EDCI 8344 Managing your facilities

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• NAME OF CLASS
• NAME OF TEACHER
• YOUR NAME
• DATE
• MODULE1

[NAMEOFCLASS_TEACHERSNAME_YOURNAME_MODULENUMBER.doc ]

like this

Save the Student Book on your computer and complete the assignments on the document and then email it to your teacher.

STUDENTBOOKS

RESOURCES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

REFERENCE LINKS

Module 1: The importance of facilities management

MODULE1A Intended learning outcomes for Module 1
MODULE1B What does managing your facilities mean?
MODULE1C Activity 1: Reflections on the facilities in your school
MODULE1D Responsibilities of facilities managers
MODULE1E Activity 2: Who’s responsible for your school’s facilities?
MODULE1F The potential for role confusion
MODULE1G Activity 3: Definitions
MODULE1H Overview
MODULE1I Overview (continued)
MODULE1J Task 1: School improvement plan (SIP) and facilities management
MODULE1K Facilities manager, site manager, or caretaker/janitor?
MODULE1L Task 2: Facilities manager, site manager or caretaker/janitor?
MODULE1M What have you learned? Evaluation of your learning from Module 1
MODULE1N Congratulations.

Module 2: Facilities management and health and safety

MODULE2A Intended learning outcomes for Module 2
MODULE2B Health and safety obligations
MODULE2C Activity 4: Brainstorming health and safety issues in your school
MODULE2D Activity 5: An introduction to health and safety
MODULE2E Activity 6: A basic health and safety audit at your school
MODULE2F Training
MODULE2G Activity 7: Training needs in my school – audit
MODULE2H Risk assessment and management
MODULE2I Task 3: Risk assessment
MODULE2J Inspections
MODULE2K Task 4: Preparing for an inspection
MODULE2L What have you learned? Evaluation of your learning from Module 2
MODULE2M Congratulations

Module 3: Site and financial security

MODULE3A Intended learning outcomes for Module 3
MODULE3B Introduction
MODULE3C Introduction (continued)
MODULE3D Activity 8: Security issues in your school
MODULE3E Are your current security procedures sufficient?
MODULE3F Activity 9: Your current procedures
MODULE3G Security balance
MODULE3H Activity 10: Possible solutions to emerging issues
MODULE3I Workplace violence
MODULE3J Activity 11: Workplace violence – risk assessment
MODULE3K Task 5: Financial security: an initial security evaluation
MODULE3L Task 6: Financial security
MODULE3M Task 7: An audit trail
MODULE3N What have you learned? Evaluation of your learning from Module 3
MODULE3O Congratulations

Module 1: The importance of facilities management

MODULE 1A Intended learning outcomes for Module 1

By the end of this module you should:

• understand the term "facilities management"
  
• recognize its importance in creating a good environment for teaching and learning
  
• know how the role is filled in schools
  
• have investigated and evaluated its role in your school

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MODULE 1B What does managing your facilities mean?

Facilities management is not just about opening and locking doors. It’s a key part of school life, involving a range of activities that are often carried out by many different people. It involves a clear understanding of the interaction between both staff and students, and of how to improve their teaching and learning respectively.

Irrespective of your school’s size, you have to maximize the facilities for your students. Using means at your disposal to achieve the most cost effective benefits. Efficient facilities management has much to offer in helping to provide the kind of environment that will help raise the achievement of your students. This module will help develop your understanding of the diverse tasks involved in managing school facilities.

To cope with the increased sophistication of this job, many schools have moved from the traditional concept of caretaker/janitor and developed new roles such as finance director and facilities manager. This change in perspective involves facilities management staff in different tasks and requires them not only to think in different ways, but also to act in different ways.

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MODULE 1C Activity 1: Reflections on the facilities in your school

Think about the range of facilities that you have in your school. Are they different from the school you attended as a child? What are the main similarities? What are the main differences? Is this due to school type? Are there similarities irrespective of school type?

Answer these questions in your Student book (1).

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MODULE 1D Responsibilities of facilities managers

Many schools would agree that there has been some fuzziness about the responsibilities of school facilities management. No one was sure exactly what it is and who was meant to do it! Many smaller schools developed something of an ad hoc attitude – whoever had the time or motivation could look after the facilities.

With fluctuation in funding and ever increasing pressures on teachers, this can lead to a deterioration in the state of school facilities. To remedy this, and to realize the full potential of a school, it is vital to list the tasks that need doing and define who is responsible for carrying them out.

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MODULE 1E Activity 2: Who’s responsible for your school’s facilities?

Print out Resource 1, and on it make a list of the different facilities you have in school. Then note the name of the person(s) who has responsibility for each facility. A number of different people may be responsible for a facility. Consider their different roles. Which people have a "management" role in your school? Is it an efficient and effective use of their time? How are their responsibilities integrated?

Look at Resource 2: School facilities prompts for some ideas as to who might be responsible for the different facilities.

Record your thoughts in your Student book (2).

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MODULE 1F The potential for role confusion

A number of people are usually responsible for maintaining and improving school facilities. Inevitably there’s often confusion about who is responsible for what. For example, some people may be responsible for day-to-day work, others for forward planning and others for arranging facilities to best meet curriculum needs.

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MODULE 1G Activity 3: Definitions

In your Student book (3), write short definitions of the following roles:

• building custodian
• site manager
• facilities manager

Also briefly define facilities management as a whole. What do you think it covers in a school?

Look at our suggestions in Resource 3: Job definitions prompts and go back to your Student book (3) and make changes to your definitions if necessary. Then look at Resource 4: Facilities management and Resource 5: Changing roles.

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MODULE 1H Overview

You should now have a clearer idea of the breadth of duties involved in effective facilities management. Your school facilities may be managed by one dedicated facilities manager or by a number of people who also have other duties to perform. If it’s the latter, then you need to make a judgment as to whether this is the best use of their time and your school’s resources.

If you’re a small school you might consider having a part-time facilities manager – this can work very well. What’s important is that whoever looks after your facilities should have the knowledge and technical expertise to do the job well.

Facility managers have a vast range of responsibilities, from providing safe and effective environments to devising innovative ways that a building can be made available to the disabled.

As we said at the outset, the key role for facilities managers is to provide effective learning environments for our students and their teachers. Safe and secure premises with effective building planning, budgeting to get cost beneficial results and thoughtful design to stimulate learning are what all schools need.

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MODULE 1I Overview (continued)

Facilities managers help improve efficiency through cost effective controls, and continually monitor facilities to ensure they meet government regulations and environmental, health and security standards.

These managers are proactive and work a great deal on their own initiative. They make a valuable contribution to the development of buildings flexible to accommodate change and help schools with strategic long term planning and the best use of facilities. It’s a complicated role and, to some extent, a thankless one, as the better the job is done the less it gets noticed.

It’s a role that’s fast becoming more recognized. Courses and workshops are often offered and/or required for school district business or facilities managers.

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MODULE 1J Task 1: School improvement plan (SIP) and facilities management

For this Task, you’ll need access to your school improvement plan (SIP) or it's equivalent. The purpose of this Task is to evaluate whether your SIP has a facilities management component. Print out Resource 6, and as you read through your school’s SIP, note down each reference to facilities management.

In particular, check the following points:

• Does your school’s SIP have a section that is to do with facilities management? If there isn’t a specific section, see whether other suggested improvements depend on first improving facilities.
• If improvements depend on first improving facilities, devise a time-line showing the timescales and likely cost of these improvements.
• If there aren’t any specific references to facilities in your school’s SIP, does it require attention and development? How can you activate this?
• Fill in the form, and then record your thoughts and findings in your Student book (4) .

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MODULE 1K Facilities manager, site manager, or caretaker/janitor?

The last Task probably illustrated areas where your school could be more organized and effective in its facilities management. Of course, you may work in a school that really could make no improvements at all. If so, congratulations, you’re unique!

To make improvements in your facilities management you must first ask yourself a critical question: does your school need a dedicated facilities manager, a site manager or a building custodian?

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MODULE 1L Task 2: Facilities manager, site manager or caretaker/janitor?

Write a brief proposal to your principal or governing body outlining the need for one of the above roles. You need to consider a job description, candidate specification and the salary you’ll pay. You’ll also need to show how your potential candidate will improve management efficiency and how your plan will affect other people’s roles in your school. Use Resource 7: Proposal form to help you with this task.

If you feel all aspects of the role are effectively covered by present arrangements in your school then use your proposal to argue for the status quo.

Then answer the questions in your Student book (5).

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MODULE 1M What have you learned? Evaluation of your learning from Module 1

Now that you've worked through the Activities and Tasks in this module, please look again at the intended learning outcomes for the module.

By the end of this module you should:

• understand the term "facilities management"
• recognize its importance in creating a good environment for teaching and learning
• know how the role is filled in schools
• have investigated and evaluated its role in your school

How much has this module helped you to achieve the learning outcomes for Module 1? Make a note in your Student book (6) and e-mail your comments to your instructor.

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MODULE 1N Congratulations.

Module 2: Facilities management and health and safety

This module will refer to health and safety legislation. Although general principles will apply to all schools, there are wide variations in the local government requirements and regulations for schools. Governing bodies or Boards frequently take responsibility for interpreting the local requirements and delegate responsibility for compliance to the district superintendent, the administrative team and the business manager.
Like all work places, schools are subject to health and safety legislation. We have to be aware of our obligations to our colleagues, employees and students. Legislation covers schools as much as it applies to heavy industry. We need to reduce the risk of accidents happening in order to create as safe a working and learning environment as possible.

MODULE 2A Intended learning outcomes for Module 2

By the end of this module you should:

• have a better understanding of the health and safety issues in schools
  
• have considered the training needs of your school staff
  
• be able to provide advice on the completion of risk assessments
  
• have considered the role of health and safety in school inspections

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MODULE 2B Health and safety obligations

This module will refer to health and safety legislation in the UK. Although general principles will apply to all schools, there are wide variations in the local government requirements and regulations for schools located outside the UK. Governing bodies or Boards frequently take responsibility for interpreting the local requirements and delegate responsibility for compliance to the Head, the leadership team and the finance director.

Like all work places, schools are subject to health and safety legislation. We have to be aware of our obligations to our colleagues, employees and students. Legislation covers schools as much as it applies to heavy industry. We need to reduce the risk of accidents happening in order to create as safe a working and learning environment as possible.

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MODULE 2C Activity 4: Brainstorming health and safety issues in your school

Think about some recent issues concerning health and safety in your school. Would you grade them as major or minor? What were the causes of the problems? Think beyond the initial problems or causes. How were the issues resolved? Was the whole school able to learn from what happened? Has the culture of health and safety improved because of what happened?

Note down your thoughts on these questions in your Student book (7).

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MODULE 2D Activity 5: An introduction to health and safety

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MODULE 2E Activity 6: A basic health and safety audit at your school

Print out Resource 9: A basic health and safety audit, and answer as many questions on it as possible, answering yes, no or don’t know. Use the space provided for further elaboration or notes. You'll be able to answer some of the questions now, but to complete the questionnaire properly, you'll need to conduct an inspection of the premises in school.

(Note: this is not an exhaustive audit, but will provide you with points for further consideration.)

Then, go to your Student book (8) and write ten action points that arose from your audit, with timescales, that you will need to follow up. What obstacles might you face to stop you from completing the action points?

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MODULE 2F Training

With something as potentially complex and critical as health and safety provision it’s vital that all school staff receive adequate training in all aspects of health and safety. This training should be systematic and part of your school’s health and safety management system. Good training helps to change people’s attitudes towards creating a safer environment.

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MODULE 2G Activity 7: Training needs in my school – audit

This Activity should get you thinking about the health and safety training needs of your staff. Reflect on the following bullet points, and then click on the resources listed for some ideas.

When thinking about these issues, you will, of course, need to prioritize the direction of your energies depending on your review of needs, the seriousness of the health and safety events and your budget:

• Devise a series of at least eight questions, to help you identify where training is needed – Resource 10: Questions to identify training needs

• List eight methods that you can use to help you identify your school staff’s training needs – Resource 11: Methods to identify training needs

• Who will benefit from the training? – Resource 12: Who would benefit from training?

Note the key points of each question in your Student book (9).

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MODULE 2H Risk assessment and management

To achieve as safe a learning environment as possible, schools need to carry out risk assessments. Measures have to be introduced to control risks and employees need to be informed about these measures.

Risks can be measured by severity, likelihood and frequency. By combining two or three of these factors you can make a risk assessment. There are a number of different ways that these factors can be analyzed – look at some examples in Resource 13: Example assessment scales. These help you to provide for the scale of risk and the ranking of the risk.
The response you make to any assessment will depend where you place it on your scale. A combination of severity and likelihood (or frequency) will allow you to arrange the risks in order of priority and to consider the control measures you have in place or need to put into place. By systematically analyzing the severity and likelihood of risk you can consider the action you need to take and the timescale you need to do it in.

A well-conducted risk assessment should tell you whether the identified risk has been acceptably controlled or as reasonably controlled as possible given the circumstances.

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MODULE 2I Task 3: Risk assessment

The purpose of this task is to help you provide advice on the completion of risk assessments. Using the exemplar scales suggested in Resource 13, devise a risk assessment form that can be used in your school. Just draw up a simple table, with any headings you think are appropriate. Look at Resource 14: Risk assessment prompts for some ideas about headings to include in your risk assessment form.

Now use your form to carry out risk assessments for the following scenarios:

• a normal classroom lesson where a video is being used
• a computer room
• a practical gymnastics lesson
• a practical design and technology lesson
• a school trip to another country

Then answer the questions in your Student book (10).

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MODULE 2J Inspections

Whichever country you’re in, it’s likely that from time to time you’ll be visited by inspectors, official visitors or accreditation teams. This is often a time of great stress and overwork for staff. The stress can be minimized by adequate, appropriate and efficient preparation, and this is as true for health and safety issues as it is for lesson plans.

These kinds of visitors report on many aspects of a school, including teacher standards, buildings and other facilities, and students’ attitudes, values and personal development. They make judgments on whether students show initiative and are willing to take on responsibility, e.g., if they reflect on their actions and if they understand how these actions impact on others.

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MODULE 2K Task 4: Preparing for an inspection

Check your school’s health and safety file. Does it contain all the procedures and information regarding health and safety, or are they located in different documents in different places? For inspection purposes, it is easier if your documentation is contained, where possible, in one file. Can you provide evidence of your students learning about these health and safety issues and procedures in a positive way?

Now walk around your school buildings, inside and out, and your school’s grounds and view them as an inspector checking on health and safety would. It may help to do this with a colleague. To help you with this task, print off and take with you Resource 15: Health and safety initial checklist and Resource 16: More inspection issues.
Then write a report of your findings. We’ve provided a form which you can use for this (Resource 17), or if you prefer you can create your own. When you’ve completed your report, print it out and add it to your school’s health and safety file.
Make a note of your findings in Student book (11).

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MODULE 2L What have you learned? Evaluation of your learning from Module 2

Now you have worked through the Activities and Tasks in this module, look again at the intended learning outcomes.

By the end of this module you should:

• have a better understanding of the health and safety issues in schools
• consider the training needs of your school staff
• be able to provide advice on the completion of risk assessments
• consider the role of health and safety in school inspections

In your Student book (12), make a note of the extent to which you have achieved the learning intentions for Module 2 and e-mail your comments to your instructor.

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MODULE 2M Congratulations

MODULE 3A Intended learning outcomes for Module 3

By the end of this module you should:

• understand the issues concerning school and site security
  
• be able to complete a security evaluation
  
• be able to investigate and evaluate the issues in your own school
  
• be aware of the risks of workplace violence
  
• be aware of the importance of financial security

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MODULE 3B Introduction

Schools are increasingly suffering from criminal activities – physical attacks and other destructive acts such as arson, theft and vandalism. Not only are employees and students at risk if appropriate procedures are not working efficiently, but there are also substantial financial losses involved in security failures.

Over the last decade, school security has become a particularly high priority after tragic events involving fatal attacks on students, as well as a host of politically motivated terrorist activities. International schools have become a symbolic target for local groups with nationalistic or religious ideals. The increase in child abductions from schools is a further serious problem.

These events have certainly increased media awareness of school security issues, as have other more commonplace incidents. As a result, professional associations and trades unions are increasingly raising the issue of assaults on school staff by students, parents and site intruders. Most of these professional associations provide guidance on these issues, which you should familiarize yourself with and follow.

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MODULE 3C Introduction (continued)

If we are to improve teaching and learning and raise standards, then the school environment we provide has to be a secure one, both for students and teachers. It’s vitally important that parents and caregivers should feel that their child is in a safe environment. It’s just as important that all school staff should also feel secure, especially as they can be in vulnerable situations working in isolated parts of the building, often by themselves.

These issues have to be dealt with in school buildings that, in many cases, were not originally designed with security as a major concern. This module is designed to help you develop your understanding of how security relates to facilities management and health and safety issues. It’s not just a tagged-on responsibility – to ensure safety it must be integrated into systematic procedures.

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MODULE 3D Activity 8: Security issues in your school

To be effective a school has to develop a "security culture". This can be helped by systematic maintenance of the site and by a willingness to be pro-active in making alterations and additions in order to continually improve security. Moreover, the security culture needs to be adopted by everyone in the school.

Think about the school that you work in. What potential security threats does it have?

What does your school have that some people might want to steal? How are school facilities currently protected? What are the staff’s major concerns over school security? What are the parents’ major concerns? What are the "big" issues? What are the "small" issues?

Record your answers in Student book (13).

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MODULE 3E Are your current security procedures sufficient?

Even if your school has a security action plan in place (and a great many schools don’t), it’s quite probable that school employees are largely unaware of it. So even if your school security procedures are sufficient, it’s likely that they’re often not properly and consistently understood and implemented. This is potentially a major problem.

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MODULE 3F Activity 9: Your current procedures

This Activity will help you assess if your current procedures are sufficient. Think about the following questions:

• When were the current procedures last reviewed?
• Who monitors these procedures and how is the information used?
• Are all staff who work in the school aware of these procedures?
  What procedures do you feel are weak and need further attention?

Use Resource 18 to make an initial assessment of current procedures. When you’be completed the form, note down the key issues for attention in Resource 19.

Then answer the questions in your Student book (14).

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MODULE 3G Security balance

While we need our schools to be secure places to work and learn in, there needs to be a balance between security and access. All schools aim to welcome visitors and parents and often part of their school distinguishing atmosphere and guiding beliefs is an open-door policy. In some cases this has to be achieved in some very challenging circumstances, and there could be a danger of some schools adopting a mind set of no change. This does not rest easily with a vision of an open, community-orientated center of learning.

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MODULE 3H Activity 10: Possible solutions to emerging issues

Consider how some common school security problems might be solved or reduced in risk. Complete your responses using Resource 20: Security response grid.

Then assess the costs of implementing your proposed security solutions in Resource 21: Security response costs. Refer to Resource 22: Security prompts to support your work in this Activity.

Then answer the questions in your Student book (15).

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MODULE 3I Workplace violence

Workplace violence is on the increase in many countries, and schools are no exception to the problem. According to U.S. CDC's School Associated Violent Death Study, between 1% and 2% of all homicides among school-age children happen on school grounds or on the way to and from school or during a school sponsored event. For more information, visit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and search for Violence articles. http://www.cdc.gov/

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MODULE 3J Activity 11: Workplace violence – risk assessment

Complete a workplace violence risk assessment, using the grid provided in Resource 23.

Resource 24: Tasks/work prompts will help you with this task. You can also draw on the assessment work you did in Module 2.

Then answer the questions in your Student book (16).

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MODULE 3K Task 5: Financial security: an initial security evaluation

If your school is to be successful, it’s vital that its financial resources are managed efficiently. This task involves you working with your finance manager or director, making security procedure checks to assess how efficiently your school’s finances are managed.

Detailed inspections of how schools manage their financial resources may take place during school audits.

Fill in the details on our financial security checklist (Resource 25). The final checklist will give you a program of what you still have to do and what you already have in place. The questions are not exhaustive but give you a good start.

When you’ve done this, answer the questions in your Student book (17).

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MODULE 3L Task 6: Financial security

Fill in the grid in Resource 26: Financial procedures requiring immediate attention.

Once you have completed the grid, draft what you think should be included in a short statement to the School Board's finance sub-committee, outlining which school financial procedures require immediate attention in order to meet financial standards.

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MODULE 3M Task 7: An audit trail

The purpose of this section of the Task is to check that your school’s security procedures are in place. This audit trail will involve you evaluating whether the security procedures, physical and financial, are working efficiently.

Working with your finance manager or director, carry out an audit trail for a particular item from an official school order. Devise a simple form that could be used to complete the work. Look at Resource 27 to see some possible financial procedures. Resource 28 is a sample audit trail form that might help you consider the procedures you need to put in place.

Then answer the questions in your Student book (18).

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MODULE 3N What have you learned? Evaluation of your learning from Module 3

When you have worked through the Activities and Tasks in this module, please look again at the intended learning outcomes for Module 3.

By the end of this module you should:

• understand the issues concerning school and site security
• be able to complete a security evaluation
• be able to investigate and evaluate the issues in your own school
• be aware of the risks of workplace violence
• be aware of the importance of financial security

In your Student book (19) make a note of the extent to which you have achieved the learning intentions for Module 3 and e-mail your comments to your instructor.

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MODULE 3O Congratulations

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Title A guide to safe practice in art and design
Publisher Department for Education and Skills (DES)

Title Guidance on first aid for schools safety in science education
Publisher Department for Education and Skills (DES)

Title Health and safety: responsibilities and powers
Publisher Department for Education and Skills (DES)

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Author Cotts, DG
Title The Facility Management Handbook (1997)
Publisher Amacom, New York
ISBN 0814401171

Author HSC, Education Service Advisory Committee
Title Violence in the education sector (1997)
Publisher HSE Books
ISBN 0717612937
Author O’Sullivan F, Thody, A, Wood, L

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Title From Bursar to School Business Manager: Re-engineering Leadership for Resource Management (School Leadership and Management)
Publisher Financial Times Prentice Hall
ISBN 0273643258

Author Rondeau, EP et al.
Title Facility Management (1995)
Publisher John Wiley & Sons Inc, New York
ISBN 0471038067

Title A guide to safe practice in art and design
Publisher Department for Education and Skills (DES)

BACK TO INDEX

Title Guidance on first aid for schools safety in science education
Publisher Department for Education and Skills (DES)

Title Health and safety: responsibilities and powers
Publisher Department for Education and Skills (DES)

Title Health and safety: responsibilities and powers
Publisher Department for Education and Skills (DES)

Author Cotts, DG
Title The Facility Management Handbook (1997)
Publisher Amacom, New York
ISBN 0814401171 Author HSC, Education Service Advisory Committee

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Title Violence in the education sector (1997)
Publisher HSE Books
ISBN 0717612937

Author O’Sullivan F, Thody, A, Wood, L
Title From Bursar to School Business Manager: Re-engineering Leadership for Resource Management (School Leadership and Management)
Publisher Financial Times Prentice Hall
ISBN 0273643258

Author Rondeau, EP et AL.
Title Facility Management (1995)
Publisher John Wiley & Sons Inc, New York
ISBN 0471038067

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RESOURCES

Resource 1: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PDF

Resource 2: School facilities prompts

• student/s
• teacher
• cleaner
• building custodian
• site manager
• finance director
• finance manager
• principal
• assistant principal
• school board members
• facilities manager

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Resource 3: Job definitions prompts

Here’s one way of defining the roles:

• Building custodian – person employed to look after a building. Unlikely to be responsible for managing staff.
• Site manager – person responsible for operations and maintenance duties, without a delegated budget, but may be responsible for managing staff.
• Facilities manager – person responsible for coordinating the physical workplace with the people and work of the organization, likely to have a delegated budget and responsibility for managing staff.

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Resource 4: Facilities management

• Facilities management – the management of a wide range of tasks in planning, designing and managing
• facilities which coordinate the physical workplace with the people who work there.

Facilities management tasks include:

• operations and maintenance planning and strategy
• project planning and maintenance
• financing, budgeting and cost-control
• quality assessment
• health and safety
• benchmarking against other similar organizations
• security
• contract management
• third party income/rentals
• building maintenance

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Resource 5: Changing roles

Specific tasks given to facility managers will vary with the school organization but may well include the following:

• maintenance – operational planning, monitoring, strategy
• health and safety – risk assessments, welfare
• contract management
• outsourcing – cleaning, central contracts, school meals
• benchmarking and best value principles
• budgeting and cost control – forecasting and expenditure tracking, cost control actions
• grounds maintenance
• lease management
• workplace planning
• scheduling

Resource 6: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PDF

Resource 7: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PDF

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Resource 8: Health and safety at work

Day-to-day responsibility for health and safety in most schools is delegated to the principal, who has to ensure that the school board policy is adhered to.
As employers our main responsibilities are to:

• have a written health and safety management policy
• ensure all staff are aware of the policy
• ensure staff know what their responsibilities within the policy are
• have clear safety procedures in place
• ensure staff have proper training and guidance on their responsibility

Schools should develop their own policy statements regarding health and safety. These need to be agreed and understood by all the school staff because their effective implementation helps to ensure the duty of care we have towards our students.

Resource 9: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PDF

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Resource 10: Questions to identify training needs

• Are all staff aware of the number and incidence of accidents that have happened in school over the last year?
• Are all staff aware of what caused the accidents to happen?
• Compared to similar schools is your accident rate high?
• Is there any pattern to the accidents that have occurred?
• What control measures have been introduced to reduce accidents?
• Are some departments/lessons more prone to accidents? If so, which?
• Are these accidents impacting adversely upon the school budget?
• Are accidents a result of new equipment/old equipment?
• Are science laboratories less prone to accidents and incidents than gymnasiums, playgrounds and ordinary classrooms?

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Resource 11: Methods to identify training needs

• school and department reviews
• individual staff appraisals
• health and safety reviews/monitoring/audits
• school and department accident books
• the first aid accident book
• repair and maintenance budgets
• school and department risk assessments
• activities undertaken within the curriculum
• activities undertaken by support staff
• workplace job analysis

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Resource 12: Who would benefit from training?

• all staff
• students
• department heads
• site staff
• technicians – support staff, kitchen staff, etc
• section heads
• new teachers
• interns
• health and safety representatives
• principals

Resource 13: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PDF

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Resource 14: Risk assessment prompts

• location
• activity to be undertaken
• potential hazards
• possible adverse effects
• people who may be at risk
• current measures to control risk
• risk rating (severity multiplied by frequency/likelihood)
• action to be taken (e.g. inform staff of control measures, monitor implementation)
  name

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Resource 15: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PDF

Resource 16: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PDF

Resource 17: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PDF

Resource 18: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PDF

Resource 19: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PDF

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Resource 22: Security prompts

• fences
• lighting
• controlled access, exits, barriers
• secure windows, doors
• closed circuit TV – internal/external
• internal/intruder detection systems
• police liaison
• electronic access
• security guards, senior staff patrols
• coded locks – changed regularly
• ID cards
• visitor badges – make sure they are returned
• effective procedure in place, used, monitored, evaluated
• raising awareness – personal vigilance – security culture
• restricting height of bushes/trees – i.e., remove natural ladders
• personal attack alarms
• panic button/alarms
• security zoning
• microphones/camera access system
• chain outside equipment, eh, bikes
• restrict entrance
• signing-in book
• visitors’ waiting room
• signs to increase awareness
• key control – keep number of keys (master key especially) to a minimum
• vehicle controlled access
• vacation storage procedures
• internal radio phones
• security point
• security coded numbers
• up-to-date inventories
• limit movement in parts of building
• school board security committee
• rolling program of investment
• monitoring software
• filtering software
• police security checks
• school lettings risk assessments
• procedure for bullying
• procedure for workplace violence

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Resource 24: Tasks/work prompts

Potentially risky tasks:

• premises supervision
• early morning opening, cleaning, late night work
• working alone
• after/before school clubs
• dealing with pupils who have behavioral/emotional difficulties
• dealing with school finances
• school reception
• dealing with angry parents/guardians/visitors/neighbors
• working in isolated parts of the building

School staff at risk

• site staff
• dinner/supervision staff
• cleaners
• office staff/reception – including telephone (violence includes verbal abuse)
• teaching staff – particularly staff dealing with parents/guardians/public/difficult students
• educational welfare staff, medical staff, school psychologists
• staff who often work alone
• finance manager, school secretary
• staff who might undertake home visits

Some control measures

• in-service training
• adaptation of location/environment
• closed circuit TV
• controlled access/entry
• coded doors
• internal mobile phone
• is lone work avoidable?
• checking procedure on lone workers
• secure, well-lit parking areas and paths to it
• space between potential aggressor and school staff
• self-defense training for escape
• personal alarm

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Resource 27: Financial procedures that need to be considered

• budget holder decides on items to be purchased
• order form completed in triplicate
• order authorized by authorized personnel
• order committed to appropriate budget
• order sent off – top copy posted or faxed and sent to supplier – second copy returned to budget holder,
• third copy kept as financial record (if order is faxed, top copy becomes financial record and bottom copy is destroyed if not needed)
• goods delivered to school and taken to appropriate department by site staff
• goods checked against delivery note and order by budget holder
• if appropriate, item details entered on appropriate inventory
• invoice received from supplier
• sent to budget holder for verification
• budget holder should check off items against order form so that they know what is outstanding or changes in costs, etc.
• invoices verified by budget holder and returned to office for payment
• invoice processed through financial system
• check printed/bank transfer activated
• check/bank transfer details and invoice details verified by authorized personnel
• check signed/bank transfer double-checked by appropriate signatory or signatories.
• check sent off
• invoice/bank transfer and remittance report filed in school office
• audit trail procedures
• choose item or items for audit

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Title: A guide to safe practice in art and design
Publisher: Department for Education and Skills (Des)

Title: Guidance on first aid for schools safety in science education
Publisher: Department for Education and Skills (Des)

Title: Health and safety: responsibilities and powers
Publisher: Department for Education and Skills (Des)

Title: Health and safety: responsibilities and powers
Publisher: Department for Education and Skills (Des)

Author: Cots, DG
Title: The Facility Management Handbook (1997)
Publisher: Tacoma, New York
ISBN: 0814401171

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Author: HSC, Education Service Advisory Committee
Title: Violence in the education sector (1997)
Publisher: HSE Books
ISBN: 0717612937

Author: O’Sullivan F, Rhody, A, Wood, L
Title: From Bursar to School Business Manager: Re-engineering Leadership for Resource Management (School Leadership and Management) (19
Publisher: Financial Times Prentice Hall
ISBN: 0273643258

Author: Rondo, EP et AL.
Title: Facility Management (1995)
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc, New York
ISBN: 0471038067

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REFERENCES

U.S Department of Education
Description: This site lists federal laws and regulations
URL: http://www.ed.gov/

Name: Association of School Business Officials International
Description: International Organization for School Business Managers
URL: http://www.asbointl.org

Name: School Planning and Management
Description: This site addresses current issues in educational facilities
URL: https://spaces4learning.com/Home.aspx

Do an Internet Search for federal and your respective state, county and local regulations and codes. They are updated frequently, so bookmark your sites and check back regularly.

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