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?

I've never heard invacuation before. Presume it's a newer word, or just really unknown over here, but I love the word! (Hate the fact we need it, still)

I would be happy for school to do it, with the 'escaped lion' type of scenario. It's a good thing for children to have some idea of how to do this, whatever the threat is.

I would expect an email telling me when & how they were approaching it.

given it's important enough to do, I'd expect it done properly by the school, not randomly by a club with random children in that day & no lead up by trusted teachers.

But did you see my post, just a few mins ago?? Primary school invaded.

It's better they are taught calmly from a young age, not made to be afraid, just aware, like with a fire drill. Never know when it could come in useful, primary, secondary, college, shopping centre, McDonald's.

Happens in our primary school, even in nursery with the 3 years old. Sign of the times. It's sad but I'd rather my little one have some idea what to do. The Arianna Grande bombing in Manchester proves that childrens environments are at risk too

But guns are illegal in the Uk. Especially on London. Oh wait a minute, crimals don’t obey the law, dang.

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). *
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This is a huge assumption by you. Do you not think the camp leaders have training? I can assure you they do. You're child had questions which is normal - presumably she did not feel comfortable to ask these questions to the adults there which is normal. I think you are being dramatic and need to accept that a safety procedure was trained at holiday camp, and this is not something to complain about.

I’m not completely against it but parents should definitely be made aware it’s happening.

I was reading an American thread this year that had a video from inside a classroom showing a gunman trying to convince the kids to let him in. They’d been taught to lock themselves in the classroom (presume a key was available) and the police would let them out. No one else.

I would hope any ‘drills’ would include age appropriate knowledge like this and I wouldn’t be confident of a summer club being able to fully cover all the elements it should if they’re going to introduce the concept.

They do them at DDs primary in the Midlands, the kids call them 'dangerous adult' drills. They hide under desks, pull the blinds down and have to stay quiet. Head teacher walks the corridors and playground to see if he can spot any of the kids. DD thinks it's a fun drill.

It's a safety measure and should be done in school too. I'd rather my children knew what to do than not.
My children have done it in secondary school and my nephew and niece have done it in primary school.

It's not necessarily for the reasons you think (though it does address those too) but invacuations are needed for things like loose dogs, bee swarms, unknown drones above the playground, etc. obviously those don't require full lockdowns though.

Do you not think the camp leaders have training?

I don’t think they have no, certainly not to the level needed to lead this kind of session otherwise they’d understand the importance of keeping parents in the loop so they can at least be prepared for questions/fears.

No they don't. Not in all schools.

Dd had it happen once in her time at school - it was after a school terrorise issue abroad and they did it one time, several years ago.

I have never done it at my school (infants) though I be,Keven we do have a separate alarm for it - was set up a few years ago and told to,us, but never actually been tested or mentioned since. We do have an evacuation plan which has been in place ever since I joined over a decade ago but that's never been tested either.

None of the local schools do lockdown training/tests either, just a standard fire drill once or twice a year. Have teacher friends in a mix of schools and friends/family with children in secondary and primary - don't know any who do them - I remember asking several of them a few years or so ago, following a similar thread mentioning them in the uk.

I saw this mentioned in the parent information booklet we got sent from my daughter's primary school. She's 5, going into Y1. She's not mentioned it before so maybe this is a new thing here but I guess I can see why it's becoming seen as necessary in schools. Not sure about why it would be needed at a summer camp but I couldn't get worked up about it either.

Yes this - I wouldn’t mind if it had been done at school in an age appropriate manner, and the school let us know so we could be prepared for the questions etc. A random Thursday towards the end of the camp season with inexperienced staff I’m less happy with.

Personally I don't understand why you're bothered. A child is not more likely to need this as a teenager than they are as a primary school child. It's just a sign of the times for every child. Is she really unsettled and upset or was she just curious and your reaction has made her think she's done something wrong?

It would definitely be inappropriate here - our schools do not do lockdown drills either. Honestly can't see why it's necessary most summer clubs won't even do fire drills. We've not used one since covid but previously they certainly didn't ime

It seems unnecessary but I doubt the children are disturbed. DS used to love watching a series of cartoons featuring pandas singing about what we do in an flood or how to evacuate a high rise building safely in an earthquake.

And yes doing it at the end not the beginning makes it all the more odd

DD did this at primary (loose dog in field) and is now at college. This is in a market town. Slightly strange to do this in a summer camp though.

I don’t disagree with it in principal. Years ago I was in a school that received a (thankfully malicious) bomb threat and we had no procedure in place. It was stressful.

However it sounds poorly delivered and the staff not well trained if she’s upset. I’d also expect parents to be informed in advance at that age within the camp info. I don’t think it’s really the norm yet in holiday camps.

They did one at my DDs Primary school this year. They told the kids it was practice in case of a loose dog in the playground. My 5 year old wasn't bothered at all

Surely most dc by the age of 5 would question how hiding under a desk would be beneficial to a situation involving a loose dog?

That communication is the responsibility of management who decide to do these drills. In which case, don't send your kids there is you feel the management is poor.

We're in Scotland. I've never heard of lockdown drills at school

Thanks @Iamnotthe1 it's interesting to learn new words and hadn't yet come across this. It's much nicer than "gunman on the loose" drills. Just so grateful to not live somewhere that it's prevalent.