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’ve just asked my DD(13) and she said no, not at primary or secondary. Her BF is round for dinner, he did at primary but at the same secondary so no to that. Interesting question though. My DSis is a teacher so I’m going to ask her!

I have a 12 year old and 10 year old and they do a fire drill every term and a lockdown drill every term. have for years.

It was needed to on one occasion when a man being chased by police tried to escape by going through the school, They did a lockdown drill then when the coast was clear took the entire primary school to Costa coffee for hot chocolate and marshmallows. The Dcs still talk about that some 5 years later as The Best Ever Day.

Not in my immediate area but when Jo Cox was killed and the man was at large all schools in a certain radius were put on lockdown until he was caught.

We have one but it's never been practised whilst I've been there (3 years). Ours is referred to as "stag in the playground" as we are next to a nature reserve with lots of deer/stags.

I think parents are unlikely to realise its existence.

My children's primary school do this and have done for about 3 years.

I’m in shock! I can’t believe this happens and I’ve never known. I’ll have to check with our school to see if they do then and my kids have just never mentioned it (likely!)

Also- this topic came up on MN before and based on that i asked my Dcs what the lockdown drill alarm was like. Because the fire alarm is clear and everyone evacuates. But in lockdown they- well lockdown. They said that there is one or two specific beeps that go out on the teacher computers- not so much that anyone dangerous is alerted- but enough to alert the class.

My kids primary school have done this and the kids were told it was in case a big dog got into the school. My 8 year old said it was stupid because a dog could easily get them under the table so they should have been on top of the table where it wouldn’t reach them as easily.

There will be a policy/procedure for this eventuality but they probably won't be making it entirely clear to the children what it is for if it is practised.

Unfortunately we live in a world where threats can and do happen and it is best to be prepared for something that is unlikely to happen rather than not prepared and not have a clue what to do if it did happen.

I'm not in England which is maybe why I've never experienced this apparently necessary thing. And yet I'm not sure that England has drastically safer/better schools despite all these apparently essential procedures?

I mean as a teacher I've experienced knife crime in school, had to contact the school police officer, witnessed a pupil being sectioned, without having to practise for it. Same with my kids school - they did have to isolate a group in the library because of an incident but everyone just did it - no practices needed.

I'm not saying I'm against the idea of a lockdown drill btw, I can see why it happens. But I also don't think it's totally essential and I don't agree with posters saying it's worrying that it hasn't happened in some schools.

Not in our school.

There are 4 entrances into the school for drop off in the morning. Parents drop at the gate, kids go in themselves. Therefore no adults cross over into the "school". Once these 4 gates are closed the only way into the school would be through the main reception office.

(Fairly new build school).

We had a 'code red' drill at my old school which was effectively a lockdown for whatever reason (typically a dangerous person within the school).

We had to warn some students because of medical conditions, physical and mental health, but the students benefitted and the parents didn't question it to my knowledge.

My youngest has done drills at primary - I think they call it stray dog in the playground. My eldest did it for real last year - someone was apparently running around the Asda next door with a machete!

Yes i can confirm schools in uk do this,my daughters school had to do this last year after an intruder had got into the school.they wouldnt give us many details after the event except to say no child was at risk and lockdown plans were followed

I am reassured by it to be honest, I wish it wasn’t something we even had to think about, but as someone who grew up near dunblane I will never take my kids safety at school for granted.

That is the same for all primary schools (security in schools changed after Dunblane). Someone could go through the main entrance, could already be in school for a meeting with the head/ teacher, could climb over the fence and break down the door or a window etc. Its unlikely but could happen.

We don’t do it yet but are planning to start “silent intruder alarms” in the coming future - secondary school. I genuinely don’t know how these will work but I have heard the term used.

my children are at primary and if they do it my children have never mentioned it.

Once a year. School based Nursery class. Yes.

I just asked my 9 year old about lockdown procedures and she told me that they have to stop what they’re doing, be quiet, put their things down and quietly get under their desks. The teacher closes doors/windows/curtains and hides. It made me feel so sad that kids have to do this

I work in an infant school in England.
We don't do lockdown drills.
If I remember rightly we do have an 'intruder' alarm, which is different to the fire alarm but we have never actually had these sounded or been told what to do if it goes off.

When DD was at school her secondary did once had an intruder drill - was after an incident abroad where students were killed at school. However, iirr it was only sounded and drill done once. That was a few years back now.

Are you too young to remember what happened in Scotland in the 90?

It's good it happens but also said

I'm actually horrified this is a thing, I had no idea. I'm mid 30s and we didn't do anything like this. Of course if seems sensible to do it, but it just makes me so sad 😞 I'm now wondering if DD's nursery have some sort of plan (she hasn't started yet, but I will be asking).

Totally agree. All the instances people quote are simply ones where you make sure all the kids are locked in the classroom or even just inside the building. I was also a bit aghast at the instance of someone in the playground with dementia and the children had to hide in their classrooms and be quiet.

My DCs school appointed an ex army officer as a member of staff and security went from non existent to being similar to that of a prison within a few months. All entrances were blocked off except for one. It would have to be a pretty determined attacker to get through the double locked gates and 12 foot high metal fence.
Delivery drivers have to use a separate entrance and leave deliveries in a holding area, so they don't come into reception at all.

I think though if you do not have an actual drill where everyone knows what to do- if something happens where all the children should be inside what you have is a teacher going from class to class, or to the kids in the playground. It is messy. And inefficient. If you have a drill like a fire drill then everyone knows what is expected and automatic. Like saying that 'well, if there is a fire everyone should just go otuside'. Sure, but delay might mean a problem.

A drill is efficient and becomes second nature. My DCs school has 800 pupils. The alarm goes out and within minutes everyone is in place and secured. No drill and 'making sure' children are in place would take ages and is potentially risky.