School premises shared use policy

Children's Services is wholly committed to the principle of the shared use of school, college and other educational premises to optimise the use of educational facilities.  

Children's Services recognises that governors and headteachers will develop individual guidelines to anticipate and determine the practicalities of achieving the shared use of facilities but sets out the following as a framework for the development of a policy within which all schools must work:

1. Schools, Adult Education, Integrated Youth Services, and Children's Services are complimentary elements of Norfolk County Council provision. While schools will clearly be regarded as the principle and major users of their own premises, the needs of Adult Education, Integrated Youth Services, and Children's Services must also be taken in to account when determining shared use.
2. In the terms of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, this policy framework applies to maintained schools only. However, Children's Services wishes to recommend these principles also to governors of voluntary schools.
3. Shared use of premises may only be undertaken when facilities are not directly required by students.
4. Schools should share with hirers the identification of the people responsible for the management and administration of the school's shared policy.
5. Schools should agree the arrangements to be made with regular users of the premises to determine a programme for each academic year.
6. Schools should seek written assurance from groups that they have the appropriate policies and DBS checks in place to safeguard children.
7. Schools should agree the arrangements for making casual bookings.
8. Schools should agree the method of informing hirers about the conditions of use.
9. Schools should advise hirers of the arrangement for keys, if you wish any group leaders to be key holders, you must ensure that the conditions in Section 5 are met. Failure to do this will invalidate your buildings insurance should any problems arise.
10. Schools should advise hirers of the security arrangements which must be followed.
11. Schools should advise hirers of the arrangements if a school has to be temporarily closed.
12. Schools should advise hirers of how the school will fulfil its health and safety responsibilities.