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First Aid Policy

FIRST AID POLICY

Issue 2

Policy details

  • Date created - October 2021
  • Date reviewed - 29th November 2024
  • Date approved - 29th November 2024 - Headteacher
  • Next review date - November 2027
  • Policy owner - Jack Ryan

  1. Aims
  2. Legislation and Guidance
  3. Roles and Responsibilities
  4. First Aid Procedures
  5. First Aid Equipment
  6. Record-Keeping and Reporting
  7. Training
  8. Monitoring Arrangements
  9. Links with other Policies

  1. Aims

The aims of our First Aid Policy are to:

  • Ensure the health and safety of all staff, pupils and visitors
  • Ensure that staff and governors are aware of their responsibilities with regards to health and safety
  • Provide a framework for responding to an incident and recording and reporting the outcomes.

  1. Legislation and Guidance

This policy is based on advice from the Department for Education (DfE) on first aid in schools and health and safety in schools, and guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on incident reporting in schools, and the following legislation:

  1. Roles and Responsibilities

Appointed person(s) and first aiders

The school’s appointed person[s] are responsible for:

  • Taking charge when someone is injured or becomes ill
  • Ensuring there is an adequate supply of medical materials in first aid kits, and replenishing the contents of these kits
  • Ensuring that an ambulance or other professional medical help is summoned when appropriate
  • First aiders are trained and qualified to carry out the role (see section 7) and are responsible for:
  • Acting as first responders to any incidents; they will assess the situation where there is an injured or ill person, and provide immediate and appropriate treatment
  • Sending pupils home to recover, where necessary
  • Filling in an accident report on the same day as, or as soon as is reasonably practicable, after an incident (see the template in appendix 1)
  • Keeping their contact details up to date

The Trust Board

The Trust Board has ultimate responsibility for health and safety matters in the school, but delegates operational matters and day-to-day tasks to the Principal and staff members.

The Headteacher

The Headteacher is responsible for the implementation of this policy, including:

  • Ensuring that an appropriate number of trained first aid personnel are present in the school at all times
  • Ensuring that first aiders have an appropriate qualification, keep training up to date and remain competent to perform their role
  • Ensuring all staff are aware of first aid procedures
  • Ensuring appropriate risk assessments are completed and appropriate measures are put in place
  • Undertaking, or ensuring that managers undertake, risk assessments, as appropriate, and that appropriate measures are put in place
  • Ensuring that adequate space is available for catering to the medical needs of students
  • Reporting specified incidents to the HSE when necessary

Staff

School staff are responsible for:

  • Ensuring they follow first aid procedures
  • Ensuring they know who the first aiders in school are
  • Completing accident reports (see appendix 1) for all incidents they attend to where a first aider is not called
  • Informing the Principal or their manager of any specific health conditions or first aid needs

  1. First Aid Procedures

In-School Procedures

In the event of an accident resulting in injury:

  • The closest member of staff present will assess the seriousness of the injury and seek the assistance of a qualified first aider, if appropriate, who will provide the required first aid treatment.
  • The first aider, if called, will assess the injury and decide if further assistance is needed from a colleague or the emergency services. They will remain on the scene until help arrives.
  • The first aider will also decide whether the injured person should be moved or placed in a recovery position.
  • If the first aider judges that a student is too unwell to remain in school, parents will be contacted and asked to collect their child. Upon their arrival, the first aider will recommend next steps to the parents.
  • If emergency services are called, the first aider will contact parents immediately.
  • The first aider will complete an accident report form on the same day or as soon as is reasonably practicable after an incident resulting in an injury.

Off-Site Procedures

When taking students off the school premises, staff will ensure they always have the following:

  • A portable first aid kit including, at minimum:
  • A leaflet giving general advice on first aid
  • 6 individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings
  • 1 large sterile unmedicated dressing
  • 2 triangular bandages – individually wrapped and preferably sterile
  • 2 safety pins
  • Individually wrapped moist cleansing wipes
  • 2 pairs of disposable gloves
  • Information about the specific medical needs of students
  • Parents’ contact details

When transporting students using a minibus or other large vehicle, the school will make sure the vehicle is equipped with a clearly marked first aid box containing, at minimum:

  • 10 antiseptic wipes, foil packed
  • 1 conforming disposable bandage (not less than 7.5cm wide)
  • 2 triangular bandages
  • 1 packet of 24 assorted adhesive dressings
  • 3 large sterile unmedicated ambulance dressings (not less than 15 cm × 20 cm)
  • 2 sterile eye pads, with attachments
  • 12 assorted safety pins
  • 1 pair of rustproof blunt-ended scissors

Risk assessments will be completed by the trip lead prior to any educational visit that necessitates taking students off school premises.

The school will normally have a trained first aider on the visit or in some circumstances first aid cover may be provided by staff at the venue for the visit.

  1. First Aid Equipment

    First Aid Kits

A typical first aid kit in our school will include the following:

  • A leaflet giving general advice on first aid
  • 20 individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings (assorted sizes)
  • 2 sterile eye pads
  • 2 individually wrapped triangular bandages (preferably sterile)
  • 6 safety pins
  • 6 medium-sized individually wrapped sterile unmedicated wound dressings
  • 2 large sterile individually wrapped unmedicated wound dressings
  • 3 pairs of disposable gloves

No medication is kept in first aid kits.

First aid kits are stored in:

  • The Medical Room
  • Science Prep Room
  • Site Team Workroom
  • Food Technology Classrooms
  • Technology Classrooms                      
  • Art Classrooms
  • All Department Staff Bases

  1. Record-Keeping and Reporting

First Aid and Accident Record Book

  • An accident form will be completed by the first aider on the same day or as soon as possible after an incident resulting in an injury.
  • As much detail as possible should be supplied when reporting an accident, including all of the information included in the accident form at appendix 1.
  • A copy of the accident report form will also be added to the student’s Arbor record.
  • Records held in the first aid and accident book will be retained by the school for a minimum of 3 years, in accordance with regulation 25 of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations 1979, and then securely disposed of.

Reporting to the HSE

The Buildings and Community Manager will keep a record of any accident which results in a reportable injury, disease, or dangerous occurrence as defined in the RIDDOR 2013 legislation (regulations 4, 5, 6 and 7).

The Buildings and Community Manager will report these to the HSE as soon as is reasonably practicable and in any event within 10 days of the incident – except where indicated below. Fatal and major injuries and dangerous occurrences will be reported without delay (i.e. by telephone) and followed up in writing within 10 days.  

School staff: reportable injuries, diseases or dangerous occurrences

These include:

  • Death
  • Fractures, other than to fingers, thumbs and toes
  • Amputations
  • Any injury likely to lead to permanent loss of sight or reduction in sight
  • Any crush injury to the head or torso causing damage to the brain or internal organs
  • Serious burns (including scalding) which:
  • Covers more than 10% of the whole body’s total surface area; or
  • Causes significant damage to the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs
  • Any scalping requiring hospital treatment
  • Any loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
  • Any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space which leads to hypothermia or heat-induced illness, or requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours

Work-related injuries that lead to an employee being away from work or unable to perform their normal work duties for more than 7 consecutive days (not including the day of the incident). In this case, the Buildings and Community Manager will report these to the HSE as soon as reasonably practicable and in any event within 15 days of the accident.

Occupational diseases where a doctor has made a written diagnosis that the disease is linked to occupational exposure. These include:

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Severe cramp of the hand or forearm
  • Occupational dermatitis, e.g. from exposure to strong acids or alkalis, including domestic bleach
  • Hand-arm vibration syndrome
  • Occupational asthma, e.g from wood dust
  • Tendonitis or tenosynovitis of the hand or forearm
  • Any occupational cancer
  • Any disease attributed to an occupational exposure to a biological agent

Near-miss events that do not result in an injury, but could have done. Examples of near-miss events relevant to schools include, but are not limited to:

  • The collapse or failure of load-bearing parts of lifts and lifting equipment
  • The accidental release of a biological agent likely to cause severe human illness
  • The accidental release or escape of any substance that may cause a serious injury or damage to health
  • An electrical short circuit or overload causing a fire or explosion

Students and other people who are not at work (e.g. visitors): reportable injuries, diseases or dangerous occurrences

These include:

  • Death of a person that arose from, or was in connection with, a work activity*
  • An injury that arose from, or was in connection with, a work activity* and the person is taken directly from the scene of the accident to hospital for treatment

*An accident “arises out of” or is “connected with a work activity” if it was caused by:

A failure in the way a work activity was organised (e.g. inadequate supervision of a field trip)

The way equipment or substances were used (e.g. lifts, machinery, experiments etc); and/or

The condition of the premises (e.g. poorly maintained or slippery floors)

Information on how to make a RIDDOR report is available here:

How to make a RIDDOR report, HSE

  1. Training

All school staff are able to undertake first aid training if they would like to.

All first aiders must have completed a training course, and must hold a valid certificate of competence to show this. The school will keep a register of all trained first aiders, what training they have received and when this is valid until.


The school will arrange for first aiders to retrain before their first aid certificates expire. In cases where a certificate expires, the school will arrange for staff to retake the full first aid course before being reinstated as a first aider.

  1. Monitoring Arrangements

This policy will be reviewed every three years.

At every review, the policy will be approved by the Headteacher.

  1.  Links with other Policies


The First Aid Policy is linked to:

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