Page 5 | Or is this inappropriate for a summer camp?

Herewegoagain84 · 2022-08-20T09:21:59+00:00

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?

shinynewapple22 · 20/08/2022 12:01

@liveforsummer the lockdown drill might seem common sense to you - but the key thing is this needs to be practised for the children to know what to do.

Vincitveritas · 20/08/2022 12:04

What a sad situation we find ourselves in that this is necessary at all. I for one would like to be informed if my children were involved with this and exacty how it was to be conducted.

Throwawaytoday · 20/08/2022 12:05

Ever since DD was a baby at nursery they've done lockdown training.

As babies... everyone into a locked central room.

As toddlers... into the back of the furthest classroom from the entrance, lock the door.

Now in reception, into the drama room (also furthest from entrance) and lock the door pull the curtains.

They position it as "what to do if a baddy comes into the garden". They have a silent alarm for it (a flashing emergency light per room no sound).

Of course it's gutting that these protocols have to exist.

But I'd much rather they are prepared than unprepared.

We're in a "nice" part of South London.

marvellousmaple · 20/08/2022 12:07

Had no idea as with my older children it definitely didn't happen ( fire drills only) but have just checked with10yo and apparently they do have "lockdown drills". I'm totally shocked. Apparently , the teacher draws the blinds and they have to sit next to their desks on the floor and it is a different type of alarm.
FFS Kids are much more likely to be run over walking home than have an axe-wielding madman running through the school.
I am in Australia. I am seriously unimpressed that I had no idea this was done. Luckily , my son only started there this year ( was not a thing at any other school my 4 kids have been to) and is old enough to not be bothered.
So much unnecessary fear for young kids though.
Spend the damn time on road safety if you are really concerned about the welfare of your students!

Vincitveritas · 20/08/2022 12:11

marvellousmaple · 20/08/2022 12:07

Had no idea as with my older children it definitely didn't happen ( fire drills only) but have just checked with10yo and apparently they do have "lockdown drills". I'm totally shocked. Apparently , the teacher draws the blinds and they have to sit next to their desks on the floor and it is a different type of alarm.
FFS Kids are much more likely to be run over walking home than have an axe-wielding madman running through the school.
I am in Australia. I am seriously unimpressed that I had no idea this was done. Luckily , my son only started there this year ( was not a thing at any other school my 4 kids have been to) and is old enough to not be bothered.
So much unnecessary fear for young kids though.
Spend the damn time on road safety if you are really concerned about the welfare of your students!

Exactly right.

JustJustWhy · 20/08/2022 12:11

liveforsummer · 20/08/2022 11:57

Well that all seems like common sense to me, so yes I'd probably do that

Show quote history

Sadly not everyone I work with is blessed with common sense and as another poster has said, kids are likely to be panicked if this happens for the first time in a real life situation. Plus, if it's been practiced then everyone will act more swiftly. Also you absolutely wouldn't know how the school/site will communicate to all rooms unless you've been told. Do you know the fire drill is a different sound to the lockdown drill? Do you know how the co-ordinator will communicate to all classrooms?

Thefruitbatdancer · 20/08/2022 12:13

My dd's infants school did drill training once a term and it was very useful but we were informed beforehand. It's really helpful and she knows exactly what to do in an emergency.

liveforsummer · 20/08/2022 12:14

Do you know the fire drill is a different sound to the lockdown drill? Do you know how the co-ordinator will communicate to all classrooms

No because we don't have a lockdown alarm so it would not be necessary to know this information. We do not have screens in class other allow communication with the wider school

BogRollBOGOF · 20/08/2022 12:17

Our (primary) school now has a lockdown alarm. Not long ago, the air ambulance landed on the school fields so everyone had to be safely inside so that was presented as a non-threatening reason why it might be used.

Naturally my y6 came out of school asking questions about school shootings as he's aware of news headlines and one of his ASD interests is military equipment 🤦‍♀️

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 20/08/2022 12:18

@AtomicBlondeRose , sad to read that a dog is used as a reason. Yes, I know some children are allergic, but it implies that all dogs are something to be scared of.

Caminante · 20/08/2022 12:19

Hillsidehigh · 20/08/2022 10:38

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

This. Wouldn't everyone rather their kids knew what to do? It's very sensible.

TowelingThoughts · 20/08/2022 12:19

liveforsummer · 20/08/2022 11:50

We'd be in permanent lockdown if we did one every time we had a fox in the playground 🙈. They get out the way pretty sharp when a class of 30 odd noisy kids appear

IKR!! My dc told me they had a whole school lockdown due to a fox /foxes last term. Maybe it was a code or euphemism? 🤔

Throwawaytoday · 20/08/2022 12:19

liveforsummer · 20/08/2022 12:14

Do you know the fire drill is a different sound to the lockdown drill? Do you know how the co-ordinator will communicate to all classrooms

No because we don't have a lockdown alarm so it would not be necessary to know this information. We do not have screens in class other allow communication with the wider school

Our school has a silent alarm. The usual swirling flashing light for a fire alarm but it flashes but with no sound, so an intruder wouldn't know it'd been activated.

SummerLobelia · 20/08/2022 12:20

liveforsummer · 20/08/2022 12:14

Do you know the fire drill is a different sound to the lockdown drill? Do you know how the co-ordinator will communicate to all classrooms

No because we don't have a lockdown alarm so it would not be necessary to know this information. We do not have screens in class other allow communication with the wider school

I think i am misunderstanding what you mean. So do you mean that if the one alarm goes everyone will think it is a fire drill and thus evacuate? Because that is the thing you don't want to happen I would say.

I have just asked the Dcs and the lockdown alarm is different from the fire alarm and is apparently activated through the computer system so the school computers make the alarm and then they lockdown. At least that is what they are telling me, but I'm finding it a bit confusing. (I am having a confused sort of day).

TeenDivided · 20/08/2022 12:22

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 20/08/2022 12:18

@AtomicBlondeRose , sad to read that a dog is used as a reason. Yes, I know some children are allergic, but it implies that all dogs are something to be scared of.

No it doesn't.
It implies that a loose dog wandering somewhere where it has no business to be is a potential risk. Which it is. You don't know which dogs are friendly and which aren't, which is why children are taught to always ask the owner before approaching / petting a dog.

Throwawaytoday · 20/08/2022 12:22

@Herewegoagain84 Just talked to DD who was at Activ Camps last week (not outing as there are so many of them) and they had a fire drill and an intruder drill.

JustJustWhy · 20/08/2022 12:25

liveforsummer · 20/08/2022 12:14

Do you know the fire drill is a different sound to the lockdown drill? Do you know how the co-ordinator will communicate to all classrooms

No because we don't have a lockdown alarm so it would not be necessary to know this information. We do not have screens in class other allow communication with the wider school

So you don't have a lockdown notification? You have no method of communication if someone was roaming the school? That's even more worrying.

SkygardenTower · 20/08/2022 12:25

We lived in South Korea, the school have fire drills, lockdown drill, bomb drill and North Korea war drill (this one involved leaving the school group to go to about 3 different locations so there wasn’t an international school target) and earthquake drill (which was remarkably similar to the lockdown one)

liveforsummer · 20/08/2022 12:26

@SummerLobelia we don't do lockdown drills, we don't have a lockdown alarm only a fire alarm and fire drill. That goes for all the schools in my local authority area at least but never heard of anyone in any neighbouring ones having lockdown drills either.

stayathomer · 20/08/2022 12:29

This is a summer camp not a school day though? Seems odd to me as part of a summer camp (sad it’s a thing in everyday life)

liveforsummer · 20/08/2022 12:29

So you don't have a lockdown notification? You have no method of communication if someone was roaming the school? That's even more worrying.

No and I don't know of a school that has. Ours actually has a tannoy system but most of the schools here are older or Victorian buildings with extra porta cabins as classrooms so they don't. Only the handful of newer schools managed by a specific company have the tannoy

HideTheCroissants · 20/08/2022 12:29

MyCatIsAFuckwit · 20/08/2022 10:31

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

Same here. Perfectly normal and necessary sadly.

TheLassWiADelicateAir · 20/08/2022 12:30

AtomicBlondeRose · 20/08/2022 10:34

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.

How does hiding under a desk help if any of those situations were real?

JustJustWhy · 20/08/2022 12:31

liveforsummer · 20/08/2022 12:29

So you don't have a lockdown notification? You have no method of communication if someone was roaming the school? That's even more worrying.

No and I don't know of a school that has. Ours actually has a tannoy system but most of the schools here are older or Victorian buildings with extra porta cabins as classrooms so they don't. Only the handful of newer schools managed by a specific company have the tannoy

...but you couldn't use a tannoy in the case of an intruder intending harm!

Cornettoninja · 20/08/2022 12:33

liveforsummer · 20/08/2022 12:26

@SummerLobelia we don't do lockdown drills, we don't have a lockdown alarm only a fire alarm and fire drill. That goes for all the schools in my local authority area at least but never heard of anyone in any neighbouring ones having lockdown drills either.

Maybe it’s something you could raise? I don’t think it’s particularly alarmist to recognise there’s an atmosphere of unrest and unease in the current climate and there should be protocols in place for worse case scenarios.

The odds of something happening are minimal but the consequences if it does are high.