UK PE Group
Cross Country Safety &
Registration Hub
Everything runners, parents and schools need for the Sefton Primary Schools Cross Country League 2026/27 — online registration, parental consent and medical declarations, event rules, safeguarding and the league's approved race risk assessments.
Individual Runner Registration
Children whose school isn't entering a full team can still take part — parents register online, in advance. Entries close the day before each fixture and walk-ins aren't accepted, so every runner is registered, consented and accounted for before race day.
Online registration
Choose your races and category, enter runner and contact details, and pay £3 per race online.
Supervision confirmed
A member of school staff must be at the fixture to supervise the runner — this is confirmed during registration.
Printable pass
After registering you receive a booking reference and a printable runner pass with your race details.
School Team Registration
Schools enter boys' and girls' teams in the Year 3/4 and Year 5/6 categories — up to 10 runners per race, with positions 1–4 scoring for the team total. Each school must provide a marshal to help steward the course.
- Team entries are invoiced at £25 per team — download the invoice or complete the form online.
- Schools are responsible for supervising their own pupils throughout the event, including a responsible adult for each individual runner they bring.
- Schools must bring their own first aid support, inhalers and emergency contact details for their runners.
- Team sheets, race packs and downloadable forms are available on the league page once your entry is confirmed.
Parental Consent & Medical Declaration
Every runner must have a completed parental declaration before they can race. The declaration is completed in full during online registration and covers:
What parents declare
- • Runner's details, school and race category
- • Contact details and an alternative emergency contact
- • Medical conditions, allergies, medication and additional support needs
- • Emergency medical authorisation
- • That a member of school staff will supervise the runner on race day
Consent that can't be skipped
- • Parental consent for the runner to compete
- • Acknowledgement of the ordinary risks of cross country running
- • Electronic signature and date
An incomplete consent form can never be marked as accepted — the entry stays pending until every consent step is confirmed.
Taking part in cross country involves ordinary sporting risks. Our declaration records parents' acknowledgement of those risks — it does not, and cannot, exclude the organisers' responsibility for injury caused by negligence.
Event Rules & Supervision
Four races per fixture — Year 3/4 Girls, Year 3/4 Boys, Year 5/6 Girls and Year 5/6 Boys — each over approximately 1,600 metres.
Safeguarding & Child Protection
The league operates under the UK PE Group safeguarding policy. Children are only released to their supervising adult, and photography consent is separate from race registration.
On the day
• A designated safeguarding lead is present at every fixture.
• Missing children are announced immediately; racing is suspended and stewards sweep the site until the child is found.
• Any safeguarding concern is recorded and passed to the school and relevant authorities where required.
Event Risk Assessments
Each of the five fixtures has its own risk assessment, completed after a named assessor inspects the course and approved by the event organiser. Only approved, published assessments appear below — draft and under-review assessments are never published. Every published document shows its version and last review date.
Firwood Bootle Cricket Club (2nd Training Ground), Stuart Road North, Bootle, L20 9ET
Course
Approximately 1,600-metre course on the 2nd Training Ground at Firwood Bootle Cricket Club. Course inspected and found satisfactory on 1 October 2026; cricket square/outfield, nets, fencing, covers, equipment and ground hazards reviewed. Any temporary changes must be rechecked on event day before racing.
Access & parking
Parking at Firwood Bootle Cricket Club, Stuart Road North, Bootle L20 9ET. Event entrance and ambulance access confirmed at inspection; pedestrians kept separate from vehicles and emergency access kept clear.
Timings
Registration from approx 3:50pm. Y3/4 Boys 16:00; Y3/4 Girls 16:15; Y5/6 Boys 16:30; Y5/6 Girls 16:45.
Emergency arrangements
Emergency access: Firwood Bootle CC (2nd Training Ground), Stuart Road North, Bootle L20 9ET — venue inspected; exact emergency gate to be confirmed unobstructed on event day.
First aid: Named competent first-aid provision with accessible kit, emergency access and communications confirmed; 999 call procedure in place.
Identified hazards & controls
| Hazard | People at risk | Initial | Controls | Residual |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cricket outfield/square: uneven, soft or worn ground, covers or temporary equipment | Runners, spectators, staff | Medium | Inspect the full race route and cricket square/outfield before opening. Remove or isolate covers, ropes, portable equipment and trip hazards. Re-route around any unsafe or protected playing surface. | Low |
| Cricket nets, fencing, sight screens, boundary markers and fixed structures | Runners, spectators, staff | Medium | Keep the running line clear of nets, fences, screens, posts and stored equipment. Cone/tape exclusion zones and place marshals at any point where runners pass nearby. | Low |
| Vehicle/maintenance access and emergency route around the training ground | Runners, spectators, vehicles | High | Confirm the event entrance and ambulance access before the first race. Separate pedestrians from vehicles, prevent vehicle movements across the live course and keep emergency access unobstructed. | Medium |
| Uneven ground, holes, tree roots and trip hazards | Runners, spectators, staff | Medium | Walk the entire outfield/course; identify holes, divots, worn areas and changes of level; remove branches/rubbish; isolate unsafe areas; cones and marshals at unavoidable hazards. | Low |
| Wet, icy or excessively muddy surface | Runners, spectators, staff | High | Inspect on race day and after weather changes; divert unsafe sections; advise suitable footwear; postpone/cancel if safe route cannot be provided. | Medium |
| Unsafe weather: lightning, wind, heat or poor visibility | Runners, spectators, staff | High | Monitor forecast and conditions; suspend immediately for lightning or dangerous wind; shelter/evacuate; water, shade and appropriate warm layers. | Medium |
| Collision, falls or congestion at mass start / narrow points | Runners | Medium | Separate school teams; brief no pushing; sufficient width, staggered positioning if required, lead and pinch-point marshals. | Low |
| Finish funnel crowding / spectators entering course | Runners, spectators | Medium | Cones/tape at funnel, clear exit path; dedicated finish marshals; spectator exclusion; no loose rope across running route. | Low |
| Overexertion, asthma, allergies or other medical needs | Runners | High | Schools check fitness, medical plans, medication and parental consent; pupils carry accessible inhalers where needed; staff know individual plans; stop runners in distress. | Medium |
| Injury or acute medical emergency | Runners, spectators, staff | High | Named competent first-aid provision, accessible kit, emergency access and communications; call 999 when necessary; record incident; no unsupported return to race. | Medium |
| Missing child, unaccompanied child, safeguarding concern | Runners | High | Pre-register; school bases and headcounts before/after each race; named supervising adult; lost-child point at registration; no child sent off alone; safeguarding escalation. | Medium |
| Insufficient marshals or failed communications | Runners, spectators, staff | High | Marshal every junction and hazard; briefing, phone/radio check, sweep runner and escalation plan; no race start without adequate coverage. | Low |
| Vehicles and pedestrians at parking/access points | Runners, spectators, vehicles | High | Confirm site vehicle routes and the exact emergency entrance. Separate pedestrians from vehicles, supervise crossings, prevent vehicle movements across the live course and keep emergency access clear. | Medium |
| Unsafe spectators, dogs, cyclists or other course users | Runners, spectators | Medium | Brief venue users and spectators on race zones; keep dogs, cyclists and non-event users away from the live course where practicable; marshals pause the race if the route becomes obstructed. | Low |
| Toilets, hydration, exposure and accessibility needs | Runners, spectators, staff | Medium | Confirm toilets, accessible routes, water and suitable school base areas with the venue; schools ensure clothing, warm-up and supervision; plan individual reasonable adjustments. | Low |
| Unclear handover of individual / parent-entered runners | Runners | High | Confirm named adult at registration; contact details and explicit collection point; parent/guardian supervises outside the race; record return/handover. | Low |
| Unexpected event disruption / evacuation | Runners, spectators, staff | High | Single incident controller; established assembly point; clear message to marshals and schools; emergency vehicle access; suspend/restart only after approval. | Medium |
| Lost personal data, photos or results disclosure | Runners, staff | Medium | Limit entry/medical data access; keep medical details away from public website; consent/notice for photos and results; secure records. | Low |
Risk levels use the league's documented likelihood and severity matrix. A low score alone never makes a risk automatically acceptable — controls and residual risk are reviewed on their merits at each inspection.
League common controls
Safeguarding & child protection
A designated safeguarding lead is present at every fixture. All runners are supervised by their school staff or a responsible adult, and any safeguarding concern is reported immediately to the lead and recorded.
First aid & medical emergencies
A first aid point operates at every fixture alongside the registration table. Qualified first aiders are on site throughout, emergency vehicle access is kept clear, and medical information supplied at registration is available only to authorised staff.
Missing child procedure
Any child reported missing is announced immediately, racing is suspended where necessary, stewards sweep the course and car parks, and the police are contacted if the child is not located promptly.
Communication failure
Race officials and stewards use agreed mobile and radio contact details. If communication is lost, races are suspended until contact is restored.
Severe weather
The course is checked on the morning of each fixture for ice, waterlogging, wind chill and visibility. Racing may be modified, postponed or cancelled where conditions are unsafe.
Race suspension or cancellation
The event organiser may suspend or cancel racing at any point for safety. Schools are notified by the league communication channels, and any decision is recorded in the fixture assessment.
Race 1 — Merchant Taylors' Playing Fields, Crosby
Monday 21 September 2026 · SSS-XC-2026-R1 · Retrospective record & lessons learned
Race 2 — Litherland Sports Park
Tuesday 29 September 2026 · SSS-XC-2026-R2
Race 3 — Firwood Bootle Cricket Club (2nd Training Ground), Bootle
Thursday 8 October 2026 · SSS-XC-2026-R3
Race 4 — Litherland Sports Park
Tuesday 23 February 2027 · SSS-XC-2026-R4
Race 5 — Merchant Taylors' Playing Fields, Crosby
Thursday 11 March 2027 · SSS-XC-2026-R5
First Aid & Emergency Information
Public safety information for every fixture. Detailed emergency response plans and staff contact numbers are issued to registered race staff and are not published here.
First aid point
Located next to the registration table — look for the high-vis stewards if unsure.
Lost child
Report to the registration table immediately. Racing is suspended until the child is found.
Emergency access
Emergency vehicle routes are kept clear at every venue — please park only where directed.
Injury or incident
Report any injury or incident to a steward or the first aid point, however minor it seems.
Photography & Privacy
Photography and marketing permissions are entirely separate from race registration and medical consent — parents choose them independently, and race results never include medical or private contact information.
• Photo consent is optional and asked separately from registration, medical consent and sponsorship.
• Medical information supplied at registration is accessible only to authorised event staff and is never published in results.
• Personal data is processed under our privacy notice, which explains how long records are kept and how to request deletion.
Organiser & Sponsor Information
The league is organised by Sefton Schools Sports, a division of UK PE Group Ltd. Event organiser: CoachRose — Phil Rose.
Responsibilities
• The organiser completes, approves and publishes each fixture's risk assessment.
• Sponsorship and promotional consent are kept separate from registration and medical consent.
• Insurance documentation and written agreements are held by the organisers and available to schools and venues on request — sponsors and volunteers are covered only where a written agreement says so.
Sponsor the league
Our sponsorship pack shows seasonal race data, participation numbers and the opportunities available to local partners.
Downloadable Forms
Schools and parents can download and print the forms they need. Individual runner registration is completed online; a paper form is available on request if you'd prefer to register by hand.