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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dangerous person in school?

405 replies

WhinnieThePoohHead · 15/01/2023 15:53

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

OP posts:
Nimbostratus100 · 15/01/2023 20:02

Off the top of my head, I think I've been in three genuine lockdowns

Once was a gang storming the school - having hacked into the school SIMS and located the rooms where members of a rival gang were in lessons - We had all the normal security so I dont know how they got in, but of course only one had to get in to let the others in. I hid in a cupboard with a year 10 boy I didn't know- he had been injured and had broken bones. THis must have been about 15 years ago

The others were knife attackers outside the school premises, trying to get in, both were after the children's mobile phones- schools are seen as a rich source of mobile phones to rob... One incident ended without anyone being harmed, the other ended with death of a member of the public at the school gate

SoShallINever · 15/01/2023 20:02

I'm my place of work ( NHS hospital) we were given a laminated sign saying; "Sorry this area is in lockdown, please use another door" and we were told to stick it on the door with blue tac.

SoShallINever · 15/01/2023 20:04

Good God Nimbo.
This is horrendous.

LittleLillie · 15/01/2023 20:05

Yes my children do this, there is a lockdown alarm which sounds different to the fire alarm.

They have drills and as other posters have said, it’s door locked and blinds shut with children under the desks.

It has been locked down once while my son was there due to a shop nearby being robbed and knifepoint and the offender being seen outside the school gates. All parents got a “the school has been placed into lockdown” text with no further information. That was a fun two hours.

LittleLillie · 15/01/2023 20:05

At*

TheTempest · 15/01/2023 20:08

PP’s have mentioned a Montgomery drill, I’ve googled but can’t find anything and I’ve never heard of it. What’s that one for?

DistantSkye · 15/01/2023 20:09

IHearYouHaveACrushOnMe · 15/01/2023 20:02

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.

Show quote history

In my experience that I mentioned upthread - I'm not sure a drill has been necessary, and staff and pupils just responded as needed. One of the incidents I mentioned really couldn't have been averted or made different by a lockdown drill. I don't want to say too much as it the situation I'm talking about is fairly identifiable but categorically would not have been any better if a few beeps had gone off and pupils had been sent back to hide under desks.

Like I said, I can see why they happen... But I'm not convinced outcomes are any better in England than the rest of the UK.

Thefaceofboe · 15/01/2023 20:11

We even do lockdown drills in the nursery I work in. Under 2’s in the cupboard… once every 3 months. You wouldn’t think it was a waste of time if it saved your child’s life

Roundandnour · 15/01/2023 20:13

icanneverthinkofnc · 15/01/2023 19:01

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.

Show quote history

Internal doors are also locked and no one is near a door/window to minimise the risk.

If someone who is armed with a gun or knife you really think they should all escape outdoors and go where exactly?

The potential shooter might not break into the fence but they can shoot through it.

Hiding helps to reduce risk of harm/death. Out in the open puts you more are risk.

DuplicateUserName · 15/01/2023 20:13

Yes, my local schools have had invacuation procedures for about 10 years.

It's a different sounding alrm to the fire one.

Nimbostratus100 · 15/01/2023 20:16

TheTempest · 15/01/2023 20:08

PP’s have mentioned a Montgomery drill, I’ve googled but can’t find anything and I’ve never heard of it. What’s that one for?

the Montgomery is the wreck of a second world war ship carrying explosives, suck off the coast of Kent. No one knows how much of the explosives are still live, and they are considered far too unstable to investigate.

According to some calculations, if/when it blows, it will be the biggest ever explosion in peace time Europe..

The Montegomery alarm which is whistles and shouts of "Montegomery" is get everyone out of any classrooms facing the Thames, get all blinds down and everyone away from windows - coats on, hoods up, bags on heads, I seem to remember, hand out all the science safety specs

Of course, if/when it blows, there might be anything from no warning to a couple of hours....

also, it might by a tiny little puff and a squeak

No one really knows

babsanderson · 15/01/2023 20:17

An alarm or beep is good. The adults need a way of alerting each other to keep the kids in the classroom and keep them away from windows and doors.
I am not convinced the kids learn anything useful though.

Autumnnewname · 15/01/2023 20:17

LadyPenelope68 · 15/01/2023 16:04

All schools (secondary and primary) must have a lockdown procedure as part of their legal policies. I’m a Primary Teacher and we’ve had a practice, just like we have a fire practice.

All schools where?

We don't do them

Nimbostratus100 · 15/01/2023 20:17

Remember t hat sonic boom over Kent a couple of years ago - everyone in the room with me at the time just looked at each other and said "Montgomery?" - we were 30 miles from it, but still thought that might have been what we felt - not that time

Loveacardigan · 15/01/2023 20:19

We do a lockdown drill- primary school . We don’t tell the children the real reason.

babsanderson · 15/01/2023 20:20

Look at the school shootings in the US. There is no one way to deal with this and live. It gives false comfort.

IHearYouHaveACrushOnMe · 15/01/2023 20:20

Nimbostratus100 · 15/01/2023 20:16

the Montgomery is the wreck of a second world war ship carrying explosives, suck off the coast of Kent. No one knows how much of the explosives are still live, and they are considered far too unstable to investigate.

According to some calculations, if/when it blows, it will be the biggest ever explosion in peace time Europe..

The Montegomery alarm which is whistles and shouts of "Montegomery" is get everyone out of any classrooms facing the Thames, get all blinds down and everyone away from windows - coats on, hoods up, bags on heads, I seem to remember, hand out all the science safety specs

Of course, if/when it blows, there might be anything from no warning to a couple of hours....

also, it might by a tiny little puff and a squeak

No one really knows

Show quote history

Gosh that is fascinating! I had never heard of it before. Hopefully if it ever goes it will be a splutter at best though.

Thanks for posting that, I am going to look into it. (love a decent google rabbit hole)

Eyre89 · 15/01/2023 20:21

My sons primary school do this and have the whole time he's been there he's y4

Zosime · 15/01/2023 20:22

the Montgomery is the wreck of a second world war ship carrying explosives

I wondered what the Montgomery drill was too. If you'd said Richard Montgomery I'd have known what you meant. I didn't know there was a drill for it. Must ask some retired teachers I know.

Iliveditwizbit · 15/01/2023 20:24

Reading this thread, i’m really surprised all schools don’t do this at least once or twice.
Not least because it’s scary, and being psychologically prepared in some way (eg thinking there’s a deer in the playground or similar) will ensure children are calm and importantly, quiet in a serious situation.
A screaming/ crying/ frightened child would be quite a risk if it was the situation none of us like to think about, not to mention the fact that it’s very difficult to keep 30 kids safe if one needs special attention.

Rosebel · 15/01/2023 20:25

DDs secondary school do lockdown drills and have done for over a year. We do them in nursery too.

liveforsummer · 15/01/2023 20:26

MrsSchrute · 15/01/2023 15:55

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

They really don't!

Annoyingwurringnoise · 15/01/2023 20:26

Yes, DS y10 has done lockdown drills throughout primary and secondary.

Autumnnewname · 15/01/2023 20:28

dapsnotplimsolls · 15/01/2023 17:51

Why do people keep saying 'all schools do this'? How do you know this? You're also wrong.

Because their tiny minds can't process that there is life outside their particular town or village.

Etonianmother · 15/01/2023 20:29

My son once told me what they did as a terrorism drill, so I would not be surprised if 'lockdown drills' were standard in most schools.