the steps your school might take in an emergency and how it would enact them