Health and safety
The H&S competency covers the school's statutory duties to staff, pupils, contractors and visitors. It is the competency most likely to land in front of HSE on a serious incident, and the bursar is normally the school's competent person.
DfE H&S advice
The DfE document Health and Safety: advice on legal duties for schools and other education settings is the starting reference for the bursar. It cross-references the Health and Safety at Work Act, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations and the Control of Asbestos Regulations.[1]
HSE expectations
HSE expects the school to demonstrate a written H&S policy, named competent persons, current risk assessments for the school site and any school-led activity, an asbestos management plan where applicable, a legionella risk assessment, a fire-risk assessment and a credible programme of fire drills. The bursar coordinates the evidence file for inspector visits.[2]
IOSH expectation
There is no statutory requirement for the bursar to hold IOSH Managing Safely, but the qualification is increasingly written into senior bursar job descriptions and provides the documented competence HSE would expect from a senior named person.[3]