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

We can get to the reception desk without buzzing. Then no further. However there is a child there. Every day a year eight spends a day on the office area doing tasks. They have their own desk.

The sports fields are totally open.

The only way in is through reception. You use a buzzer on the outside of the door. Depending on what reason you're picking up determines whether you wait there or are let in.

Well, this is Ireland, and we haven't had a school shooting incident. And it's secondary, so all over 12. I knew there was pretty tight security in UK, I was really wondering what the Irish situation was. In one way, I like it this way. But I know that one incident would change it immediately, and maybe they shouldn't wait for that incident.

NE England we have 3 tier schools
First school (4-9) walk into reception. Locked door from there.
Middle school (9-14) Buzzer on the gate, then reception, free access from there.
High school (14-18) Never been in unless there is an event on. Free access but QR code to say you attended and for feedback. Normal day no idea.

Secondary school I can get in to the reception but nowhere else in the school, they call for your child if needed.
Primary school I have to ring the bell by the main entrance.
Unfortunately I think this is necessary these days, feels safer to me.

Not all Irish schools are like the one you describe and not all UK schools have tight security.
I have to say I prefer a school with more security, regardless of which country I'm in.

Primary you could walk onto site but the only open door is reception.
DDs secondary has a security gate and when that was broken someone stood there all day. School is a series of buildings so you could run off if you wanted.

Ive worked in several secondary schools and they all were security gate and onlt could get to reception.

There was also a girl killed near me in secondary school in the 90s, the man just walked into site and into a classroom.

NI- I work in schools and it has floored me how easy it is to just walk into any school, primary or secondary, here. I came from England where all schools are like Fort Knox. I even left a voice note for my teaching mates’ WhatsApp group last week about how I had just that day walked straight into both my own child’s secondary school, via the open side door from the publicly accessible car park (I’m on the BOG, so know my way around and was going to a meeting in a room by the side door - I’ve never been asked to sign in or get a visitors badge there in almost three years) as well as into a local infants’ school at lunchtime where 100s of children were playing on the field with double driveway gates wide open to a busy road. It honestly feels like the 90s here, before safeguarding existed. I’m constantly amazed at how lax people are here about safeguarding and attendance.

Louth here. You could walk into any secondary classroom in the town if you went in a side door. And they all have multiple side doors and no external gates.The front door at DC school has a sign to go to reception, but there is rarely someone there.
In contrast DC English primary was like a jail, very high fences, 1 gate to the playground which was open at limited times and supervised. Front door was a buzzer to the lobby, and youd almost never be let into the main building.

Are you saying you can access the entire school just by walking in? Or there's locked doors after reception to the rest 9f the building.
My child's primary you had to be buzzed into reception then they'd open doors into rest of school if needed. Secondary (it's an old school that was closed for years that's been taken over by new school awaiting the building of their own, so no mod cons) there's a door that can be closed and you buzz to get in but it's open first thing in morning and afternoon

Both primary and secondary schools here Sligo we have to buzz the door to be let in, can't even get to reception.

My children’s primary schools are both different. In one you ring the buzzer and get left in and you are in the main school building (very old school) and in my second child’s school (brand new modern building)you walk straight into a reception lobby area and then get buzzed into the school. In DDs secondary you walk straight into the school

I’m in the US. I have to show press a button to speak to the office. Then show my state ID or passport and state my reason for entering the building. Most of the time this is dropping something off and the doors will only be opened into the first drop off section. If I need entrance to the school, the 2nd door will be unlocked and I will be let into the office where they will inspect my ID in person, have me fill out some paperwork, and give me a badge to wear while in the building. Then they will unlock the 3rd door and let me in.

Yes, I can access the whole school just by walking in. The door is open. And the office is down a corridor once you get in. There are no buzzers or any controls on entry.

Primary and secondary you have to press a buzzer to get into the school grounds. At secondary you can't get past reception without a lanyard with your photo on it.

I have a question about us hospitals too. I have seen people on tv shows wearing visitor badges I think. Are you not able to enter a hospital either without going through reception? Here in Ireland you just walk in, go to whatever ward you want to. A few wards you need to ring to get into e.g. icu

with ours you can walk into reception and then need to be buzzed into the school. Ours is a community campus though and so for the princely sum of a fiver you can go on in to access the pool / gym which is in the school. There are doors that block corridors but lots of school kids milling around if you turn up during a break time.

In primary you havdd Ed to be buzzed into the unless it’s warm then the front door is propped open for air 🤦‍♀️

This is exactly how it works in my dc’s secondary school. Through the first door, to the hatch, ring a bell and talk to the receptionist and then she lets you through to the school. We are in a large town.

We have to ring and wait to be buzzed in

DS' school you can walk in the main gate but the side gates are locked at 8:50, there is also a gate that stops you walking around the school perimeter once inside the main gate you can only walk directly into the reception lobby, if you have an appointment you are met at reception by the member of staff seeing you and accompanied to whatever you need to be. There are exceptions to this for example parent workshops, school plays etc, the side gate is open but it's manned by the caretaker and head of year, you go straight into the playground and into the hall from outside , manned by more teachers and you have to sign in as you enter.
Far from the days of a random dog wandering into the playground!

Both primary and secondary schools, we had to be buzzed into the school reception once the day started. No further security so I wouldn't describe it as Fort Knox, given the receptionist probably didn't scrutinise who was at the door too thoroughly but it would prevent opportunistic theft.