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Create a security risk management plan and policy#
Before creating your school's security risk management plan and policy, you should do a security audit and risk assessment. Follow the steps below.
- Audit and assess your security risks
A security audit and risk assessment should identify, analyse and mitigate security vulnerabilities across your school.
Key steps include:
- identifying critical systems
- reviewing security policies
- assessing the likelihood of threats
- implementing controls, ideally every year.
- Use a security consultant
Use a security consultant to audit your school's security and help you choose and arrange instalment of your security system.
Your security consultant must be experienced and licensed under the Private Investigators and Security Guards Act 1974.
Private Investigators and Security Guards Act 1974 – New Zealand Legislation
Ask your property advisor about security consultants in your area.
The consultant must follow the school security audit specifications below.
- Rank the security issues
Rank the security risks identified in the audit in order of importance.
- Create your security risk management plan
Develop a security risk management plan to minimise the risks you identified in your audit or assessment. Your plan needs to reflect:
- the character of your school
- your school’s needs
- the school community’s needs.
A security risk management plan for a suburban school will be very different from a plan for a rural school.
- Put together a security policy
The best time to put together a security policy is after the security audit and risk management planning exercise. The purpose of a security policy is to have effective procedures in place to manage your security. You may want to work with your security consultant on the policy.
An example of what your school security policy should cover is below.
- Monitor and review your plan and policy
Your security risks will change with time. At some stage, you may need to do a new security audit and plan. You should at least:
- review your risk management plan once a year using the security risk management planning tool below
- monitor any security incidents so you can quickly respond to risk changes
- assess the costs and plan for any work needed to improve your security as a result of your review
- update your security policy so that everyone understands any changes.
Record security incidents#
Your school should keep a record of any incidents such as vandalism, trespass, arson and other security issues. Have an incident log. Make sure it has:
- accurate information, including precise times, events and people involved
- a standard way of classifying each incident
- a record of what the incident cost the school, such as the cost of replacing something or of fixing property.
This information will be helpful when you audit and plan security for your school. It will also help you:
- see which incidents are more common
- see any patterns
- identify any times or the day, week or term when incidents are more likely to happen
- see if some locations are target areas
- see if some kinds of equipment are more likely to be targeted.
Funding for security work at school#
Security cameras which are part of a larger security system with a total cost of more than $5,000 can be a capital item. This means 5 Year Agreement (5YA) funding can be used.
For individual items of security equipment, such as wireless cameras and monitors, your school can use furniture and equipment funding.
Furniture and equipment funding for state schools
Furniture and equipment funding for integrated schools
If you are unsure about what funding you should use, the page below has more information.
What items we classify as furniture and equipment funding
For guidance on funding options for security works projects, talk to your property advisor.
