Education

The Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) vs commercial insurance for schools

Reviewed by the Apex broking team · Last reviewed 2026-10-15

The RPA is DfE's alternative to insurance for academies and maintained schools in England. It covers most core risks, but not all of them, and trusts have to show that their choice is good value for money.

Part of: Education insurance guide

In short

The Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) is DfE's alternative to commercial insurance. It is open to academy trusts and local-authority maintained schools in England, including church schools, but not to independent schools. For 2026/27 it costs £29 per pupil (or per place in special schools, alternative provision and pupil referral units) and gives unlimited employers', public and professional liability cover, with set limits for other risks. It does not cover road vehicles such as minibuses, and schools usually buy engineering inspection, larger contract works and staff absence cover separately.

RPA vs commercial insurance at a glance

Point	RPA (DfE)	Commercial insurance
Who can use it	Academy trusts and local-authority maintained schools in England, including church schools (separate rules apply to each school type)	Any school, including independent schools
What it is	A government arrangement: losses are paid by the government instead of an insurer	A contract with one or more insurers
Cost basis	£29 per pupil (or per place in special schools, alternative provision and pupil referral units)	Rated on the school's own risk, buildings, claims and cover chosen
Year	Academies: 1 September to 31 August. Maintained schools: 1 April to 31 March	Policy period agreed with the insurer, often with a long-term agreement
Payment	Academies: deducted at source from the General Annual Grant. Maintained schools: deducted from the budget share	Paid by the school or trust from its budget
Leaving	At the end of a membership year, with at least three months' notice	Per policy and any long-term agreement terms
Gaps to fill	Road vehicles, engineering inspection and breakdown, larger building works, staff absence and some specialist liabilities	Depends on the policy wording

Figures are from DfE's RPA guidance and the academy membership rules (September 2026), and were checked in October 2026. DfE reviews costs every year.

What the RPA is

The Risk Protection Arrangement is the Department for Education's alternative to commercial insurance for state-funded schools in England. It is not an insurance policy. DfE describes it as covering the risks normally included in a standard school insurance policy, with losses paid by the government rather than an insurer, "within the scope and up to the limits" of membership. Members also get risk management advice and training.

Cover is set out in the membership rules, not in a policy schedule. Each type of school has its own set of rules, and they run to more than 130 pages. Read the version that applies to you before you compare it with anything else.

Which schools can join

Academy trusts and multi-academy trusts. The academy rules say all academy trusts and multi-academy trusts can opt in. Free schools are academies, so they are included. Converter academies are signed up automatically but can opt out.
Multi-academy trusts joining in stages. A trust can join in phases while some of its academies are still on commercial contracts. The academy rules link cover for central trust infrastructure to all the trust's academies eventually joining.
Local-authority maintained schools. Under the maintained school rules, the governing body of a maintained school can join at any time. A local authority can join for a pupil referral unit it maintains, but only if the unit's management committee passes a resolution supporting it.
Church schools. DfE publishes separate rules for church academies, voluntary aided and foundation schools and voluntary controlled schools. Where a church body lets the school occupy its property, its trustees are covered for losses and liabilities arising from that occupation. They can also claim on the school's behalf and be paid directly.
Independent schools. They are not eligible. The RPA is only open to public sector schools, so an independent school needs a full commercial programme.

What the RPA covers and its limits

DfE's summary of cover sets these limits:

Cover	Limit
Material damage	Reinstatement value of the property
Business interruption	£10 million any one loss
Employers' liability	Unlimited
Third-party (public) liability	Unlimited
Governors' liability	£10 million any one loss and any one membership year
Professional indemnity	Unlimited
Employee and third-party dishonesty	£500,000
Money	Various, including £5,000 for cash on premises or in transit
Personal accident	£100,000 death and capital benefits
Overseas travel	£10 million medical expenses; £4,000 cancellation per person
Legal expenses	£100,000 any one loss and any one membership year
Cultural assets	£10,000 per item; £250,000 for any one loss of multiple items
Cyber	£250,000 any one loss and any one membership year; £750,000 aggregate across a group

Members pay a share of each loss, which the rules call a member retention. Under the academy rules this is £500 for material damage and business interruption (£250 for primary academies) and £1,000 for subsidence. It is £1,000 for professional indemnity and £2,000 for cyber (£1,000 for primary academies). There is no retention for employers', public or governors' liability. Building works are covered up to £250,000 for each loss. Cyber cover also has conditions the school must meet, so check them in the rules.

What the RPA does not cover

The gov.uk guidance directs schools to DfE's Get help buying for schools service for anything outside the RPA. Its insurance framework lists specialist cover that is designed to sit alongside the RPA:

Motor vehicles, including minibuses. Under the rules, property cover excludes vehicles licensed for road use while they are on the public highway. Liability cover excludes cases where motor insurance is compulsory under the Road Traffic Act 1988. A school that owns or leases a minibus needs motor insurance, and a trust with several vehicles may want fleet cover.
Engineering inspection and breakdown. The rules require compliance with the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations and the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations. They also exclude mechanical or electrical breakdown. Statutory inspection of lifts, boilers and pressure plant is usually bought separately, as engineering inspection cover.
Larger building projects. RPA cover for works is capped at £250,000 for each loss and is limited to extending, altering or refurbishing existing buildings. Bigger projects usually need contract works cover.
Staff absence and income protection. These are listed on the framework as extra cover, not RPA cover.
Unoccupied buildings. Buildings left unoccupied for more than 30 days have restricted cover under the rules.

The rules also say the RPA will not pay where a risk is insured elsewhere. Avoid double cover, and make sure any commercial top-up is written to work with RPA membership.

Governance: who decides and how

For academies, the Academy trust handbook 2026 sets out the rules:

Paragraph 2.45: the trust must have adequate insurance cover in line with its legal obligations, or be an RPA member. Not all risks are covered by the RPA, so RPA members may need additional commercial insurance.
Paragraph 2.46: the trust should consider the RPA unless commercial insurance gives better value for money, and should record its decision-making. A trust outside the RPA should set its own level of cover, including buildings and contents, business continuity, and employers' and public liability.
Paragraph 1.26: trustees must ensure regularity, propriety and value for money in the use of the trust's funds.

In practice the board, or its finance and audit committee, should approve the choice and minute the reasons. Governors' and trustees' own exposure is covered in our guide to D&O for academy trusts and schools.

How to compare RPA and commercial cover at renewal

Like for like. Compare limits, retentions and exclusions line by line against the right set of membership rules, not against a summary.
Total cost. Add the per-pupil RPA cost to everything you would still need to buy, such as motor, engineering inspection, contract works and staff absence. Compare that total with a full commercial programme.
Cyber. RPA cyber cover is limited to £250,000. Compare that with your realistic exposure to restoring systems, notifying people about a breach and closing the school. See our page on cyber cover for schools.
Timing. You can join the RPA at any time, but you can only leave at the end of a membership year with three months' notice. Check any long-term agreement on a commercial policy before you move.
Trusts with several academies. Map which academies are on which arrangement, and check how central services are covered during a phased move.
Record the decision. Keep the comparison and the board minute as evidence of value for money.

What cover a school typically needs

Whether a school is in the RPA or not, the core needs are similar:

Employers' liability for staff. The RPA provides this without a limit.
Public liability for pupils, parents, visitors and lettings.
Buildings and contents at reinstatement value, plus business interruption.
Governors' or trustees' liability, and professional indemnity for advice and teaching.
Cyber, money and fidelity cover, and travel cover for trips.
For RPA members, extra cover for motor, engineering inspection, works and staff absence.

Independent schools need all of this on a commercial basis. Our independent school risk assessment and education insurance guide cover the detail.

Sources

Frequently asked

Can independent schools join the RPA?

No. The RPA is only for public sector schools in England, meaning academy trusts and local-authority maintained schools, including church schools. Independent schools need commercial insurance.

How much does the RPA cost?

£29 per pupil, or £29 per place for special schools, alternative provision and pupil referral units. This applies to academies for 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027 and to maintained schools for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. DfE reviews the cost each year.

Does the RPA cover school minibuses?

No. Vehicles licensed for road use are excluded while they are on the public highway, and so is liability where motor insurance is compulsory. Schools need separate motor insurance for minibuses.

Do RPA members still need engineering inspection?

Usually, yes. The rules require compliance with lifting and pressure systems regulations and exclude mechanical or electrical breakdown. DfE's buying framework lists engineering inspection and breakdown as cover that sits alongside the RPA.

Can a trust leave the RPA?

Yes, at the end of a membership year, with at least three months' notice to the RPA administrator. The member keeps the benefits relating to its period of membership.

Does an academy trust have to join the RPA?

No. The Academy trust handbook says trusts should consider the RPA unless commercial insurance gives better value for money, and should record their decision. Trusts outside the RPA must arrange adequate commercial cover.

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Apex Insurance Brokers Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales, company number 07014570. This page is general information, not legal advice or advice on your individual circumstances, and it does not guarantee that cover will be available or on what terms. Check the official sources linked for the current position.