To think we need to re-think security for children's schools and clubs following Southport

[caffelattetogo]

Before I start, this is absolutely not blaming the victims or anyone who organised the holiday club in Southport. It's easy to be wise after the event.

But, I really think that we need new risk assessments for anywhere that children are, ones that look more at their safety. These monsters target children, so anywhere that children are needs to think about locked doors, video doorbell cameras, extra security measures, anything we can to keep them safer.

Mental health services are struggling and the early warning signs are being missed. We have dangerous people free to plan activities like this, and while we shouldn't need to, I think we need to be aware.

I have thought about this when planning my children's clubs following the attack, and chosen ones with better security measures.

Similarly, I'm concerned about the security at DCs' school and nursery, where doors are often left open.

I know these attacks are rare, but I would feel safer knowing that they were behind locked doors.

AIBU?

Both my children's schools are locked to outsiders during the day and I lock my brownie group in as well. I think your school and nursery and unusual. I would raise it with the governors asap.

Yes, I agree. Our school has a glass door with a push bar that could be opened in 10 seconds.

Following the Dunblane massacre I thought all schools had to be securely locked at all times? Or is that just Scotland? Our school has doors that can’t be opened from the outside and you can only be buzzed in by the office during the day with appointments only.

I agree about clubs, my DC go to quite a few and none really have security, and this is something that should be given more consideration I agree. Following the Southport attacks I changed the summer clubs we used to ones at the local leisure centre that are busy and have full time reception staff, with the kids clubs held at the back of the building (thinking longer time to raise the alarm/stop someone getting to them). Its terrible we have to think like this.

Trouble is what about things like buses etc? How would you stop anything happening then? Obviously what happened is awful but we can't just lock them in all the time.

I remember schools pre Dunblane. There were no fences, no locked doors and anyone could wander around. I'm not sure how more schools can do.

The greatest risk to your children is vehicles.

And yet kids are dressed in black, move up car seats too quickly, are driven in speeding cars (a few miles over the limit is still speeding)

Making prisons for our children won't keep them safe.

But by this logic, parks should be banned. All those kids out playing without locks in the way. Should we let kids walk down the road if they might be attacked? We should of course mitigate risk where possible, but it can never be eliminated.

Many schools are still not fenced in. My local primary was only fenced in 2009 and my senior school still isn't

Our main door is locked, but the side doors are often open to the public when it's warm, or as a PP says are only glass fire doors with a push bar, so opened in seconds from the outside.

Our school is fully secure, no one can get in without being buzzed in by staff.
After Southport all the clubs my children attend sent out their security policies to reassure parents. All involve locked doors while the activity is taking place.

When people talk about the erosion of a high-trust society, this is what they mean.

No, absolutely. But I'm with them at the park. My fear is for school/cubs/dancing where there are a lot of kids and few adults.

Schools and nurseries are secure.

Clubs are more difficult because these tend to take place in village halls and similar community spaces that aren’t set up to be secure. I suppose the teacher could lock the door and I suspect more will think to after this.

But at the end of the day, as horrible as it is, it was a rare event in the grand scheme of things and you can’t protect children from everything that might happen to them.

Most school now have to be locked during the day - ours lock the gates as well as have a buzzer entry door at reception. Classroom doors to the playground are locked also - you see them unlocked before letting them out at the end of the day. Our nursery is also the same buzzer entry at reception.

I usually choose a summer camp that is at school so behind the same locked doors/gates but some clubs aren't setup like this - thinking football camp at the local football club. Although you would have to go through the clubhouse to get to the children on the pitch the doors are not locked.

It is not. There is no such thing as a full secure school, it's not possible.

I think the bigger worry and the bigger risk is the mental health of our children. Locking them away won't improve mental health, it will make it worse and that in turn will make life more dangerous for everyone.

If people knew what was bubbling away under the surface because of the total lack of MH care they'd be terrified

We shouldn't have to think about this stuff, but we live in a world where we have to.

We can't build walls and locked doors to keep out every risk in the world. Much better to invest in mental healthcare can support stronger communities so people don't become isolated and radicalised.

I don’t think making schools and activities secure is ‘locking children away’. How would they even know the doors are locked?

We are terrified - that's the point. The killer was known to mental health services until he stopped engaging with them in February 2023.

All the schools and nurseries around here ( outer London ) have got secure entrances - you can’t just wander in. These are permanent, purpose built or adapted full time locations.
The problem with extending this to clubs is that they are rarely full time, just some days for a couple of hours after school or at the weekend and in a wide variety of premises that are able to rent to the class/club owner for that time. The buildings may well have other activities going on. There has been a huge loss of community halls and spaces here over the past few years and I can see that what the OP is suggesting would result in further decline in availability for activities for children.

It’s easier to get into Fort Knox than my children’s primary and secondary schools. My youngest attends weekend Theatre school and they are also locked once the kids have arrived.

Where will the money come from for the changes and how will risk assessments happen if they want to let the children play at the park, go on a field trip? Do the dangers of the outside world stop if they're taking the tube to a museum?

Many schools refuse to allow children to leave before y6 when most of us walked home well before that. We are already locking them away. The more we lock them inside the more we drive to spend time online in front of screens and away from other humans.

Schools should most definitely be secure if your school isn't then it needs to be addressed immediately, literally OFSTED will highlight for child safety.
I help run a Saturday group and we were on holiday when this happened. We immediately updated our safeguarding policy before starting back in Sept.
We hire our local school and are the only group in the building. It's a bit of a hassle, doors are manned as kids come in and then locked . And then manned and opened, for parents at the end of the session.
A couple of parents complained because 'what's likely to happen?' ' it's a safe area' and yeah it is but I bet the dance teacher thought the same.
Risking kids, regardless of how small a risk, especially when parents are trusting us to care for them is not something we were willing to do.

I agree with this.

Each year in the UK, around 20 children are killed on the roads and around 500 seriously injured.

Whereas murder by a random person is (thankfully) incredibly rare.