School intruder training

[incognitoe]

DC12's school organised "intruder training", which involved an actor banging on windows and shouting and an alarm going off for around 40 mins, and the children being asked to close curtains of room, get under desks and stay silent for that time, teacher they were with apparently not knowing anything about it. Half the class were crying or not able to breath properly.

Has your school done this? Actor came and met them at the end of the "training" to tell them it was not real.

Thanks

@Radiat for younger children it is usually sold as something you have to do if a loose dog gets in the school grounds rather than an intruder.

Some schools have to activate a lockdown due to a pupil’s behaviour.

I have DCs at 2 different secondary schools. Both have done lockdown drills but I know one of them let certain children (who had various different SEN etc) know ahead of time that it wasn't real because one of those children was DSs friend who promptly told everyone else it wasn't real so kind of defeated the point.

In Wales and DC secondary has done this - not the knocking on windows but special alarm and having to hide. DD said first one her class were shouted at for making too much noise they were supposed to be under desks and blinds down- they were told scenario was dangerous dog on site .

DS had one were teacher was supply no clue what it meant and carried on lesson.

It's another type of drill like fire really - - no idea why it's suddenly been decided it's needed.

No way wpuld this happen in England. Which country are you in OP?

I’m in Scotland and haven’t heard of this.

We have a lockdown drill but that doesn't involve actors banging on doors. SLT wander corridors and check for quiet, that is all.

Not my part of Wales - but same idea

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/school-drill-terror-riot-intruder-17236171

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-school-introduces-american-22414636

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/education/what-happens-during-security-lockdown-15802396

Never heard of this myself (have a teacher in the family), the response from the head seemed reasonable.

One difference with the US is that we have gun control. Whilst we should never forget what happened at Dunblane, most of us would be hard pressed to remember any other incidents where schoolchildren have been killed or seriously injured in the Uk by an intruder.

My DS primary school did drills and that was a few years back. I thought it was too much for them so young. However, one day a pupil lost the plot and started smashing the school up. They invoked the lockdown procedure to keep them all safe. In hindsight I was glad they did the training as it reduced the trauma. They didn't use actors though and the children were prepped it was happening.

I work in an FE college in south of England and we've had drills for locking down. We've had a policy in place for at least 3-4 years and at the beginning of each term we have to talk through the drill for both fire and lockdown alarms. I'm surprised that some schools and colleges haven't at least talked through with students what to do.

@TripleDaisySummer as others have said they have used the drill for real life scenarios. I know of at least 3 local schools who have operated an invacuation (as they can be called) due to a pupil’s behaviour and where emergency services have been called as a precaution. No-one has been hurt in these incidences but property may have been damaged.

Teaching staff have told me they have had to use these procedures for gas leaks and bee swarms at other schools. Remember the drills don’t always involve hiding under desks it can just be they need everyone inside. But they need everyone to understand what the signal means (need to use something different to the fire alarm otherwise everyone goes outside rather than inside!)

I’m in England, we do this. The head and deputy go around and look through windows, try the doors etc.

We've had lockdown drills at 3 schools now (England) but all much more low key and designed around not traumatizing anyone.

I would be considering taking this to the governors actually. It sounds like a serious misjudgement. School needs to feel safe for kids and this could have seriously undermined that.

@toomuchlaundry the pupils at DC school thought them a joke and none seem to take them seriously - and my DC did experience the hiding under desks. I never said all schools did that every time - just what my own children had experienced.

As parents we receive no warning or explanation and heard about it from our children.

It was suddenly brought in DD1 at same school never experienced them and so only two school years older. Not all local schools have done them either.

I suspect a company has done some lobbying at the welsh government and schools though I suppose it good someone find them useful.

That is exactly what I thought.

I wonder if there was a reason behind it, something known to local police, or it was the head conducting some kind of human experiment.

In Scotland, never heard of it.

Wouldn't even have a fire alarm without proper notice.

I would take my child out if they did this, that's horrific.

It's very sad that it's becoming necessary, even in the UK, but the schools cannot turn a blind eye to risks.

It's such a different reaction to a potential fire, kids need to learn to behave differently.

Without notice I mean.

I think it was a serious misjudgement. There have been so many problems this year, all avoidable if there had been proper management. I agree also that school needs to feel safe, and I think there is a real possibility that this will mean the kids won't take it seriously if it happens again. Or that it will tip them over the edge! It is a shame, it could have been done properly and been a useful thing.

Scottish teacher here.

Ive never heard of any schools near me doing anything like this.

A few years ago, there were a few unsubstantiated threats to schools made. Turned out to be a hoax.

Around that time, we did practice a lockdown - but it was nothing like what OP explained whatsoever. Instead, we were forewarned that an alarm would go off and we were to stay in class until it stopped. No hiding. If anyone was in the toilet they had to stay there too. It was similar to the fire alarm, but there was an announcement telling people to stay in class. It only lasted a minute or two and everyone remained calm.

We only practiced it once. I’m not sure if it was all schools or only a selection. It was all very self explanatory because of the tannoy announcement, so I’m not sure it needed practiced any more - I think they just wanted to check it worked.

Never heard of it in Scotland (Primary Teacher). We have a fire drill in first week of term in August which teachers know about so we can prepare children in advance (routes, exits, mustering points etc) but thereafter fire drills are unannounced. During drills one of the regular routes will be blocked so teacher/pupils practise leaving by an alternative route as might be needed in a real fire.

Don’t they do unplanned fire alarms?

Here, we do both planned and unplanned. Plus countless times when kids are vaping in the toilets

Blocked routes are a good idea! We don’t do that but really should.

The blocked route for fire drills sounds a really good idea, I think you can get too complacent with fire drills. We certainly did at work, picking up handbags, phones etc chatting as we all ambled down the fire exits. Then we had a real bomb alert with police running though the building shouting at us to get out, no picking up bags and ambling then!

100%!

A fire drill at pick up time, showing parents that the fire crew could not go through because the cars are blocking the way, and that bad drivers would cause casualty would be great too.