Tree Risk Management for Schools — Sheffield, Rotherham & Barnsley

THE CHALLENGE:

A multi-academy trust operating schools across Sheffield, Rotherham, and Barnsley required a comprehensive tree risk management programme covering all trees on their school grounds across the three South Yorkshire authorities. Schools present a particularly important duty of care context for tree risk management — children are on site every day, and the consequences of an undetected tree defect in a school environment require the highest standard of professional assessment and documentation.

The trust needed a consistently delivered programme across all sites, with outputs suitable for submission to their trustees, insurers, and the relevant local authorities.

OUR ROLE:

Urban Tree Management designed and delivered a school-by-school tree inspection and risk assessment programme for the multi-academy trust, covering all trees at every school in the portfolio. All inspections were carried out by DBS-checked, QTRA-qualified consultants using the Visual Tree Assessment methodology, with all findings recorded using GPS-enabled digital survey software.

Trees were risk-rated using QTRA — the industry-leading risk assessment methodology — allowing risk to be quantified and compared against established tolerance thresholds appropriate for the school environment. Georeferenced tree location plans, condition and risk ratings, and a prioritised works schedule were produced for each school.

THE OUTCOME:



The multi-academy trust received a complete, professionally documented tree risk management dataset covering all schools across Sheffield, Rotherham, and Barnsley — providing the evidence that their duty of care to pupils, staff, and visitors was being actively and professionally managed, a prioritised works schedule for all recommended tree works across the portfolio, and the documentation needed for trustees, insurers, and local authority building control.

 This project demonstrates Urban Tree Management's capability to deliver school tree safety survey programmes across South Yorkshire as well as the North West, and reflects our experience in working within the particular duty of care requirements of the educational sector.