The risk appetite statement your board can actually use
A risk appetite statement is the board saying, in advance, how much risk it is willing to carry in each area, so management knows where the line is before a decision, not after.
EthosOne's free Risk Position Pack gives you a board risk appetite statement template and a one-page risk position summary, so the board can set its appetite by category and see the current position against it on a single page. ISO 31000 aligned.
What is a risk appetite statement for a school?
It is a short, board-owned document that sets how much risk the school will accept in each category, financial, child safety, compliance, reputational, strategic, and the tolerances that trigger escalation. It turns risk from a feeling into a stated position the board has agreed.
The template gives you appetite language by category and a worked example, so the board can adopt a real statement rather than debate one from scratch.
Appetite statement template
Appetite by category, with tolerances and escalation triggers.
One-page risk position
Where the school sits now against the appetite it has set.
ISO 31000 aligned
Built on the standard schools and auditors already expect.
Why does the board need to set appetite, not just review risks?
Without a stated appetite, every risk is judged on the day, by whoever is in the room. With one, management can act inside agreed limits and escalate only what crosses them. That is the difference between a board that governs risk and one that merely reads about it.
In EthosOne the appetite statement sits over the live risk register, so the board sees the current position against its stated appetite at every meeting, not once a year.
Frequently asked questions
Is the risk position pack free?
Yes. The Risk Position Pack is a free download for independent schools.
What is the difference between risk appetite and risk tolerance?
Appetite is how much risk the board wants to take in a category overall. Tolerance is the boundary that, once crossed, requires escalation. The template covers both.
How does this relate to a risk register?
The appetite statement sets the line; the risk register tracks where you sit against it. EthosOne connects the two so the board sees position against appetite live.
Set your school's risk position once, defend every decision after
Download the Organisational Risk Position Pack: your risk categories, severity levels, scoring matrix and the board's risk appetite, plus a Risk Appetite Statement. Set the line once and every later risk decision becomes faster to defend. Free.