The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 is the primary legislation governing workplace health and safety in the UK, establishing duties for employers to ensure the safety and welfare of their employees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 sets out a legal framework requiring employers and self-employed persons in Great Britain to systematically assess and manage risks to workplace health and safety ensuring protection for employees, visitors and others affected by work activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (often referred to as \u2018Martyn\u2019s Law\u2019), will become enforceable in April 2027 and aims improve preparedness for an incident so that those responsible for certain qualifying premises and events identify and put in place proportionate measures to prevent and respond to an attack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nIn the event of an emergency situation which requires support from the local authority, please contact 01392 383149 and email the schools priority alerts mailbox.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please note that emails or calls to the former Schools emergency helpline and Schools Emergency mailbox are no longer monitored.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Preparing for different types of emergencies or situations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
School emergency management plans<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
All schools in the UK are required to have an emergency management plan in place covering various scenarios covering, but not exclusively, severe weather, serious injury, property damage, and public health incidents. <\/p>\n\n\n
- Developing a school emergency management plan <\/a>
In developing these plans and responses to incidents, schools are expected to have due regard to maintaining oversight of vulnerable and EHCP learners, especially where normal school days are impacted.<\/p>\n
A DCC <\/span>Model emergency plan<\/span> (HS17)\u202fis available for maintained schools to customise, to help with logging and managing emergencies.\u202f\u00a0 Academy Schools subscribing to DCC Health and Safety Team will have access to the HSA17 model plan.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Please note\u202fthat support from DCC Health and Safety Team is available to schools purchasing an SLA.\u00a0<\/span><\/b> Support and information for subscribing schools is available via <\/span>OSHENS<\/span><\/a>. To access this, you will need to enter your OSHENS (health and safety) username and password.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
If you wish to purchase the service please contact <\/span>healthandsafety@devon.gov.uk<\/span><\/a> for more information.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
The guidance on this page will support schools in implementing their emergency plan, and where necessary, reporting school closures or critical incidents to Devon County Council.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Please note: <\/span><\/b>emails or calls to the Schools emergency helpline and Schools Emergency mailbox are no longer monitored – alternative contacts are detailed in the relevant guidance section.<\/span><\/b> Page layout option 1 –\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n
Reporting a temporary or emergency school closure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Any emergency or temporary school closures need to be published on our public facing school closures<\/a> page. Parents and carers will be advised to check this page when closures are likely, for example in the event of extreme weather conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n
- How to report a temporary or emergency school closure<\/a>
Every school and academy has a primary user account to access the My account area of DCC’s school’s website<\/a>. This is where any closures need to be submitted, using the emergency closures form<\/a>. You have the option to report a partial closure (for example, part of the campus is closed but the rest is open), or a full closure, where the whole school or academy is closed.<\/p>\n
How to log in<\/h4>\n
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- The primary user name to access My account area<\/a> is your school’s seven digit DfE number.<\/li>\n
- User accounts are linked to your school’s main email account* (as displayed on the school database<\/a>) – any password reset requests will go to this email.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
*Please don’t amend this main school email address to an individual’s email address.\u00a0<\/strong>You can request additional accounts if required.<\/p>\n
If you have any problems accessing your account, please contact digitalcomms@devon.gov.uk<\/a> (mailbox monitored during office hours).<\/p>\n
If your school’s email address has changed, it is ok for you to update this, which you can do when logged in. You also need to let the Education systems team<\/a> know so that they can update the school’s database.<\/p>\n
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Additional user accounts<\/h4>\n
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If you need additional users to have access<\/strong>, for example school leader, business manager or administrator, please complete the Request extra user account form<\/a> and these will be set up for you.<\/p>\n
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Reporting multiple school or academy closures<\/h4>\n
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If your school or academy is part of a group, for example a Federation or MAT, we can arrange for your primary user account to be linked to multiple schools. This will allow you to report more than one school closure, without having to log-in multiple times.<\/p>\n
If this would be helpful please email a specific request to digitalcomms@devon.gov.uk<\/a>, listing the schools or academies you would like to have access to.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n
School transport in the event of an emergency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
In terms of early closure, please contact your Transport Co-ordination Officer in the first instance with a proposed time of closure. The Transport Coordination Service (TCS) will need as much notice as possible but, ideally 1-2 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n
- School transport advice for temporary or early closures <\/a>
If the school needs to temporarily close or close early during the day, you will need to make arrangements regarding any school transport.<\/p>\n
School Transport colleagues have access to the School Closures website alerts. Please contact your Transport Co-ordination Officer in the first instance, with a proposed time of closure. The Transport Coordination Service (TCS) will need as much notice as possible but, ideally 1-2 hours, to allow o that contractors\u00a0 get hold of drivers and then to make their way to the school or college. All contractors will be contacted by TCS to make sure transport is available to run early. School or college must ensure parents will be home to receive pupils at the earlier time.<\/p>\n
Once finalised, please upload the school closure on the DCC schools webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Pupils should be checked onto transport and extra care taken to ensure that they board the correct route since contractors may not be able to provide the same vehicle at short notice that they had in the morning.<\/p>\n
Notify your Transport Co-ordination Officer if a school transport child is stranded at school (unless parents brought them into school that morning).<\/p>\n
It may be that school transport contractors themselves request an early pick up from school if bad weather is forecast or is starting to deteriorate. Your school or college will be notified of this at the earliest opportunity by TCS.<\/p>\n
How to get current route information<\/h4>\n
Via the school and route closures<\/a> webpage, which is updated by Transport Officers and contractors at the earliest opportunity.\u00a0This shows any known route cancellations or amendments and can be accessed by parents or schools.<\/p>\n
Call or email your Transport Co-ordination Officer (TCO) on the usual number or email address (office manned from 7.30-8.00am) or via the call centre on 0345 155 1019<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Alternatively, if you cannot get a response from your usual TCO please email the team mailbox: schooltransportservicequeries-mailbox@devon.gov.uk<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n
Malicious social media, phone call or email threat, or deliberate acts of violence or criminality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It is important your school emergency plan has clear processes in place for a range of potential incidents, for example bomb threats, suspicious packages and lockdowns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In all cases these should be logged immediately with the police, who will provide guidance. <\/p>\n\n\n
- How to deal with threats, or actual acts of violence or other criminal activity<\/a>
During working hours, the local authority should be informed of such an incident via\u00a0<\/span>Simon Niles, Head of Education Strategy & Central Operations on 01392 383149<\/a>,\u00a0 and via <\/span>schoolspriorityalerts-mailbox@devon.gov.uk<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n
Emergency site issues or damage to school buildings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Any significant site issues or damage to schools leading to a potential closure must be reported through the school closures<\/a>\u202fwebpage.<\/p>\n\n\n
- How to manage emergency site issues, or damage to school buildings<\/a>
For maintained schools, in the event of an emergency site issue resulting in damage to school buildings, schools should contact their local Built Environment Team (BET) officer<\/strong> if they require support, for example significant storm damage, no heating, flood event.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
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- Exeter and East Devon \u2013 <\/span>michael.kerr@devon.gov.uk<\/span><\/a>\u00a0 01392 383000<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Teignbridge and South Hams \u2013 <\/span>megan.andrews@devon.gov.uk<\/span><\/a>\u00a0 01392 383000<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- North Devon and Torridge \u2013 <\/span>paula.mccree@devon.gov.uk<\/span><\/a>\u00a0 01392 383000<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
- Mid and West Devon \u2013 <\/span>george.feltham@devon.gov.uk<\/span><\/a>\u00a0 01392 383000<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
BET mailbox<\/span> – <\/span><\/b>highway.builtenvironmentteamenquiries-mailbox@devon.gov.uk<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
S<\/strong>outh West Norse helpline<\/strong>:\u202f 01392 351000 (Office hours) | <\/span>07826 858727 (Out of hours emergencies)\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
South West Norse will support all schools but will charge those not in the Devon Maintenance Partnership (DMP).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
The Maintenance Panel Agreement (MPA) consists of vetted suppliers and is managed by DCC Procurement. Schools can have a <\/span>Login<\/span><\/a> and use it to search for contractors for a range of works. Please contact the Standing List of Approved Contractors (SLoAC) and MPA mailbox <\/span>–<\/span> procure.contractorstandinglist-mailbox@devon.gov.uk<\/span><\/a> for access and enquiries.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n
Risk of flooding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Preparing for the risk of flooding should form part of your school emergency management plan.<\/p>\n\n\n
- Preparing for potential flood risks, for example due to adverse weather conditions or burst river<\/a>
Notify the local authority via Simon Niles, Head of Education Strategy & Central Operations\u00a0 01392 383149 and via schoolspriorityalerts-mailbox@devon.gov.uk<\/a><\/p>\n
If the school needs to close this must be reported through the school closures webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n
Power cuts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Power and utility outages should be included within the schools emergency plan, however, for general guidance see below.<\/p>\n\n\n
- Dealing with power cuts<\/a>
Assess the risk to the health, safety and welfare of all onsite pupils, staff and visitors.<\/p>\n
Contact your network operator to report the power cut, either by calling 105 or via their other available channels and to enquire when power is likely to be restored.\u202f If the supply is likely to be affected for a long period it might be possible to make arrangements for a generator.<\/p>\n
Switch off all electrical appliances that shouldn\u2019t be left unattended, ready for when the power comes back on.\u202f\u202fLeave a light on so you know when the power outage has been resolved.<\/p>\n
Contact your school meal provider, or kitchen manager to discuss\u202farrangements for school meals.<\/p>\n
Close the school, if necessary, the decision to close the school is usually made by the Head teacher and Governors.<\/p>\n
If the school needs to close this must be reported through the school closures webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n
Burst water pipe, or no mains water supply\u202f<\/h3>\n\n\n
- Mains water supply is off<\/a>
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- \n
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- Assess the risk to the health, safety and welfare of all onsite pupils, staff and visitors.<\/li>\n
- Contact SW Water:\u202f To enquire when the supply is likely to be restored.\u202f The SWW Service Helpline contact number is: 0344 346 2020<\/li>\n
- If supply is likely to be affected for a long period it may be possible for a Water Bowser to be delivered to ensure that toilets are regularly flushed, manually by buckets and pupils & staff have access to adequate hand washing facilities.<\/li>\n
- \u202fYou may need to request additional hours from your facilities management team or caretaker to assist with these duties.<\/li>\n
- Contact your school meal provider, or kitchen manager to discuss arrangements for school meals.<\/li>\n
- Arrange for bottled water to be distributed to pupils and staff.<\/li>\n
- Close the school, if necessary. The decision to close the school is usually made by the Head teacher and Governors.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
If the school needs to close this must be reported through the school closures webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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- Burst water pipe<\/a>
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- \n
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- If not done already, turn off the water at the main building supply stopcock.<\/li>\n
- Switch off all electrical appliances, if safe to do so, where they are at risk of coming into contact with the escaping water.<\/li>\n
- Assess the risk to the health, safety and welfare of all onsite pupils, staff and visitors.<\/li>\n
- Contact the school maintenance provider to arrange for the repair work to be carried out.\u202fFor those schools who contract Devon Maintenance Partnership (DMP) the contact details are:
\nSouth West Norse Help line: 07826 858727 (Out of hours emergencies) | 01392 351000 (Office hours)
\nSouth West Norse will support all schools but will charge those not in the DMP.<\/li>\n- Contact SW Water to enquire if a Water Bowser can be delivered to ensure that toilets are regularly flushed, manually by buckets and pupils and staff have access to adequate hand washing facilities.\u202fThe SWW Service Helpline contact number is: 0344 346 2020<\/a><\/li>\n
- You may need to request additional hours from your facilities management team or caretaker to assist with these duties.<\/li>\n
- Contact your school meal provider, or kitchen manager to discuss arrangements for school meals.<\/li>\n
- Arrange for bottled water to be distributed to pupils and staff.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
<\/p>\n
If the school cannot safely remain open,this must be reported through the school closures webpage<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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\u202fSchool break-ins<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Plans should be made in case of a break-in to school premises, including dealing with any damage caused.<\/p>\n\n\n
- Reporting school break-ins <\/a>
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- Contact the police and report break in.\u202fDo not touch anything until the police arrive onsite.<\/li>\n
- Assess the risk to the health, safety and welfare of all onsite pupils, staff and visitors.<\/li>\n
- Make a record of the damage caused, including taking photographic records, if possible.\u202f Access the asbestos register (if there is one) to assess if asbestos has been damaged.<\/li>\n
- Contact the school insurance company, if appropriate.<\/li>\n
- The local authority can be informed of such an incident via: schoolspriorityalerts-mailbox@devon.gov.uk<\/a><\/li>\n
- If the school needs to close this must be reported through the school closures webpage<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n
Support following a critical incident<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
There will be scenarios in our schools where additional support is required from Devon County Council\u2019s Educational Psychology Service. Further information on critical incidents and support for schools and settings can be found in our critical incident pack – information for schools and educational settings<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n
- Accessing support after a critical incident in school<\/a>
If a school or educational setting has experienced a critical incident, whether it involves the closure of a school or otherwise, it is important that the Local Authority are notified immediately so that any relevant support can be coordinated and put in place as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
When reporting a critical incident impacting a school or educational setting, please email the Educational Psychology Service mailbox educate.educationalpsychologycentral-mailbox@devon.gov.uk<\/a> or call us on 0345 155 1019<\/a> and ask for Educational Psychology. A member of the Educational Psychology Service will respond to you as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nFrequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n
- Are we allowed to hand out the schools\u2019 Emergency Plan to pupils\u2019 parents?\u202f<\/a>
It is not advisable to publish schools\u2019 emergency p<\/span>lans<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n
Schools may decide to produce <\/span>a very short<\/span> summary on when the plan would be invoked and how parents and students will be informed<\/span>, rather than publish detailed actions the school will take in certain emergencies.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- What percentage of staff or children have to be off to close a school?\u202f <\/a>
There are no set percentages; it is up to the Headteacher in consultation with governors to decide if the school is unmanageable.\u202f This is a school decision.<\/p>\n
The school should also consider different ways of achieving suitable supervision such as grouping classes within a larger space such as a school hall.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- What should I do if a significant number of children and staff are absent from school due to infectious illnesses?<\/a>
For immediate advice for on what to do when a child is ill at school, and when to escalate to UKHSA, information is also available at: Managing specific infectious diseases: A to Z – GOV.UK<\/a><\/p>\n
Please also refer to Devon Schools Wellbeing Partnership at:\u202fInfectious disease and illness<\/a> where there is a wide range of health and wellbeing information and signposting.<\/p>\n
In the event of a health protection issue, the advice is to contact the UKHSA Health Protection teams if there is a suspected outbreak of a notifiable illness.<\/p>\n
For details of notifiable diseases, please refer to Notifiable diseases and how to report them – GOV.UK<\/a><\/p>\n
The South West contact details are:<\/p>\n
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- Tel: 0300 303 8162<\/a><\/li>\n
- Email:\u202fswhpt@ukhsa.gov.uk<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Email for personal identifiable information (PII):\u202fphe.swhpt@nhs.net<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- What should the school do in the event of an incident on a field trip resulting in a serious injury or accident? <\/a>
If a serious injury or accident occurs on a school trip that involves a child, teacher or support person please refer to resources and information on the outdoor education and off-site visits: safe practice, support and advice<\/a> webpage.<\/p>\n
The school should also contact the Devon Health and Safety Service as the incident may need reporting under the RIDDOR regulations.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- After a major incident, accident or death of a pupil or deceased family member who do I contact for psychologist support?\u202f <\/a>
Information on critical incidents and support for schools and settings can be found in our critical incident pack – information for schools and educational settings<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- Can I close the school to allow teachers and pupils to attend the funeral of a deceased teacher, pupil or someone close to the school?\u202f <\/a>