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

Yes - I’m a teacher in a secondary school and we do a lockdown drill once a year. Think it is the law now, or if not very standard procedure (and good to ensure if something did happen everyone knows what to do).

Round here, they seem to be all fenced with high climb proof fencing, hence asking. A dog couldn't get in, and a child would know it's not for dogs, so would either not take it seriously or be frightened of 'bad men'
Also, the comment about wire cutters...if someone is that determined , hiding under a desk will be futile. Escape routes and get out quickly would be better. Mine were at school roughly the time of Dunblane, and the push for security came after their time, hence me querying it.

Why not? Even though after schools are more secure now and gun control is tighter there's always that risk. Especially with the amount of stabbings these days.

Last year at a local secondary a child was stabbed. Pupils acted immediately. One girl managed to get the knife off the attacker. If she hadn't the lads injuries would have been a lot more serious.

It seems a bit much and I fear we are terrifying our children and taking away their innocence way too early. Yes we need precautions, and at the same time we have a boom of anxiety in today's youth and we don't need to add any more terror to their lives. Even if done in a "fun" way, it gives the message to the children that the world is a dangerous place. Lets be a bit measured I say.

How frequently are we having incidents at school where kids are getting attacked by dogs, bulls, elephants, bombers, dementia sufferers or lone-gunmen? Come on.

no, that is a DofE quote, pointing out that these drills are compulsory, and giving guidance and advice on how to do it

🙄🙄 education is devolved. The “department for education” is relevant only to England.

Yes, and as has been stated multiple times, education is devolved and as such anything compulsory according to the Department of Education applies in England only. It's not accurate to say that all UK schools must carry out drills.

For drop off the primary school playground gates are opened at 8:30am and the playground is supervised. The doors to the building are locked, you can't enter without going through reception which is not through the playground, it's at a different part of the building. At pick up time the parents wait outside the gates and the gates are unlocked and the children let out to their parents/guardian or whoever is collecting them.

I work in a primary and yes we do lockdown drills. We have had to do it for real once when the police were raiding a nearby house in case anyone jumped fence into school grounds.

Most children don’t realise what it is as the school make it fun

I teach in adult education and although we don't do drills, we do talk through what we would do if a shooter or similar turned up.

So yeah - sadly you're out of touch

Didn’t finish my last sentence! I mean the younger children don’t realise what it is as the teachers wouldn’t frighten them so they just view it as fun. The older Children would understand

in my last school we enacted the lockdown procedures twice. Once was on the instruction of the police as there had been reports if a man with a large knife running around and once was because of an estranged father trying to collect his children contrary to a court order and threatening violence.

in my current school we did it just before the end of last term …. air ambulance needed to land in our playground…. for a RTA nearby.

I grew up in an area that had fire drills, earthquake drills and air raid drills

I have taught in a school in Kent that had fire drills, lockdown drills, bombs drills and Montgomery drills - a different trigger for each one, and different actions required - it was quite complicated

We do this too, but we let parents know beforehand. Some children become quite anxious about it, some SEN children struggle with a change to their school day. But it is important, we do explain it to kids, our SEND team are excellent and our parents are very supportive (secondary school).

Definitely not all schools do this. Neither of the schools my dc have attended did. I'm quite shocked this is a thing, though I suppose I can see why.

Nope, I've never heard of this! Never been the case in any secondary school I've worked in, or my kids primary.

DSL here as well, I agree it’s very worrying that some are saying the schools they work in don’t do them.

If your school isn't doing this, ask why. We have fire drills, lockdown drills, shelter drills, and bomb threat procedures.

We do them once a month where I work.

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

This used to be the highlight of the day when I was at school. Mind you, it was usually the one belonging to a lad in our class and he'd have to take it home. Thinking about it, I wonder if he trained it to do that? It was part collie.

As parents you may not know we do this. Pupils take it in their stride.

Never did this or mentioned it in teacher training or the different primary schools I’ve been in. None of my teacher friends have ever mentioned it. The only schools I know of who do them are the Jewish ones.

Primary teacher and yes we do teach it and also have had to use it..also did it in my previous school.

My DD's primary school did this, but it hasn't happened at high school. The primary school did advise parents they were doing this but DD doesn't remember it - I think they were very low key about it so not to scare the children.
People might be surprised at the number of parents who are not permitted on school premises - a much more likely risk than a random attacker.

Work in a primary school, we have had a lockdown procedure in place for at least 8 years.

We alert the school with a number of bell rings across the school, staff have allocated doors that they have to immediately check are locked, close blinds and under desks unless we say over tanniys that pupils can remain at their desks. Do yearly drills.

Had to do a lockdown process twice in 3 years, once for a parent kicking off at the office doors and threatening to get in school and once due to armed police at the bottom of the road dealing with a suspecte man with gun.

Touch wood they are a smooth process and kids aren't fazed by them.

Wary, yes. Children should be taught to never approach or pet a dog they don't know. Go indoors, lock everything, shut the curtains and hide under a table, no.