Dangerous person in school?

[WhinnieThePoohHead]

I’ll preface this by saying I know it’s not a AIBU, I just want to use the voting option :)

Met Friends for dinner today. One friend, a teacher, mentioned that her school does ‘lockdown drills’ as well as fire drills. I asked what they’re for and she said in case someone dangerous gets into the primary school. They lock the classroom door, shut the blinds, turn the lights and screens off and hide under their desks silently. My friend told me that all schools do these drills the same way they do fire drills. this is in the U.K.

YABU- yes all schools do this, you’re out of touch
YANBU- schools in the U.K. don’t do lock down drills

I can’t say for certain, but I don’t think my kids school has ever done this.

I teach and we do lockdown drills. I'm in the uk. We have a code word too that Mr Lock is in the building and this comes over our tannoy so we know to keep the children safe.

Yes, all schools in the UK do this, or at least should do this, at least once a year.

Your children may not realise it's happening.

Secondary does this. I don't think primary does. I think it's standard in secondaries but I'm not sure.

My girls' school does lockdown drills in the UK. We did in NZ too. Along with earthquake drills. . .

Yep work in a nursery and we have this..dont practise too often but we have a code word so if someone did manage to somehow get in we all know what to do rather then panic!

Unfortunately yes we have started to do them in this school year. The kids at my primary love doing them and we treat them as a game so as not to scare them, but in today's world it's necessary for them to know what to do in an emergency situation.

Primary schools must have a lockdown procedure and should be practising.

Yep. I was pretty horrified when DS told me (yr 6). Under the tables, lights out, blinds closed.

To the school’s credit they were told it was a ‘dangerous dog’ drill rather than anything more sinister. I mean; that’s still scary but I wouldn’t have been happy if they were told it was in case of guns or knives. Let them be a bit innocent.

We do a dog in the playground drill, and have been doing it for at least the last 4-5 years.

The children don't know the real reason why we're doing it, and i'm not sure the parents are aware it happens.

The school that my DD teaches in does this.

It's sad that it's needed, but I can see why it's felt necessary.

DD is at college now, she had this by the end of primary, and then in secondary. Billed as 'what we would do if there was a dangerous dog in the playground'.

I think for the time it costs it is a pretty sensible thing to do on a yearly basis.

My primary school children did this recently. I was slightly shocked as I didn’t realise they did this, and I think think the first time they did it was this year- mine are y3 and y6, but it’s sensible I think.

It’s not just about somebody getting into school, there may be an incident outside school e.g. person with a gun.

All schools should have a lockdown procedure for getting kids inside and keeping them inside in case of an incident like a loose dog, gas cloud, or possible danger.

It's not for school shooters as these, unlike in the US, are extremely rare.

Neither of my kids ever had this in primary school and my youngest doesn't have this in secondary.

I worked in a primary school for 8 years in London and never did this or heard they ever done this. I left last summer btw.

Yes they call it the loose dog drill.

I should add my dh is a primary teacher and this isn't happening in his school. He may now query this on Monday.

Not in the UK. My kids do lockdown drills quite regularly. They know where to go in the classroom, to stay quiet & follow exactly what the teacher tells them to-do. They also known not to unlock the classroom door even if the person knocking says they are police or school staff. It is sad they have to-do It but just like fire & earthquake drills it might save their life.

All schools do it.

Yes, both at DD's primary and now at her secondary.

As it happens, both schools have subsequently had 'real life' lockdowns.

In primary it was because there was someone disorientated with dementia in the playground and staff didn't want to alarm the person or kids. It wasn't a 'under the desk' lockdown, but certainly 'everyone in from the playground and pull the blinds' event.

Similar in secondary, although this time it was because there were unpredictable undesirables wandering around. Full lockdown, under desks, silence etc. while the police dealt with the persons. The kids all treated it respectfully and took it in their stride.

Yep small rural primary school - we do this.

It's done in a fun way i.e bull on the loose in the playground and in a similar way to normal fire drills.

We live in the area where Derek Bird drove round shooting at everyone he came across a few years ago though, and there will always be a high level of gun ownership in the area.

It's just a sensible precaution - the chances of it actually being a bull on the loose in the playground rather than a gunman is also pretty high!