Or is this inappropriate for a summer camp?

[Herewegoagain84]

My five year old has been going for a few days here and there over the summer to a day camp based at a school - well known company - seems to really enjoy it. This morning she mentioned that a few days ago they did “lockdown training” and she had to hide under a desk. She has been asking questions about what a lockdown is etc. We are in London.

Considering I don’t think this has been introduced in schools / we don’t have the same record as the US in this country, AIBU that this was an inappropriate “activity” to do with a group of five year olds? I want to call them to discuss it, as if they planned this I think it should have been brought to the attention of parents. If they did it as a game, I think that’s even weirder?

It's started to become a thing, having an emergency protocol. It's like fire drills. My son's secondary school had them, 5/10 years ago. I wouldn't know about primary's as mine are too old!

Personally I would phone and just politely ask what happened. It might be a game or even another child has asked something and the leaders thought it was best to show a demonstration but I agree it’s very odd to be doing this. As you say, this isn’t a part of our education and they shouldn’t be sharing that to young children without adults being made aware.

It is absolutely a thing in schools. I don't like that they do them but imagine if it was needed and they didn't know what to do or expect.

It is in this country though...we are in Home Counties and for the last 10 years teenager has been practicing lockdown drills and as a teacher we have them in my school.
It is definitely a thing.

I’m a UK secondary school teacher and we’ve been doing lockdown drills (getting under desks and staying quiet until the alarm stops ringing) for a couple of years now. Sadly it’s normal.

I wouldn't be against them doing it as such but I would expect that you'd have been told BEFORE it happened so that you are ready for the questions that will inevitably come up

Has been a thing in schools for a while now so not inappropriate at all

It’s not necessarily to do with guns, there are other threats in this country such as someone with a knife, bomb or biological weapon.

Emergency drills are required and are appropriate.

They do it in schools at least once a year so it is appropriate.

I think it’s odd and I’d brush it off as ‘in case of earthquakes, which don’t really happen here, but just so a lampshade doesn’t fall on you’.
I would check with the organisers though. It seems to be a bit OTT. Maybe they’re following a US activity list.

Not in our school.

We got an email from my dds primary school letting us know they were doing it. So you should have been pre warned i think. But yes its normal now. Along side fire drills.

My children do it at school and are told it's in case there's an animal lose in the playground and they have to stay in their classrooms for a while while they help it! They don't hide under desks but they all have to be in classrooms with doors and windows shut/locked and wait for an all clear signal. It wouldn't bother me they're practicing.

We had to do it when I was a child in real life as a long estranged mum came into school with a knife trying to get her child.

My kids at secondary have done lockdown drills. They do explain to kids in a sensitive manner (might be due to wind/weather or gas escape, not just mad gunmen), they also inform parents so they can deal with questions though.
Don't recall at primary other than fire drills though.

Yes, this drill takes place in the UK primary school where I work.
Every bit as important as a fire drill.

I wouldn’t be happy with that at all!
the kids are on summer camp - it’s meant to be a holiday and escapism not fear Mo getting the poor children

DDs had Earthquake drills. And were aware of lockdown procedure for terrorist events.

They were completely unfazed by the Armed guards around their school after it was identified as a possible target as well... they were 3&4 at the time. It was a novelty fir a few days.

In the UK we forget how fortunate we are sometimes. But "lockdown" can be a thing in UK schools too. Just unlikely to be guns.... when I was teaching it was pupils spoiling for a fight (or from other schools gaining access)

Seems fair enough. Are you near any nuclear bases etc

They do this in my DC’s village primary - they said it was in case of an emergency- the examples were the church next door goes on fire, an air ambulance needs to land on the field or a dog comes into school! So it wasn’t a scary thing for them at all.

Another one whose children have done lockdown drills from infants up.

sadly needed, sadly normal.

we aren’t london either.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/breaking-police-called-reports-man-24505144.amp

Definitely hope my dc learn how to cope. People can still get knives, guns in this country. They can also make other weapons as mentioned by PP.

Primary teacher here. We run evacuation and invacuation drills at various points across the year. We explain the full lockdown procedure to the children (at age-appropriate levels), as well as the various alternatives, but don't run this as a drill.

So if something did happen you’d rather they didn’t know what to do ?

I honestly had no idea this happened in our schools. Interesting.

I think the difference is she’s 5. Secondary school is understandable. Her age group needs age appropriate explanation / procedure, which I don’t necessarily think would have been delivered by the camp leaders (who are young adults wanting summer work). She has had a lot if questions and was unsettled by it, which is why I don’t think it was handled well.