Can you go into your child's secondary school without ringing a bell?

[BourgeoisBabe]

I had to go into my DS school before term to collect books. Just went in, someone asked could they help, sent me to where the books were. I have been before when they called me to say DC is sick. You arrive, enter the school, go to reception, they call your child. I am happy with this but I believe in UK you would have to ring a bell, and get let in. So more control over who gets into the school. I am curious about if my experience is the norm? Importantly, not primary school, she they're eye more controls I n entry and exit

I am in Dublin BTW so not some small rural school

Army child’s secondary you can enter through the first set of automatic doors and get to the reception window, where you need to speak to the receptionist who would open the second set of doors to let you into the actual school

So reception doesn't need to ring you in in my school, you can freely enter the building

I'm in the US...

I had to press a button to be buzzed into the locked lobby, state my business to the (very pleasant and cheerful) security staff, produce my ID, the staff would make a copy of it, put the copy in a file and put the ID itself into an in/out tray, fish a laminated 'VISITOR' badge with a clip attached to it out of a drawer, which I'd clip to my clothes. The security officer would give me directions which would go in one ear and out the other, the locked second door would be buzzed open, and I would wander around the vast building until I found someone to help me find my destination. I'd do whatever I needed to get done, and whenever I found my way out, my ID would be given back and I'd surrender my badge.

Elementary school - bell, intercom, the school.office could see you on a video monitor, and would buzz you in. Then you had to deal only with the school office - no-one was allowed to walk around inside the school during the school day unless you were volunteering. You dropped off forgotten lunch or whatever at the office, and if you were there to pick up a sick child or take them for a dental appointment, etc, they would be waiting for you in the office. No parents entered the building at drop off or pick up - classes lined up outside and were led in by teachers, and brought out by teachers at 3.

This is how it is in both of my children's schools but the area you can enter is just a tiny reception area with 2 chairs and the reception staff are behind a window into an enclosed office. You then have to be buzzed through the next set of doors into the main school areas. All of the outside perimeters have tall metal fencing with a separate pathway to the main entrance which is also surrounded by fencing so that you can only follow the path to reception and not enter any other part of the school grounds.

Buzz at the gate to be let in and your on camera. Then walk through to the reception which is all you can get to. Although nothing stopping anyone walking from the gate and then around the outside of the building.

I went to school in Wexford. In my first couple of years you could walk through the gates but had to ring a buzzer to get into reception. They then installed proper gates so you would have to be buzzed through them and then I think they'd open the door to reception at the same time so you could walk in.

I should say that was secondary school. Interestingly at my primary school, anyone could just walk in or out or the gates/doors.

County Cork - you can walk through the open gates and presumably around the grounds fairly easily. You can enter the building reception area but then the second set of doors are locked and you have to be buzzed in.

I think it’s more about keeping kids in school than keeping parents out. 😁

In Primary school there’s no locked doors or locked gates.

My school is a vast sprawling campus, anyone could wander in. This is all risk assessed but it just isn’t practical for all schools to have entry controls. Staff are trained to spot anyone on site, ask if they need help and then walk them to reception so they aren’t unaccompanied.

Both my kids secondary schools in England you needed to go to reception, one you could get to the door then ring a bell for admittance the other you had to use an intercom at the gate then go to reception. Secondary school
in town you need to go to reception but can get to the building without ringing a bell

Primary were locked gates and you buzzed to go in. Secondary there is a security door on the reception. I am pretty sure this became the norm after Dunblane. When I was a kid there were no security doors etc.

Locked gates and you have to ring a bell to enter. It's covered thankfully so if it's raining you're all good.

Both primary and secondary here ( North West) you need to buzz to be let on site, then straight to reception where you will be issued with a visitors pass if actually going into the school. Basic safeguarding.

My child has SEN and goes to a specialist setting so getting in and out is like completing the crystal maze. My godchildren’s school you can walk into reception but have to be buzzed in to go any further. My nieces and nephews’ school is more of a campus one with separate buildings and if has a gatehouse at the end of the drive that you sign in at then the main buildings are just open.

The school I currently work at, you buzz to get into the cat park and then you can get into the building as far as reception who would stop you. I’ve worked at/visited many schools where you can just walk into the building but you’d get stopped at reception by all and have to be buzzed in to get any further.

If you just went to collect something from my school, you could get as far as the reception lobby, a small entry space with office staff behind a sliding window, locked doors between you and the school. You would wait there and the Item/child would be collected and brought out to you, you wouldn’t go into the school area at all. If you have a meeting with someone in school, you have to sign in, have your photograph taken, visitor pass printed , pass handed over, then either you wait for the person you are visiting to be called to meet you or, if you are a familiar visitor, you MIGHT be buzzed through the door to the waiting area. You would then be discretely supervised until the person you are visiting arrives.

Secondary.
can walk into reception but not get any further.
school campus made up of many small buildings and it’s not possible to gate and lock the whole site. I suspect I could easily walk into some of the buildings if I was so inclined.

private school in North East England.
you have to buzz at the gate to speak to the school office, they then let you in.
for early years, you go to their gate and ring the bell, for anyone else, you go to the school office

Ours is like Fort Knox ! Massive gates with intercom and have ti get through it all again ti get through the reception doors !

It's good though. Just a bit daunting 😳

😱 absolutely shocked to read this. I am in Scotland and after Dunblane incident there were the tightening of safety in school reception areas so no one gets past without authorisation. Parents and visitors alike. I like the fact I have to stay put and get quizzed by clerical staff. It shows safety of children is taken seriously.

You have to buzz to be allowed on site as there are locked pedestrian and vehicle gates. Once in you can walk to reception. The buildings are not locked.

No, in my child's secondary school you can't get onto the school premises at all without speaking to reception via intercom, whether walking or in a car.

I used to be a supply teacher, and pretty much every school I’ve been to had the same set up, either buzz on the door to be let into reception or buzz at the gates to be let in then walk through to reception to sign in, depending on the layout of the campus. At my daughter’s primary school you buzz at the gate and then again at the reception door.

I'm in Scotland too, in a city centre and a school purpose built since Dunblane. I can walk into the Foyer and could go to any classroom if I wanted. However, the reception desk is right by the entrance and would see me and I think there is a sort of janitor or security on the other side.

When I've gone in, I do go to reception and say "I'm here to see Mrs..." and they direct me, maybe tick it off, I don't get a pass or anything though, like I did in primary.

The kids are coming and going all day, any secure entrances would just give the illusion of safety, not actually do anything, and be a total PITA for staff and students. I'm not remotely worried, they've never done a single lockdown drill either and are hopefully learning they are part of the wider world and how to navigate it, rather than being in a bubble.

Secondary school in Cornwall. You can walk in to Reception. A public footpath goes right through the school site. ( Headteacher tried to get it closed, not happening, footpath was there first). The playing fields have only been fenced in the last few years. Probably to stop people walking their dogs across them. It's really easy for pupils to walk out of the school, nothing is locked.