To think it's very depressing that school children need to learn this

I’m in Southport, of course it’s necessary

I live very rurally and all the schools locally have them. My DC’s schools have had them but I didn’t realise at first as they never mentioned it, until one day they told me about hiding under the table. In their heads it was associated with the fire drill but was a special drill with extras to remember.

Practising helps prepare the children, allows them to ask questions afterwards (one asked about the toilet) and identifies any weak points in the school or in the process.

We did drills for bombs and intruders at our high school, possibly because we were near a local airbase and there’s a nuclear plant near (ish) so maybe based on threat level? We didn’t see it any different to a fire drill at the time, that was late 90s/00s and they still do them at the local schools now.

genuinely don’t think k the kids are bothered. And if there is an incident you will be grateful your kid knows what to do. They will pick up on your worry about - it’s practised like hide and seek especially when they’re little .

I was thinking along similar lines. I remember we had lessons in school (1980s) that covered being prepared for a nuclear attack, and further back there was the old 'duck and cover' thing in the USA. This sort of dark stuff sadly isn't new.

It does feel hugely depressing, though, I agree, that we're having to teach kids what to do if a maniac breaks into their school, which should be a place of safety. But things being what they are, imo it's reassuring that it is being covered.

Yep - at my DDs too primary and secondary - quite detailed in what they had to do.
it never particularly bothered her. I was grateful she knew what to do and the school was looking after her. I think they’re less bothered than the parents. X

An angry parent has to be significantly more likely than an active shooter but the response wouldn’t actually be the same would it?

Stay out of sight in classrooms with the door locked?

Yeah they did them in my primary in London from 1996 onwards.

I remember we all planted a memorial garden after Dunblane happened, and then it was from that point onwards that we started having the drills.

My daughter (year 6) has them on a pretty regular basis, it’s definitely depressing, but necessary. I am so grateful that her school runs these drills and try to keep her (and the others) as safe as possible.

x

It's not always for the reason you think though- my daughter had to be locked into the school as there was an agitated cow charging around the school field- they needed the kids inside and quickly.

They had already practiced it and all children were removed to safety very quickly.

Oh I completely disagree @Doobeedoobeedoobee . Does it damage the children's MH to have a fire drill? Or to learn to swim and how to float in case of emergency?

My older DS has autism and as it happens he is completely paranoid about fires. To the point we have to blow out candles when we go to restaurants because he starts to shake at the mere sight of the flame.

He still needs to know what a fire drill is, and manages to cope with that.

I’m not convinced that doing this is proportionate to the risk - given how unlikely some of these scenarios are and some of the controls already in place. I’m also not convinced that the range of scenarios you’d be prepping kids for - according to this thread anything from active shooter to nuclear disaster to loose animals would be dealt with in the same way. An angry parent has to be significantly more likely than an active shooter but the response wouldn’t actually be the same would it?

You’re weighing up damaging children’s MH and frankly, influencing their perception of what is likely in favour of protecting them in an extremely unlikely
scenario. I’m not sure id support it when my children go to school.

Just to add that there was a precise instruction in place for disabled children - a designated member of staff had to stay with each.

These kind of drills are sadly essential. What also needs to be a priority though is better security around schools. Far too often main doors are inadequate and perimeter fences are not high enough

This topic comes up several times a year on MN.

My Dcs (aged 14 and 12) have been at the same school for 10 years and 8 years and they do a 'lockdown drill' every term. They do a fire drill every half term.

It first came about when the police were chasing someone and he had ingress to the primary section of the school and ran through the school with police chasing him. The entire primary section of the school were evacuated to the local cafe and were given hot chocolates with marshmallows. It's still talked about as the most wonderful day ever.

Since then it's happened in real time when an angry parent jumped the school fence to search for his kid as part of a whole custody dispute and when there was a sadly disturbed person at the bus stop who started waving a machete around.

The lockdown drills are SO organised now and my Dcs take them in their stride. It;s not like a fire drill- there is a silent alarm that comes out flashing on the computers and everyone knows to drop to the floor, go under the desks and curtains to outside access areas are all shut.

The DCs are totally blase about it. I did not even know it happened until another MN thread when I said 'Oh! Do you know what a lockdown drill is?' and the Dcs were like 😆WTF mum?

Thinking about it, we had fire drills - but no lockdown drills for the kids. Just additional instructions to staff about what to do in emergency situations.

I actually put in a complaint, because most of my staff were in classrooms with no external windows. (We had "light wells" in some rooms and there was a sealed skylight above my desk.) I was told that our doors were thick enough to keep us safe until emergency services got to us.

ETA East central Scotland.

I know, thank fuck he hadn’t bothered to wash his hands.

I dread to think. Our school has locked gates and lockable doors in all places but if you really wanted to get in then you could.

I agree, people should be encouraging their schools to do the drill so the kids understand what to do in any potential danger. It’s so sad, they’re barely innocent these days.

Will be intrigued to see if they do. Not happened in the first 5 years. Is it very new that it's a requirement? Not sure I'm bothered whether they do or not. I think our school would do a good job of making it seem not scary if they do bother.

Relax, it’s normally an out of control parent that causes a lockdown. Literally happened in a school near me a couple of weeks ago. Mum going crazy in reception and then got her child to give her access to the main building. Nutter could have had a weapon so the whole school had to lockdown.

Unfortunately this isn’t particularly unusual. It’s good the kids are prepared.

We had to use the protocol about 6 months ago. There was a medical incident/issue so all students stayed in their current rooms for 2 more periods until the paramedics/air ambulance/supporting police had left.
Gave medics space to work and maintained the privacy of the individual needing medical care.

There was no ducking under tables etc, but was a clear, stay in your rooms, just wait it out.

The students were great and very respectful. It was useful to have a protocol to draw on.

Is it really? In the UK?

How often are schools getting intruders?

Genuinely asking because I am astounded to hear this.

In the years of schooling my two they had three real lockdowns!
A man somehow got out of a police car and ran onto the primary school
playground right past my daughter about to swing her cricket bat. Helicopter up and full lockdown for that one.
second was a man waving a knife outside the high school looking for some pupils. Full lockdown.
last one was someone on the field they couldn’t identify.

ita good to practice so if it does happen the children are well aware what to do

It makes sense. 17 years back we had a teenager bring a knife into secondary school looking for another pupil and all the classes were locked for about half an hour until he was found. It was very unorganised and I think people would've been less worried if it had been practiced in advance.

Precisely. Adults go up the wall and the kids just shrug. We could learn from their example!

My toddler has just gone through it recently. He found it a great game and made us do it at home so he could practice hiding from a “naughty lion”. I doubt you’ll have any problems from your kid if you don’t get anxious yourself.

They will have to soon. So don't worry.