Who Is Responsible for PAT Testing in Schools?

The school’s employer holds overall health and safety accountability. Day-to-day arrangements are usually managed by the headteacher and school leadership team, with tasks allocated to the people responsible for the premises. Booking a PAT contractor is one part of that wider equipment-maintenance arrangement.

Identify the employer and the person managing the work

In England, the employer depends on the type of school. It may be the local authority, governing body or proprietor; for academies and free schools this is normally the academy trust. Delegating a task does not remove the employer’s legal accountability. See DfE’s school estate guidance and HSE’s explanation of school leadership roles.

For a practical visit plan, nominate a person who can coordinate rooms, equipment availability and decisions. This may be a premises manager, business manager or another authorised member of staff; the job title alone does not define the legal responsibility.

Give each part of the visit a clear owner

Prepare equipment across the whole school

• Ask departments about equipment held in cupboards, preparation rooms, kitchens and workshops.
• Include mains chargers, power supplies and detachable leads in the count; distinguish them from the battery-powered laptop or tablet itself.
• Confirm the boundary between school-owned, staff-owned and contractor-owned equipment.
• Identify rooms used by clubs, lettings or other organisations and agree whose equipment is in scope.
• Flag specialist equipment and any need for shutdown approval before the visit.

Use the appliance-counting guide and site preparation checklist to bring these details together.

Choose intervals according to risk

There is no blanket legal requirement to electrically test every school appliance annually. Equipment use, environment, damage history and the maintenance arrangements inform what checks are appropriate. HSE’s PAT guidance explains this approach; our frequency guide helps frame the discussion.

Book with access and reporting in mind

Term-time or holiday visits need an agreed access plan. Tell us about safeguarding procedures, escorts, security requirements and the dates you need; availability and arrangements are confirmed before booking.

AiO supports schools across the South and South West from its Christchurch base. Visit our school PAT testing service page for the delivery details, or speak to AiO about a tailored quote. You can also see our example reports and appliance labels.