School Parade or March Risk Assessment Template

Typical hazards & measures

• Dehydration and medical welfare — Schedule water and rest breaks, assign a first-aid lead with AED and mobile kit, position ambulance access routes free of barriers, screen for heat or illness signs during movement, log any treatment, and communicate with families after notable incidents.
• Temporary stages, risers and PA rigs — Install only rated platforms with guardrails and toe-boards, level and pin modules, load within specification, secure cables, brief a competent person to inspect before use, and close the structure immediately if movement, creaks or loose fixings are detected.
• Marching pace, spacing and fatigue — Set a sustainable cadence with trained pace-setters, rehearse halts and restarts, rotate flag or drum carriers, provide drop-out points with a supervised re-join protocol, and shorten distances or durations for younger groups or first-time marchers.
• Safeguarding and public interactions — Keep pupils within stewarded cordons, place staff along the parade edges, brief on declining gifts or unscheduled photos, require identifiable staff lanyards, and escalate any concerning approach to a supervisor while recording time, location and description.
• Assembly and dispersal congestion — Designate a spacious assembly zone with marked lanes by class or team, timetable staggered arrivals and departures, separate spectator pens from the procession, open multiple gates, and deploy stewards to keep aisles and emergency paths clear from start to finish.