Posted By Richard Forster Has anybody devised a decent system that takes a holistic approach to serving schools with regard to health and safety, fire safety, risk management (primarily insurance) and asset management? It seems to me that lots of people have their fingers in the pie but there is very little 'coming together'. Imagine being a new headteacher, arriving at yer bog standard comprehensive school to be faced with the safety chap calling for risk assessments, the fire officer shouting for a fire risk assessment, you are worried for the pupils and staff and of course there are insurance worries too. Suddenly you receive a survey from your friendly LEA asking you about Asset Management. You look to your new filing system and see a reassuringly heavy looking manual from Croner, a 'not-to-disimilar looking manual from your LEA and some bits and pieces from the good old N.U.T Where to start good people? What exactly am I after (apart from a lie down and a cool drink?!) I would like to know what information you receive (either by request or involuntarily) from your schools that help you address the above. How do you set standards and monitor that they are adhered to. How do you close the loop to whatever audit/inspection regime you have set? Do you utilise software packages, if so ,what are they and are they any good? How do you link in with other similar disciplines (like fire, insurance and asset management) and most importantly how do you sell this to the schools without it appearing burdensome. Thanks for any assistance..

Posted By Ken Taylor I do hope that new Headteachers are not arriving at schools these days with 'none of the above' and no previous experience of school's management. The questions posed are too large and many to try to adequately answer on the Forum, but I start with a one-to-one 'training' session with each new Headteacher which includes an introduction to our health and safety management system and the school's part therein - including, Croner's, DfES, HSE and other relevant publications, assessments, monitoring, training, reporting to local committees and the employing organisation, etc, etc.