Does your primary school have lockdowns drills?

I’m 26 and only just realised what the dog on the playground drill was really for

Yes, we do it regularly and always claim "dog has gotten into the playground"

Announce what?

Announce it across the annoying I'd imagine

Because what if they're in the hall? Or in the corridor? Or toilets?

How would they know what to do?

No we don’t, although it was discussed recently, I think they said we’d get a phone call and be asked to put the blinds down.

We do practice them.

And they've been used a few times in the time I've worked there.

Once when there was a police car chase in the village and they were concerned they might bail out of the car and run down the country lane that runs along our field edge the other side of the fence.

Once when we had an air ambulance land on our field because we are the only place in the village when they can land.

Once when there was a swarm of bees.

@RaraRachael how do you get them into the classrooms quickly and ensure they stay there? How do you get that message quickly to all staff?

People being scathing about having a drill just in case of a big dog and no need for lockdowns, what do you think a school should do if an XL Bully came into the playground?

If there was an incident I'm sure the children would just be told they had to stay in their classrooms.
Don't see why it would be necessary to practise this

Yes. Parents not involved. Why would they. My dd school been locked down once and she in year 4. It was due to a mum who due to her drug taking didn't have access to her DC and threatened the school...the school went into lockdown and the police were there....very impressed with the school as my dd despite they being put in the hall and taken out another way had no idea what had happened...they were told it was a fire drill. The DC of the mum were moved to an another school shortly after so the lockdown not been repeated so far. However I fully understand and support my DC school with how they dealt with it that day!

Fucking hell

So why wouldn't they/you think securing the school and having a stay put drill is used?

If it's very clear that there's actually a probable danger, why wouldn't you prepare?

Noone questions a fire drill. Not one, despite the ridiculously low chance of fires in schools and those that may occur are not deadly/extreme etc.

If there was an incident and a child was injured/kidnapped - the parents would be up in arms, saying they should have had a lockdown procedure or similar.

So why do people think it's ridiculous to practice invacuation?

Yes we're told just prior.

That why I put it in inverted commas 🙄

It isn't a big dog....

It could mean... Gunman... Kidnapper... Speeding car ... Police on foot chasing...a dangerous person who is violent... A dangerous person who has MH issues... Oil spill... Wild animal wandering around...

Security was very much tightened in Scottish scools after Dunblane. . Of course they give a hoot.
Maybe they don't think it's necessary to be hiding under tables in case a "big dog is running around the playground"

Strange really when it was a Scottish school that had the gunman...

It's like they've forgotten and don't give a hoot.

Well, it's not unusual.

Fire drills yes, but 20 years of teaching in a primary and have never come across this.

Our school has open entrances at either end so tbh anybody could wander through the playground- it used to be a common shortcut for dogwalkers.
This would probably sound appalling to those in England but kids here commonly walk to and from school from P1 - just a different way of doing things

It's obviously not something which schools in Scotland feel the need to plan for, or practice for though.

It's not about getting them inside as such
... it's about making sure the staff and students don't go (back) outside of the classroom.

The certain bell alerts everyone to the required actions. Get inside, get safe, stay put.

You don't want any confusion. Just like a fire drill, it's one continuous bell (or whatever) and you behave the same way whether there's an actual fire or not.

So if you had a "end of play" bell used for lockdown, people would assume it was end of play, and might then send three kids off to the library or allow them to run back to get a jumper, or let them go to the loo once they're in the classroom...any kind of scenario where they would normally be released to somewhere else.

Absolutely this.
If there is an intruder and, god forbid, they are armed, you just need those children in through the nearest door asap. Not lined up like sitting ducks outside each classroom door.
Its about getting them in quickly. Play time whistles at the end of lunchtime are for a more orderly operation.
It’s important that they understand the difference between those whistles. (Albeit we focus on the dog in the playground scenario rather than anything more sinister)

@CharityShopChic yes many children line up at the end of play, but there’s always a dawdler or two, someone running back to pick up a jumper, someone putting games away, picking up snack tray, water bottles etc. In lockdown scenario you don’t want the hanging around in lines you want them all in asap.

At the local Primary near me they have a staggered lunchtime break so on the first bell the youngest classes go in, second bell the older ones. In a lockdown children need to know the difference and it is everyone in at the same time.

What if PE is happening outside, they need to know the lockdown bell sound that means go in, rather than all standing outside chattering wondering why the end of break bell has sounded in the middle of the lesson