Schools Insurance sample letters

Recommended wording for the circular to parents regarding opening hours. Times shown here are for example only.

"The school will open to receive pupils at 8.45a.m. No responsibility is accepted for pupils arriving before that time.
Classes will commence each day at 9.15a.m. No pupil should arrive later than 9.10am. Classes will end each day at
3.30p.m. Parents who wish to have their children escorted home should make their own arrangements to have them
met at the school gate and the person to escort them should be at the school no later than 3.30p.m as the school
cannot accept responsibility for looking after the children after that time. In the case of children travelling by the
school bus, the school cannot accept responsibility for escorting them from the bus to the school or from the school to
the bus. Those parents who feel that their children need to be escorted on these occasions should make arrangements
to ensure that some escort is provided."

We have included articles on this important subject in our newsletters on many occasions in the past. These have
included suggested wordings of letters which schools should issue to employers and these wordings are reproduced
below. Within the last year or so, we have been notified of a number of incidents which involved injury to pupils and
damage to employers property and where, on investigation, it was found that schools had used letters composed by
themselves. These letters caused employers to misunderstand the true insurance position. Consequently, in some
cases it was necessary for Allianz to deal with claims made by employers which might otherwise have been avoided.

For this reason, it is extremely important that the wordings below are the only ones used by schools. Initially, "Letter A"
should be issued to all employers. In those cases where the limited indemnity to employers is necessary, the details of
placement should be submitted to the Company. When cover is approved "Letter B" should then be issued.

Letter A

"Work Experience is part of the career education programme at this school. The insurance policy held by the school
indemnifies the Board of Management against any legal liability it incurs in connection with the participation of
students in the Work Experience programme. In the case of employers who provide opportunities for Work Experience
for our students, they are normally indemnified by their own insurance policies.

It is normal practice within the insurance industry for insurers to provide the appropriate indemnity to employers who
facilitate Work Experience programmes. Moreover, our experience has been that insurers make no additional charge
for including students under an employer's policy. However, should an additional charge be levied, the Board of
Management will reimburse the employer"

Letter B

"We wish to confirm that under the Public Liability Section of our school insurance policy our Insurer provides an
indemnity to the school in respect of our legal liability, as defined in the policy, arising from or in any way associated
with any work experience schemes and transition year placements organised by the school or in which we participate,
including indemnity to any employer in respect of the performance of such work by any student, subject always to the
terms Definitions Conditions Exclusions and limitations of this Section and our Policy ".

As a general rule, the school authorities should know where all the children are at all times. If children go home for
lunch, the parents should be asked to sign an authorisation note and the following wording is recommended:

"This is to acknowledge that we have requested the Manager and Teachers to allow our child (or children)
(...name(s)...) to leave the school premises at lunch time. We are aware that some accident may befall the child on
their way from or on their return to the school and we hereby absolve and release the Manager and Teachers from all
claims of every nature and kind in respect of any injury or loss or accident which may be suffered by the child during
lunch time."

The form should be addressed to the school, indicate the names of the child or children, signed by the parents and
dated.

Seo a leanas a mholtar a scríobh i gciorcláin chuig tuismitheoirí maidir le huaireanta oscailte. Amanna samplacha iad
seo.

"Osclóidh an scoil seo do dhaltaí ag 8.45a.m. Níl an scoil freagrach as daltaí a thiocfaidh roimh an am sin. Tosóidh
ranganna ag 9.15a.m. gach lá. Ba chóir go mbeadh gach dalta istigh faoi 9.10a.m. ar a dheireanaí. Críochnóidh
ranganna ag 3.30p.m. gach lá. Más mian le tuismitheoirí go mbaileoidh duine éigin a gcuid leanaí ba chóir dóibh a
gcuid socruithe féin a dhéanamh go mbaileofaí iad ó gheata na scoile agus ba chóir don té a bhaileoidh iad a bheith
ag an scoil ag 3.30p.m. ar a dheireanaí mar nach mbeidh an scoil freagrach as na leanaí i ndiaidh an ama sin. Maidir
le leanaí a úsáideann bus scoile, níl an scoil freagrach as na leanaí a thabhairt ón mbus go dtí an scoil ná ón scoil go
dtí an bus. Ba chóir do thuismitheoirí ar mian leo go mbeadh duine lena gcuid leanaí ag na hamanna seo a gcuid
socruithe féin a dhéanamh."

Tá ailt ar an ábhar tábhachtach seo curtha sna nuachtlitreacha go minic cheana againn. Tugadh samplaí de
litreacha a d’fhéadfadh scoileanna a thabhairt d’fhostóirí agus seo a leanas sampla arís. Le bliain anuas, nó mar sin,
tharla roinnt eachtraí inar gortaíodh daltaí nó rinneadh damáiste do mhaoin fostóirí agus, nuair a fiosraíodh an
scéal, bhí litreacha úsáidte ag na scoileanna a bhí scríofa acu féin. Mar gheall ar na litreacha seo, níor thuig na
fostóirí cás an árachais i gceart. Mar gheall air seo, bhí ar Allianz, i gcásanna áirithe, déileáil le héilimh ó fhostóirí
nach mbeadh orthu déileáil leo dá mbeadh na litreacha scríofa i gceart.

Dá bhrí sin, tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach nach n-úsáidfidh scoileanna ach an fhoclaíocht thíos. Ar an gcéad dul
síos, ba chóir "Litir A" a sheoladh chuig gach fostóir. Sna cásanna a bhfuil gá le slánaíocht theoranta d’fhostóirí, ba
chóir na sonraí maidir leis an taithí oibre a thabhairt don Chuideachta. Nuair a bheas clúdach ceadaithe ba chóir
"Litir B" a úsáid ansin.

Litir A

"Is cuid de chlár oideachais gairmeacha an Taithí Oibre sa scoil seo. Tugann polasaí árachais na scoile slánaíocht don
Bhord Bainistíochta i gcoinne aon dliteanas dlíthiúil mar gheall ar dhaltaí a bheith ar Thaithí Oibre. I gcás na
bhfostóirí a thugann Taithí Oibre do dhaltaí, bíonn slánaíocht acu go hiondúil faoina bpolasaithe árachais féin.

Is gnáthchleachtas é i dtionscal an árachais go dtugtar an tslánaíocht chuí d’fhostóirí a éascaíonn Taithí Oibre. Chomh
maith leis sin, tuigimid nach ngearrann lucht árachais aon táille bhreise ar dhaltaí ar pholasaí fostóirí. Má ghearrtar
táille bhreise, áfach, aisíocfaidh an Bord Bainistíochta an fostóir".

Litir B

"Is mian linn a dheimhniú go dtugann polasaí árachais na scoile seo faoi “Dliteanas Poiblí” slánaíocht don scoil i ndáil
lenár ndliteanas dlíthiúil, mar a shainmhínítear sa pholasaí, atá gaolmhar ar aon bhealach le scéimeanna taithí oibre
agus taithí oibre idirbhliana a eagraíonn an scoil nó a bhfuil an scoil páirteach iontu, lena n-áirítear slánaíocht aon
fhostóra i ndáil le hobair dalta, faoi réir, i gcónaí, théarmaí Shainmhínithe Choinníollacha Eisiamh agus
Theorainneacha na Coda seo den Pholasaí".

De ghnáth, ba choir go mbeadh a fhios ag údaráis na scoile cá bhfuil na leanaí an t-am ar fad. Má théann leanaí
abhaile don lón, ba chóir go síneodh tuismitheoirí nóta údaraithe agus moltar an fhoclaíocht seo a leanas:

"Iarraim leis seo ar an mBainisteoir agus ar na Múinteoirí cead a thabhairt dár leanbh (nó leanaí) (...ainm(neacha)...)
an scoil a fhágáil ag am lóin. Tuigimid go bhféadfadh timpiste a bheith ag an leanbh ar an mbealach abhaile nó
chuig an scoil agus ní dhéanfar aon éileamh leis seo ar an mBainisteoir ná ar na Múinteoirí mar gheall ar aon ghortú
nó caillteanas nó timpiste a tharlóidh don leanbh i rith an lóin."

Ba chóir an fhoirm a sheoladh chuig an scoil, agus ainm an linbh nó na leanaí a bheith scríofa uirthi, í a bheith sínithe
ag na tuismitheoirí agus dáta uirthi.