1.Identify risks to your school and staff
Understanding the risks your school faces is an important first step. These may include natural hazards, health emergencies, and utility failures.
Involve staff in discussions about the risks that are most relevant to your site, students, and community.
Things to think about
- School buildings may be damaged or unsafe to use.
- Access to the school may be limited due to local impacts.
- Power, water, or other utilities may be unavailable for several days.
- Staff or students may be injured or unable to get to or from school.
- Students may need to stay at school longer than usual, or be unable to be collected by caregivers.
Identifying risks helps you understand what plans and resources you need in place.
2.Look after your staff and students
Staff play a critical role during emergencies, and students rely on calm, prepared adults to keep them safe.
Ways to support staff and students
- Encourage staff to have a household emergency plan, so they know who to contact and how to get home safely.
- Keep emergency supplies on site for staff and students in case people need to remain at school for an extended period.
- Talk with disabled staff, students, and whānau about the support they may need during an emergency.
- Consider how you will support students with medical needs, disabilities, or other additional requirements.
- Encourage staff to keep a personal workplace emergency kit at their desk or in a shared staff area.
Personal workplace emergency kit
- Water
- Waterproof clothing and sturdy walking shoes
- Snack food
- Torch
- Mobile phone
- Essential medicines
The Ministry of Education has advice and guidelines to help you prepare your school for emergencies:
Prepare for an emergency or traumatic incident - Ministry of Education
Respond at school to an emergency or traumatic incident - Ministry of Education
3.Make a business continuity plan for your business
An Emergency and Continuity Plan helps your school continue essential functions and care for students and staff following an emergency.
Your plan should include:
- Roles and responsibilities for staff
- Procedures for student safety, supervision, and reunification with whānau
- How teaching and operations would continue or pause during disruption
- Essential supplies, equipment, and services
- Data backup and access to student and staff information
- How and when the plan will be practised and reviewed
Get started
Download these templates to support the development of a plan that suits your school or service:
4.Connect with your wider community
Strong relationships help schools respond and recover more effectively.
Build connections with local government, emergency services, neighbouring schools, early learning services, community groups, and whānau. Talk about emergency plans and how you might support one another.
In an emergency, these relationships can help keep students safe and support faster recovery.