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

Scottish teacher here and can honestly say my reaction to reading your post was "wtaf?"
No we do not do this. It sounds horrific.
ASN children, kids who have experienced abuse, kids who have trauma from elsewhere (or staff for that matter)... it is a recipe for disaster. What is going on in English schools if this is seen as normal or reasonable? Sorry your child had to experience this and that your HT's email response was less than helpful.
Though for what it's worth I am so glad you emailed your concerns to the school anyway.
Hope your next school is a nicer experience.

Our school has never had lockdown drills

In UK

That's appalling! They should have been told first. What about all the autistic children and/or children with high anxiety? My children (autistic) would have been terrified by that.

I despair!

For those schools that don’t do lockdown drills what would you do if an emergency invacuation was required?

Work in a nursery. Haven't had a lockdown drill yet we still are meant to have one but we have a procedure in place which we've talked about in staff meetings etc..

After that big spate of terrorist attacks we had, the U.K. advice became ‘run, hide, tell.’

It does seem difficult in terms of classrooms as if lots of kids ran out into a narrow hallway then they would equally be ‘sitting ducks.’

The advice if you can’t run is hide and barricade. 😢

Most schools I have worked in are pretty difficult to get in to - we have two secure doors before entering that are locked during the school day. Sure, someone could enter before/after school, but at that point a lockdown would be pretty ineffective as kids would be free roaming. Plus everyone must have identification visible at all times (photo pass or school uniform) - we also have school staff greeting pupils at each door before school, at interval and at lunch.

Internal corridor doors can also be locked remotely I believe.

They don't run anywhere. If they've been properly prepared they know which alarm is out, and which is in, and they act accordingly.

We can get 500 out into the meeting point in about 90 seconds. (we're timed by SLT) Crocodile file, in silence. Each class knows who is the "line opener" and "closer". Teacher is last one out, closing the door. A closed door means everyone is out so the emergency services can check it off and move on.

Invac, as others have said, nobody goes under desks, doors closed, central locking fire doors sealing off various departments. One member of SLT has a phone for communication to be used only for invacs. Card swipe doors everywhere and swipeability is blocked during the drill.

But invacuation aren’t just to do with intruders. So schools have to do them for chemical spill/gas leak in surrounding areas. How would a school which has never done an invacuation drill know what to do?

Wonder what Blundells did when there was an attack on the 2 pupils the other day? Again schools activate these drills in response to a pupil’s behaviour if it could cause harm to others

Yeah that does make sense that if its already gone off then they need to get people out.

Do you honestly believe in the US, where school shootings average almost daily, there isn't security? We ate fortunate that we don't have the issue with them that they have, but working in a school I think it's naive in the extreme to say it's okay because schools here are secure.

I’m the thé US. They do the same here because that’s what an intruder will
do. Try the handles, attempt
to get in the class and everyone needs to stay silent.

the doors are locked in classrooms full
time now, I get anxious volunteering at school and often think if a kid is out using the restroom they’ll be stuck in the corridor as they’re not allowed to open the doors when they’re on lockdown 😔. They also do a lockout procedure if someone is in the neighbourhood being threatening or chased by police nearby etc

@GneissGuysFinishLast I don't think I've seen an unplanned one, but Im going to ask now. I work part time and have done for a year. We spend ages preparing the wee ones for it. Especially the nursery.

We are rural but the schools are not fenced or secure. One has a public playground in the grounds. All have a walk straight through the playground. Most tend not to use it during school hours but nothing stopping them.

The school I'm in has recently introduced a card entry system but that was because a child was escaping, not to stop someone entering.

Children should know what to do of they're not in the classroom, what's the point in having a drill if they don't get told that? Having said that, if a gunman gets into a school.locking doors will do little to prevent carnage.

The difference is obviously gun penetration, or else the UK would have a similar number of mass shootings. You absolutely cannot compare school security in the UK to the USA.

Jesus! I would be furious. We have never had anything like this.

In the UK it's appallingly inappropriate. Might as well have "escaped lion" drill.

Seeing as there are lions within half a mile of DDs school, and other predator animals closer, you could say an escaped lion drill is entirely appropriate.

@LilacRos why is in inappropriate, you can still have intruders in a school in this country?

I'm from UK and my sons school do this. As if him being sat under his desk is going to confuse a school shooter.

They didn't do it like that though! How is giving kids anxiety and ptsd helpful.

@EasterBreak I assume it is harder to shoot someone under a desk if you are running through a school

My kids do a lockdown drill a couple of times in the school year. Never involves an actor banging on the windows. For the younger I ones they are often told it's for an animal ( bears & cougars live here and are a common sight near us)

What on earth is inappropriate about it?

Schools exist near zoos as well by the way, so I wouldn't say that an "escaped lion drill" is all that nonsensical, really.