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

My child’s secondary does this, they were given examples of a fox in the playground (really) and a swarm of bees. Obviously both of these reasons were scoffed at, kids aren’t that stupid!

I'm in Scotland and our secondary school does it, there is a code word. Not sure about primaries though.

I thought schools were like Fort Knox following Dunblane. I'm surprised it's necessary.

This was exactly what my DCs primary school called them. Its horrifying that they're necessary, however I do think it's good that they're practised in case the unthinkable ever happens.

They also happen at my DCs senior school (they've all finished with primary school) but they all know what's going on now.

But it can and does. Thankfully very rarely. Dunblane is a relatively small, friendly town. No one in their right mind could have predicted what happened there.

And it's also not for potential shootings.

My kids have had them in secondary school and frequentlyhad them in primary school a few years ago.

My youngest came out of primary school one day and said that the lockdown bell had gone off accidentally that day, and they thought there was an active shooter in the school. Their teacher had to get them all under the desks, kids were sobbing and it was chaos apparently. Awful times we live in.

I'm a bit sceptical about these lockdown procedures because until you know the actual danger it is impossible to have a firm policy. For example you might want to get everyone together in the hall, alternatively you might want to be in individual classrooms under desks.

My school does it. We went with with dangerous dog story. However, the Y6s we're having none of it and knew exactly what it was really for!

Younger ones loved it. They still talk about when the whole school played hide and seek.

I worked in a primary until 2018 now in a secondary and this has happened in both schools

I find this incredibly sad. I never did them at school but things are obviously different now. We did fire drills but that was it. There’s no way there can be as much of a shooter threat in the UK as in the US though?

Both DH and I are UK midlands based teachers; two DC have been through the school system over the last decade and our youngest is now close to leaving. Have never heard of this at all. Regional perhaps?

Secondary school here.

We do lockdown drills at the start of every term.

All schools do this.

My children's primary school did this for the first time this week. as a police officer I think it's very sensible and every school should do it.

My DS says they never did it - me actually being at a meeting IN his secondary school during one of the drills!

There is even a gov.uk template to help schools. As PP have said it isn’t mandatory but definitely recommended and Ofsted did ask us about ours and asked to see the register of when the drills had taken place.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/918703/Lockdown_template.docx

i read it on here that it happens

They did it in Dts school, SE London, we got an advance warning it was happening

The school layout also plays a part. Some have walls/fences that can be scaled and get onto the playground.
People have been known to follow in legit visitors.
Sneak in when carpark gate is opened etc.

As staff we were reminded a lot about people following us in and we were reminded to wait until gates were fully locked before carrying on. Also during morning drop off it’s easy for an unknown to enter the premises.

It's great that there's a procedure in place

When I was young we did something similar but it was called (paraphrasing!😁) "What to do if Russia nukes us"

This also involved hiding under the desk & then getting to a fallout shelter
Seems weird thinking back but no psychological damage done.

Desks - last line of defence

@100thname This is ridiculous. Do you think fire drills turns kids into arsonists too?

They most defo do, they may not have tel lthe parents about it. It's pretty obviously going on in the classrooms when you are there!

ALL schools do this- my kid's primary school did it and so did my older child's secondary school. Its sad they have to but also sensible. They dont practice it often but it is something they have done as my kids have told me about it.

Mine haven’t done them.

2 diff primary schools, 5 miles from dunblane my friend works in dunblane primary they don’t do them either. All doors are locked schools are pretty hard/impossible to get into now.
I guess it’s the head teachers decision to do them or not?

My relatives uk primary does this ,i was quite surprised when she told me .

So's ours but the fencing around it is pretty secure.