# Insurance for schools, school authorities and parent support associations in Germany

> In Germany much of a school's insurance is already settled. Pupils have statutory accident cover, and public school authorities usually insure buildings and liability through municipal loss pools or framework contracts. A broker is therefore mainly useful for parent support associations (Förderverein), church and independent school operators, and special projects. This page explains where the gaps are and what filling them costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-school-and-school-authority.php  
Updated: 2026-10-14

## Our school is insured by the town. Why would we need a broker?

For the building and the school authority's liability, you usually don't. A broker helps where municipal cover stops: the parent association running the summer fair, the cafeteria and the donations, pupil companies, church or independent schools with their own building, and equipment the association has bought itself.

## At a glance

- **Pupils:** Pupils at general and vocational schools have statutory accident insurance under § 2 (1) no. 8 (b) of Social Code Book VII, including supervised activities directly before and after lessons
- **Public school authorities:** Municipalities and districts usually cover buildings and liability through municipal loss pools or framework contracts rather than individual policies
- **Biggest risk:** Fire, escape of water and vandalism at the building, plus theft and breakage of tablets and classroom technology
- **Basic cover from:** about €60 to €150 a year of liability cover for a parent support association, a guide figure from our quoting work
- **Often forgotten:** Statutory accident insurance pays for injuries, not for liability claims against the association, for example at a school fair with guests
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 85.20 Grundschulen, 85.31 Allgemeinbildende weiterführende Schulen, 85.32 Berufsbildende weiterführende Schulen

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **School fair and bazaar:** A guest trips over a cable, a cake donated by parents makes people ill. The organiser is often the association, not the school.
- **Classroom technology:** Tablet trolleys, digital boards and laptops get broken or go missing. If the association bought them, it owns them.
- **Fire and vandalism:** Fire in the sports hall, smashed windows, graffiti at the weekend: school buildings are empty in the evenings and holidays.
- **Data and learning platform:** Reports, pupil files and parent contacts are digital. An attack on an independent school's administration can be expensive.
- **Association board:** The treasurer and board manage donations and grants. Mistakes with charitable status or accounts can lead to personal liability.
- **School trips:** Cancellations, illness at the destination, lost luggage: trips are booked months ahead and often paid for by parents.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 4, Fire and water 4, Theft 3, Cyber 3, Downtime 2, Health 4

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): As association liability or public liability for an independent operator, it covers claims from fairs, the cafeteria, outings and events. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): Covers tablets, laptops, digital boards and media equipment against breakage, water and theft when the school authority does not. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): For equipment, instruments, stage technology and materials owned by the association or an independent operator. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Commercial buildings** (Strongly advised): For church and independent operators with their own school building, sports hall or canteen, at rebuild value. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-commercial-buildings.php
- **D&O insurance** (Depends on the business): Protects the association's board and treasurer from personal liability for financial losses. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-directors-and-officers.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): For independent operators with their own administration, learning platform and pupil data. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Group accident insurance** (Depends on the business): Pays fixed sums for permanent disability on top of statutory benefits, for example for participants in association activities. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-group-accident.php
- **Travel insurance** (Depends on the business): Group cancellation cover for class trips and exchange programmes. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-travel-insurance.php

## What it costs: example prices

For parent associations premiums are small. For independent operators with their own building, the building value, pupil numbers and technology drive the price.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Parent association with 150 members, summer fair and cafeteria | about €60 to €150 a year |
| Electronic equipment | 30 tablets and two digital boards, replacement value about €25,000 | about €500 to €1,200 a year |
| D&O insurance | Board of a parent association, €250,000 limit | about €150 to €350 a year |
| Commercial buildings | School building of an independent operator, rebuild value about €5 million | about €4,000 to €9,000 a year |
| Travel insurance | Group cancellation cover for a class trip with 25 pupils | about €150 to €400 per trip |

For comparison: Liability cover for a parent association costs about as much a year as two trays of cake raise at the school fair.

_Guide figures from our own quoting work, October 2026, excluding German insurance premium tax. Your premium depends on the operator, building, technology and claims history. The point on pupils' accident cover comes from Social Code Book VII._

- [Social Code Book VII, § 2 statutory cover](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_7/__2.html)
- [Social Code Book VII, § 128 state level accident insurers](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_7/__128.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Parent association** (association with summer fair, cafeteria and donations): Business liability, D&O insurance. Together: about €200 to €500 a year
- **Digital classroom** (association or operator with its own equipment): Business liability, Electronic equipment, Business contents. Together: about €700 to €2,000 a year
- **Independent school** (church or independent school with its own building and administration): Business liability, Commercial buildings, Business contents, Electronic equipment, Cyber insurance, D&O insurance. Together: individual, usually from about €8,000 a year

## The worst day around the school

Six things that really happen to parent associations and school operators, all on the day of the summer fair. Tap through and see who pays.

- 08:10: The tablet trolley tips over in the corridor and eight screens break. (€3,200, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 11:30: While setting up, a gazebo blows over and damages a parent's car. (€2,400, Paid by: Business liability)
- 14:15: A grandmother trips over a loose cable from the sound system and breaks her hip. (€18,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 16:40: A storm floods the music room and the association's instruments are soaked. (€6,500, Paid by: Business contents)
- 19:30: The tax office queries last year's bazaar accounts and the board is asked to pay the tax itself. (€4,000, Paid by: D&O insurance)
- 23:50: Burglars break into an independent school's computer room and take laptops and a projector. (€7,800, Paid by: Electronic equipment)

**Damage so far:** €41,900

## Practical tips from your broker

- Ask the school authority in writing what it insures before the association takes out its own policies.
- Record who owns each piece of equipment, the association or the school authority. That decides who insures it.
- Tell the liability insurer in advance about events with many guests, stages or bouncy castles.
- In electronics policies, check theft from locked rooms and damage caused by pupils.
- Book group cancellation cover together with the trip, not just before departure.
- Have the association's policies reviewed every few years as membership and activities change.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **Honest about where we are not needed:** If your school authority already has municipal cover, we say so. We insure only the gaps.
- **We know associations:** As an insurance broker we have worked with clubs and associations for years. Boards, treasurers and summer fairs are familiar ground.
- **Several insurers compared:** For liability, technology and the buildings of independent operators we obtain quotes from several insurers.
- **Family run since 1989:** Arranging insurance since 1989. Free for the association or operator; the insurer pays our commission.

## FAQ

### Are pupils insured at school in Germany?

Yes, through statutory accident insurance under § 2 (1) no. 8 Social Code Book VII, including supervised activities directly before and after lessons.

### Who insures a public school building?

The school authority, usually the municipality or district. Many councils use municipal loss pools or framework contracts.

### Does a parent association need liability cover?

Yes, if it runs fairs, a cafeteria or outings. The school authority's cover does not automatically extend to the association.

### Are the school's tablets insured?

That depends on who owns them. Devices of the school authority fall under its arrangements; devices bought by the association need their own electronics cover.

### What does cover for a parent association cost?

Liability starts at about €60 a year. With D&O for the board, expect €200 to €500 in total.

### What about international and private schools?

Independent schools insure their buildings and liability themselves. We have a separate page for private schools.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-school-and-school-authority.php#anfrage

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Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.