Arboricultural Compliance for Schools
Helping schools meet their duty of care through clear tree inspections, compliance reporting, and ongoing expert support.
Duty of care
Schools have a legal duty of care to manage trees safely and responsibly.
Highwoods works with schools, academies, and trusts to provide clear, practical arboricultural advice that supports compliance, reduces risk, and stands up to scrutiny.
Our services are designed to be proportionate, understandable, and tailored to educational settings, ensuring pupils, staff, and visitors are protected while avoiding unnecessary work or cost.
Tree Risk Management & Compliance Support for Schools
Tree inspection and risk assessment reports
Professional tree inspections for school grounds, delivered within an ongoing compliance framework. Inspections are designed to identify and assess foreseeable tree-related risks to pupils, staff, and visitors, and to support schools in meeting their duty of care obligations in a reasonable, proportionate, and defensible way.
Reports provide clear, prioritised recommendations and form part of a structured audit trail suitable for internal governance, external scrutiny, and insurance requirements.
Ongoing Advisory Support and Inspection Programmes
Tree safety is most effective when managed over time. Our standard service includes planned inspection programmes combined with ongoing advisory support, allowing schools and trusts to maintain continuity, clarity, and confidence in their approach to tree risk management.
This model enables us to build a detailed understanding of each site, its use, and its specific challenges, supporting informed decision-making, proportionate responses, and reduced reliance on reactive or unnecessary tree works.
Compliance Reporting, Specifications, and Contractor Support
Clear, defensible documentation is essential for effective governance. We produce Duty of Care Compliance Reports and Compliance Requirements Documents that clearly set out required actions, priorities, and timescales.
Where appropriate, we also provide contractor work specifications and support schools in reviewing quotations, helping ensure that proposed works are suitable, proportionate, and aligned with professional advice.
Proactive Management, Training, and Awareness
In addition to inspections, we support proactive management of trees in poorer condition, including interim management planning aimed at reducing long-term risk and cost.
We also offer practical staff awareness sessions designed to help school teams understand their role in tree safety, recognise when concerns should be reported, and know when professional advice should be sought. supporting day-to-day site management without placing inspection responsibilities on staff.
Why schools choose this service
Experience working specifically with schools and education settings.
Clear, jargon-free reports suitable for governors, auditors, and inspectors.
Advice aligned with duty of care principles and best practice.
Practical recommendations that balance safety, budget, and tree value.
Reliable ongoing support, not just one-off report.
Discuss your options
If you have any questions about the trees on your site or wish to discuss your options, please do give me a call. I am always happy to talk trees.
Highwoods 