Frequently asked questions about school and academy insurance

From local authority maintained schools to multi-academy trusts (MATs), we provide tailor-made solutions to help you protect what’s important to your school community. If you’ve got a question about how our insurance works, what different covers mean, or how to access any part of our service, you might find the answer below.

Table of contents

FAQs about education insurance for schools and academies 

What is public liability cover?

Public liability insurance provides cover for claims made against you, should you be held liable for accidental personal injury to a third-party (not an employee) or accidental damage to a third-party’s property. This could include, for example, incidents involving parents or other visitors on school premises.

What is employers’ liability cover?

Employers’ liability insurance provides cover for compensation you could be legally liable to pay should an employee make a claim relating to illness, injury or disease that directly results from their work for your school or academy.

What is professional indemnity cover?

Professional indemnity insurance covers scenarios where someone might claim they have suffered a financial loss as a result of negligence by a member of school staff (e.g. poor or mistaken advice). Members of staff who carry out Ofsted inspections are among those required to be covered by professional indemnity insurance.

What is a hot works permit?

School building, renovation or maintenance works will often involve hot works – the use of open flames or the local application of heat and friction. Such works will require a permit tailored to the specific circumstances of the work.

For more information, see our article:

What is works in progress cover?

Works in progress cover will typically cover school properties that are undergoing repair, renovation or major rebuilding work. It can cover the building and it can cover the works.

The following questionnaire includes a checklist to use when appointing a contractor for building, repair or maintenance work:

What is engineering cover?

Engineering cover includes engineering insurance and engineering inspections for lifts, boilers and other equipment requiring statutory inspection.

The engineer surveyors operate across the United Kingdom.

Find out more about engineering cover.

What is school trip insurance?

School trip insurance covers staff and pupils outside of the classroom. It includes personal accident cover, emergency medical expenses, cancellation and rearrangement expenses, personal property and money cover, and more.

Cover for school trips is included as part of our Schools Insurance package. We also offer a standalone school trip insurance policy.

Find out more about school trip insurance.

Does my school or academy need cyber cover?

Schools hold large volumes of personal and sometimes sensitive data relating to staff, students and parents.

In the event of a cyber incident, schools could face a range of costs and challenges, including lost income, data recovery costs, legal expenses and more.

We can provide cyber cover via our partnership with Cowbell. If you would like to add cyber cover to your existing policy, please call us on 0800 917 9445.

What is the ‘Safer Schools’ ecosystem?

Safer Schools is a digital safeguarding ecosystem designed to educate, empower and help protect your school from safeguarding risk. It is available at no extra cost to school and local authority customers that have their insurance programme with Zurich Municipal.

Developed in partnership with online safety experts, Ineqe Safeguarding Group, Safer Schools provides a wide range of support and resources for teachers, parents, carers, students and safeguarding professionals.

Find out more about the Safer Schools digital safeguarding ecosystem.

Who are Previsico?

Previsico are surface water flood forecasting specialists who help people and organisations to minimise the impact of flooding.

We have invested in a partnership with Previsico to offer a surface water flood warning service, at no extra cost to our school and academy customers.

Find out more about our partnership with Previsico and the services available to customers.

FAQs about policy documents, policy changes, and claims

How do I make changes to my policy?

To make changes to your policy, call us on 0800 917 9445. If you have an online motor product with us, head to the Schools Customer Portal.

How do I request a quote for Schools Insurance?

You can request a Schools Insurance quote online via the Schools Customer Portal. Simply log in to the portal and click the ‘Get a quote’ button in the top right-hand corner. If you would prefer to speak to someone directly for a quote, call us on 0800 917 9445. 

How do I access my policy documents?

If you have a live policy with us, you can access your documents at any time via our Schools Customer Portal.

How do I make a claim?

You can make a claim by calling us, emailing us or writing to us. Please visit our ‘Make a claim’ page to find the right team to handle your claim as quickly as possible.

Can I have multiple policies for different schools or academies under one email address?

There can only be one organisation per email address. If your email address is associated with a multi-academy trust account, you will be able to act on behalf of all the schools in your trust. If you need multiple users for your multiple academy trust, please contact us on 0800 917 9445.

What payment methods do you accept?

You can pay for your insurance by bank transfer or by interest-free direct debit. For any further queries, please speak to one of our team on 0800 917 9445.

How do I cancel my policy?

You can cancel your insurance at any time by telephone, email or in writing, using the contact details shown on your policy documentation.

FAQs about our Schools Customer Portal (including password issues)

What is the Schools Customer Portal?

The Schools Customer Portal is an easy-to-use online, self-serve hub that houses your policy documents and provides real-time status updates on your insurance, such as renewals and mid-term adjustments. You can also request a quote for Schools Insurance within the portal, allowing you the flexibility to purchase or browse cover in your own time.

Visit the Schools Customer Portal to see for yourself.

How will the portal impact / benefit me?

The portal will save you time by allowing you to access your documents whenever you need them. You’ll also be able to request an online quote via the portal. This may mean you don’t need to contact us via phone or email for some queries. The portal will also display real-time status updates on your policies, such as renewals and new quotes.

How can I access the Schools Customer Portal?

If you already have a policy with us, an account for the Schools Customer Portal has been created for you. You’ll just need to set your password. You can do this by clicking the ‘Forgotten password’ link, and typing in the email address associated with your Schools Insurance policy.

If you do not have a policy with us, you can create an account. You’ll just need your URN if you are a school, or your UID if you are a MAT.

What do the statuses mean on my dashboard?

Each transaction on your policy will have a status to the right-hand side on your portal. Here is what different statuses mean:

  • ‘In progress’ – Your quote is under review by our underwriters, and we will look to get back to you as soon as possible.
  • ‘Incomplete’ – You have started a new quote, however, the details have not been completed for us to provide you with a price. You can go back to your quote at any time to complete it.
  • ‘Ready to buy’ – Your quote is complete and is ready for you to purchase.
  • ‘Accepted’ – The policy has been accepted and is now live, or will be live, from the policy start date.
  • ‘Renewal due’ – Your renewal is fast approaching, and we will need to ensure that the details we hold for your school are still accurate to adequately cover your needs.
  • ‘Expired’ – Your policy or quote has now passed its expiration date. If you have not already renewed your policy or requested another quote for insurance, you will need to do this as soon as possible to continue your cover.
  • ‘Cancelled’ – Your cover has been cancelled, either at your request or by us, the insurer. 

Need more information? Call us:

I've forgotten my password – what do I do?

Click on the 'Forgotten password' link. A secure link will be sent to your registered email address. Please follow the link, where it will ask you to enter a new password.

Why does it say my new password is invalid?

Your password needs to contain an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number, a special character and be at least 8 characters in length.

FAQs about multi-factor authentication 

What is multi-factor authentication (MFA)?

Multi-factor authentication enhances security by requiring additional verification steps making it more difficult for unauthorised users to gain access. This is particularly important for protecting sensitive information and preventing security breaches.

Why are we implementing MFA?

We are introducing multi-factor authentication (MFA) to give you an extra layer of protection so that, even if your password is compromised, a second verification step (e.g. a code on your phone) is required, reducing fraud risk and ensuring only you can access your Zurich applications.

How do I set up MFA for the first time?

Step 1: Log in to your Zurich Account.

Step 2: You will be prompted to complete MFA using a one-time passcode (OTP) sent to your registered email address. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete authentication.

Step 3: You may also wish to add additional MFA method (SMS). Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.

Step 4: Once set up, you shall be able to use either email or SMS to complete authentication each time you log in.

What are the different MFA options available?

  • Email authentication: A code will be sent to your registered email address
  • SMS authentication: A code will be sent to your mobile phone

If user is enrolled in more than one method, user will have the option to choose an MFA method to complete authentication when prompted.

What should I do if I can't access my MFA method?

Please contact our customer support:

Can I change my MFA method after initial setup?

Yes, you can change your MFA method by logging into your application settings, navigating to the security settings, and updating your MFA preferences. Follow the instructions provided to set up a new method.

What if I receive an MFA prompt that I did not initiate?

If you receive an MFA prompt that you did not initiate, it could indicate that someone else is trying to access your account. Do not approve the request.

How often will I need to use MFA?

You will need to use MFA each time you log in to your account. You may also be prompted for MFA periodically or when performing certain sensitive actions.

What should I do if I'm having trouble with MFA?

  • Ensure you have a stable internet connection
  • Double-check that you are entering the correct code or responding to the correct prompt
  • Restart your device and try again

Where will I get voice call and SMS codes from?

When you request a code via the SMS option you will receive an SMS with OTP from Zurich.

Can I share the code with anyone?

We strongly recommend that you do not share the code you receive with anyone as this will potentially give them access to your account.