Independent Schools Risk Report 2018

Aon’s Independent Schools Report, is an annual publication, produced in consultation with schools’ industry specialists and risk analysts. The report provides a snapshot of the complex, dynamic and unique risk environment that independent schools operate in, along with expert commentary, trends, and insights.

2018 – A School’s Reputation is Built by its People

School boards in recent years have been rattled by several unprecedented risk concerns, around the Royal Commission’s recommendations, cyberthreats and cyberbullying. Not surprisingly, this year’s top 10 includes two new concerns – Allegations of child abuse and Malicious cyber threats.  A heightened sense of risk awareness and concern is also reflected in the increase in board members who participated in the risk survey compared to previous years.

Brand and Reputation

Consistently ranked in the top 2, building and maintaining a good reputation is front and centre for boards and school business administrators. A result of various underlying factors, and top of mind in turbulent risk environments, school leaders must work to provide safe, and healthy environments for not just their students but also their staff to ultimately build a successful brand.

Student and Staff Wellbeing

The #MeToo movement, findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and cyberbullying cases have repeatedly made headlines this year. Reflected clearly in this year’s top concerns as a result, is several student and staff-related risks.

Cyber Security 

The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Australia’s Mandatory Data Breach Notification Bill both came into effect this year highlighting ongoing safety and privacy requirements around data handling. Boards, business administrators and teachers are increasingly concerned about being able to accurately understand their legal requirements, and stay protected from ever-changing technology-related risks.

Previous Reports

Independent Schools Risk Report 2017
Independent Schools Risk Report 2016
Independent Schools Risk Report 2015
Independent Schools Risk Report 2014