All LA Maintained Schools (not VAs) need to carry out a SHaW Audit on a yearly basis – or at least review your previous one if there have been no major or concerning incidents surrounding premises management. In the autumn term 2025 we will be launching another survey to understand where there are any concerns, and / or support you in your audit process.
You will find two audit documents below. One is a form to enable any school to carry out its own SHaW audit and the other is a comprehensive guidance booklet to accompany your audit. You are strongly encouraged to read the guidance document before you start.
Once you have completed an audit (however you choose to do that), and filled out the survey (launched every year), it will be analysed and will show us whether an audit has been carried out, the headline findings, any common threads throughout the LA and feedback on the audit itself. Schools that indicate they have difficulties with SHaW, and those schools who do not return a survey, will be offered further support.
After the initial roll out, schools will be free to undertake it over a period of time, and to self analyse your level of compliance. It’s recommended that you carry this out once a year and you can factor that into your 9 Term Plan for whichever term suits you.
You will also find four more documents below, as follows:
Schools’ Workplace Inspection (SWPI) checklist – for any educational establishment to use. Useful for a termly walkround – can be used by Premises Responsible Persons / Managers and / or Senior Leaders and also for Governors. There is guidance within the document but one thing which cannot be advised enough is that of involving your staff! Teachers and TAs are the ones who really know their classrooms, and caretakers are invaluable when it comes to finding out what’s really happening with the buildings. Have a look at the document and see if it’s useful to you. Feedback welcomed!
A more Detailed Record Sheet for Workplace Inspections (DRSWPI) for when there might be multiple problems in one area, or where you want to record ongoing concerns over time. You can also use this sheet in conjunction with a risk assessment. Again, useful for the PRP to manage issues, and also for caretakers for daily checks in those problematic areas. This sheet has some examples filled in for you so you can see how it works.
This Classroom Checklist form has been compiled by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for use by schools in their classrooms. When I visit schools and talk about this type of form, I encourage the Premises Responsible Person to get the teachers to do these checks – they know their classrooms best, and can then take ‘ownership’ of any concerns that arise. Some teachers are even getting their pupils involved! Worth doing at a time-frame which suits the type of class base, but I would say half termly is a good average. You can of course add to this form as you wish.
A regime of tests and inspections which need to be undertaken in your premises.