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 … schools do this

Yes my children's school do. They've practiced it. It's also for extreme weather events and dangerous dogs gaining access to the school grounds. Most likely scenario is a parent trying to gain access to a child they aren't allowed contact with I think.

I dont know if my kids primary school does this but dont mind as long as its done very subtley and not to scare the kids in any way. I would rather the teachers know exactly what to do in case someone got in school and was dangerous, than have never practiced at all.

It's not just about the threat of a "shooter". We had to use the lockdown procedure due to an angry Father who had been denied access to his DC turning up with a knife, several posters who work in schools have shared other reasons why they have had to use their lockdown protocol. It would be ludicrous not to have a protocol in place to reduce the risk of children and staff being killed just because some people would prefer to believe it could never happen here.

Yes, my child does this.

It has been 'activated' twice. Once because they thought they had a chemical leak from the kitchen and needed to keep everyone in their classrooms while it was checked. Kids didn't even noticed until afterwards when Fire Brigade came etc. Turned out to be ok- wasn't chemicals.

2nd time a child who had been excluded returned to the premises, with a knife. The kids were locked in their blocks but lessons carried on as normal, so the vast number of children had no idea what was happening. To be honest, it was very well done- so the Head of Science secured the science block, locked the main door and all teachers knew to keep everything locked inside, windows closed. Kids could still use loos etc, because the main doors were locked and teachers/TA were there ensuring no-one in or out.

Yes mine were fairly unaware, it was only the heads letter that informed us. It was last done just after a big storm and explained as practice for that, very gently done.

I've worked in lots of schools. Not all schools do this but some (the minority in my experience) do. I was also in a school that had a fake gun threat called in once and the school revised their drills policy going forward as they hadn't rehearsed for anything other than a fire alarm.

I teach secondary in England. We have a lockdown drill but it doesn't involve hiding under desks. Just locking doors, closing blinds, and carrying on with the lesson.

We've once locked down "for real" when a father who couldn't have contact with his children was behaving aggressively in reception. There were no weapons or violence but it was important he couldn't get to his children. I don't think the students realised that it wasn't a drill.

Thats a great way of explaining it 👍🏻 And I can imagine my kids finding that fun. Better to have prepared teachers (once a year would probably be enough), than not be prepared at all.

Yes, my kids have had them in both primary and secondary. We were told they'd be receiving it.

I remember bomb drills and nuclear drills at school in the 80's. We lived near a nuclear arms base so that could be the reason for nuclear one - no idea of they were normal for other schools!

We operate run,hide,tell procedures aka and lockdown drill. Sixth form college England

I am a school governor of a state primary, it is my understanding that all schools do this.

Need for it will depend on local threat assessment.

Government advice is that all schools should have a robust and rehearsed lockdown procedure including a seperate lockdown alarm that is distinguishable from the fire alarm, regardless of the schools location.

Schools in Wales have also had training about this back in 2018 due to terror attacks in Manchester and London in 2017.

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/schools-lockdown-drills-terror-attacks-14467890.amp

My DD's deffo hasn't

Because they are unaware of life in other parts of the UK. See also linking to gov.uk documents on education or talking about OFSTED or governors, neither of which are things which exist in Scotland.

Just so's we're clear, Scotland is part of the UK as is Wales and N Ireland. Whatever Ms Sturgeon thinks.

it is a requirement for all schools to have a procedure for external threat (invacuation) just as they need a fire drill and ch should be aware of it. We don’t actually practice it but ch know what to do and hear the alarm noise every so often to be familiar.
Whether or not you are made aware of it is up to the school and their communications policy.

@LookingforMaryPoppins how would you raise this. It 1000% not happened and there are 100% no plans for the this

I work in primary and have never done this. NW area maybe it depends where you live? I don't know... but we have never done them.

The school I work in doesn't do this so I am surprised by all the posters saying that all schools do this.

Just asked primary DS - his school has done this

I voted unreasonable before I read the comments and it appears its actually quite common in the UK? I'm in northern ireland and will be asking DD school about this tomorrow as its new to me

They all do them . They have to be prepared for the possibility

They should! I am UK south east region.
It may be that SLT have procedures but haven’t shared… but that wouldn’t be good!

Bet they do. It's a standard requirement.