Site Maintenance and Security Policy

POLICY FOR SITE MAINTENANCE AND SECURITY

SITE DESCRIPTION

Sonning Common County Primary School is a high maintenance site. 50% of the buildings are old with some flat roofing and old metal framed windows.

The newer buildings are also flat roofed and the rooms require a lot of heating.

TYPES OF MAINTENANCE

· Reactive maintenance: response to an emergency

· Programmed maintenance: predictable due to accepted and understood rates of deterioration of various building elements and finishes. These are outlined in the W.S.Atkins annual building and engineering plans under:

a) non-delegated assessed need items;

b) delegated assessed need items;

c) non-delegated items

· Preventative maintenance: carried out in order to prolong the life of a particular item.

The environment committee will discuss and action appropriate items which can be afforded within the constraints of the budget.

Timescale and costs of items will be shown on the school development plan and reviewed every year.

An expenditure profile can be prepared on the 3yr School Development Plan informed by these three forms of maintenance.

PERIODIC INSPECTIONS

These are vital and will happen in the following ways:

· weekly meetings between the caretaker involving inspections when deemed necessary - a minimum of three inspections of the whole site every term. The headteacher of Bishopswood will join an inspection once a term.

· termly inspection by the environment committee

· staff safety representative will report to the headteacher whenever a matter of site safety arises.

· annual site inspection by representatives of Bishopswood school and Sonning Common school environment committees and a formal report made of all aspects that require attention. This report is presented to both governing bodies at their combined AGM in June. The governors committee which deals with site maintenance is the Environment Committee.

The Role of the Environment Committee is to:

· meet twice a term

· monitor site maintenance and building works

· ensure fire drills are undertaken once a term

· carry out an annual inspection for health and safety reasons with representatives from Bishopswood School

· report health, safety and site maintenance issues to the governing body

· support the headteacher (who is the site manager) in dealing with tendering procedures and contracts, usually through contractors W.S.Atkins.

The members of the environment committee are as follows: the headteacher, the caretaker and three governors.

ORGANISING SITE MAINTENANCE AND BUILDING WORKS

For any work that needs to be done the environment committee will inform the headteacher of the costs of the work to be done. In the case of routine site maintenance there is a budget, which pays for all low cost work (generally under £250).

Building works and major site maintenance work will always be referred to the environment committee and in most cases to the governing body.

The key requirement is to keep the premises operating. There should be a programme for works, which causes minimal disruption to staff and children. If building has to happen during school days it is the responsibility of the headteacher and the governors to try to ensure all appropriate safety procedures have been met.

Running Costs: energy efficient measures must be constantly monitored. This is the responsibility of the headteacher who should seek the co-operation of the caretaker, the staff and the children to try to ensure energy efficiency.

The headteacher and caretaker will identify immediate sources of energy wastage e.g.:

· open doors and windows in winter

· excessively hot rooms

· lights left on in empty rooms

· draughty doors and windows

· awareness and attitudes of children and staff

When necessary the headteacher will enlist the help of a technical expert to identify inefficient use of energy and highlight opportunities for savings.

There should be on-going staff and pupil education and motivation.

HEALTH AND SAFETY OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE WORKPLACE

The following topics will be covered by the headteacher (or delegated member of staff) at an initial induction or in the first few days of work at SCCP School with work experience students from local secondary or tertiary educational institutions.

· safety policy – an explanation of the company’s policy and any particularly relevant section.

· trainee’s personal responsibilities – these should be discussed and emphasised

· safety documentation/literature – any relevant documentation should be discussed and distributed.

· key safety people – these should be introduced where possible, and their function explained.

· safe working systems – the particular hazards associated with the work area and work process should be explained, together with the need to follow safe working practices at all times

· manual handling – explain that manual handling should be avoided where possible; demonstrate techniques for safe lifting if relevant

· housekeeping – explain why the work area should always be kept tidy and clean

· prohibited areas – identify those areas which are out of bounds and why

· machinery – identify those items of machinery which must not be operated and why, and explain which pieces of machinery must only be used after training and under supervision; explain the need to report faults, and that repairs should only be carried out by qualified and competent staff

· dangerous substances – explain what is in use within the workplace, storage arrangements and safety precautions; stress the need to read the label

· personal protective equipment (PPE) – if PPE is provided, explain why and show how it is to be worn; explain the arrangements for changing, cleaning and maintenance

· safety equipment – if safety equipment is used, explain what it is for, where it is kept and who is responsible for its maintenance and for the training of staff

· personal hygiene – show the locations of toilets and washing facilities

· first aid – explain the arrangements for first aid facilities and show the locations of these facilities

· accident reporting – stress the need to report all accidents and near misses, even if no-one is hurt and there is no damage; show the location of the accident book

· emergency procedures – explain the emergency procedures and, if necessary, practise the procedure with the new starter

· smoking, drugs and alcohol – explain the organisation’s policies on smoking, drugs and alcohol; show location of any smoking and non-smoking areas.

A proforma with all topics on to be ticked during induction interviews, signed and dated with names of students who will sign and date. The school will use this proforma on all occasions as proof the young people (those under 18) who come and work at SCCPS have been given all the relevant information to support them in their work here.

When reviewing the management of health and safety of young people in their work placement the environment committee of the governing body will take particular account of:

· the inexperience, lack of awareness of risks and immaturity of young persons

· the fitting-out and layout of the workplace and the workstation

· the form, range and use of work equipment and the way in which it is handled

· the organisation of processes and activities

· the extent of the health and safety training provided or to be provided to young persons

The regulations require that young persons are protected at work from any risks to their health or safety which are a consequence of their lack of experience, or absence of awareness of existing or potential risks or the fact that persons have not yet fully matured.

SECURITY

The governors of Sonning Common County Primary School recognise the importance of continuing to review security and undertake the following actions annually:

· inclusion of information on security in the school’s annual report to parents (schedule 17 of the 1996 Education Act)

· in the annual report include a reference to the annual security risk assessment and any follow up action.

Present situation.

The school has:

• an alarm system throughout

• an on-site caretaker

• an identification/visitors badge for security and safety reasons

• front doors locked (Grove Road side) to avoid the possibility of anyone wandering into areas where children and staff are working

• a policy of staff ‘challenging’ any member of the public seen to be on the school premises without an identification badge

• all staff wear identification badges.

The security of the school involves three main aspects:

· Inherent hazards

· Protection factors

· Physical improvements

It is the business of the combined governing bodies of Sonning Common County Primary School and Bishopswood School to delegate security issues to the environment or premises committees who will review these aspects (above) every February in line with the DFEE and LEA legislation and advise.

AMENDMENT SHEET FOR ALL POLICY STATEMENTS

POLICY ON SITE MAINTENANCE AND SECURITY

POLICY NUMBER 47

DATE POLICY RATIFIED: AUTUMN 1998

DATE POLICY LAST REWRITTEN: AUTUMN 1998

Review Date	Page	Line	Amendment
Autumn 1998			Written