Is anybody else worrying about potential terrorist attacks on primary schools?

[SunnyPearlFish]

Over the last week I've seen lots of videos/social media posts regarding potential terror attacks on primary/infant schools. Following on from them doing lockdown practice runs in school. It's got me so worried to the point where I'm considering home schooling my children (5 and 4). They absolutely love their school, it's a lovely small village school with brilliant teachers and they have a really close knit group of friends there.

I know it would break their hearts if I pulled them out of school but I can't stop thinking about something awful happening to my children.

On the other hand, I know I need to keep things in perspective and really consider the chances of something happening. I'm just so conflicted, I don't know how well I'd be able to home educate them, I don't really have the confidence to do it.

Just looking for some advice really and peoples opinions. TIA

Step away from social media. Honestly. The world can seem like a scary place but it is your anxiety making you feel like this rather than reality. Schools have been doing lockdown drills for years. It is nothing new. Your children are as safe at school as they are anywhere

How many primary schools are there in England ? I just googled it’s just shy of 17000

So that’s 1 in 17000 chance they pick your kids school

Now what are the odds of being involved in a terrorist attack?

Now work out the combined odds?

a) the odds are infinitesimal

b) the odds of giving your kids a poor eduction because you can’t home ed them (by your own admission)

c) turn off social media. Don’t take your kids out of school. Speak to your doctor or therapist

Lockdown drills in schools are not new. It’s not anything that I see on my social media pages, you need to be aware that algorithms will show you more of the stuff you read, you see lots of it as you read / watch lots of it. I have not seen one post about this as I do not engage with these types of posts.

This is not a reason to decide to home educate your children. The police and security services have access to lots more intelligence than whatever someone may be posting on social media, any credible threat would be acted on.

It's got me so worried to the point where I'm considering home schooling my children (5 and 4).

Get off the internet.

Your anxiety is not normal and not proportionate.

Sounds like the algorithms on your social media are making it seem like a far bigger problem. I live in a busy area of London and have not once had this thought. There are risks and danger everywhere if you really want to look. Delete your social media for 4 weeks and see if it makes a difference to how you feel.

Was it you that posted something identical yesterday?

It's not a terrorist attack on primary schools, it's a deliberate disinformation attack.

It's not true.

please link any social media or stories of potential terror attacks on primary schools.
i have not seen or heard of any, and i think if you looked at the source you might find it's AI generated, fake news, or click bait.
this might reassure you
School Shootings by Country 2025

For goodness sake, this cannot be serious?

They are more at risk every time they cross the road.

Get off social media.
Lockdown drill in the uk is nothing like in the USA if that's what you're thinking. The teacher closes the door and blinds snd does a quiet activity.

This type of thinking is a bit mad, honestly.

Lockdown drills have been done annually in UK primary schools for yonks. Way before COVID. Definitely not a new thing.

Primary schools are pretty tight on security. They have to be as not only do you not want randoms coming in, you don’t want any little ones absconding!! Most staff know parents & carers and a stranger would definitely get attention. Secure gates and visitors having to be buzzed in is the norm in most schools (ironically security was massively tightened following Dunblane).

Not sure what you’ve been watching on social media but I really suggest you don’t! It’s scaremongering

I’ve seen a couple of posts on X about this. It is misinformation (to put it politely). If it is affecting you this much step away from the internet.

If there was a serious and credible terror threat to schools, it would be national news, with government briefings not random videos on social media. This will be fake news. Check the sources of this.

OP, I say this knowing exactly what you are going through, you need to come off social media OR educate your algorithm.

I have debilitating anxiety. I have had the exact same worries throughout my kids being at primary school and I’d have to talk myself down from a panic attack.

Your social media has learnt what you interact with and will give you more and more of that. You need to tell it to stop showing you terrorist related content. If it’s TikTok I think you hold down on the video and say I don’t want to see this, or something like that.

Your kids are as safe as can be at school. If you pull them out due to your fears, that’s not fair. Especially as your fears are disproportionate to the risks xx.

I’m guessing you saw this or similar. Someone did a FOI request on the prevent programme and how many people on the programme had shown an interest in attacking a school. They can tell the number but not the locations of these people.

It’s not a hugely unlikely as some people on here are making it out to be. But yes chances are still statistically slim.

Second such post in the last few days.

A primary school could be attacked. Dunblane was. But the chances are so small. The chances of your children suffering from being pulled out are massively higher. Just send them to school and don't think about it.

Did anyone think after Dunblane that the parents should have homeschooled? I bet not a single person in the country thought that.

OP you sound like you're getting lost in a rabbit hole here. Your children are happy at school, there's no reason to pull them out. I bet if you look around your school you'll find lots of security measures, such as:

-staff standing at entrances when doors are open (e.g. during drop off)

• a single point of entry during the school day (probably the office) which is monitored by staff and can only be passed when buzzed in from the inside
• all other doors locked during the school day

I'm sure there are many more, but have a good look around your school if you're looking for reassurance and absolutely stay off social media, the algorithms have tapped into your insecurity

Where on earth are you seeing this stuff?

Just don’t look at it.

The only place I’ve seen this is on X. It’s a load of hate stirring bollocks.

You need serious mental health support if you believe this nonsense

Everybody is getting their news from Tiktok and X and Facebook rather than from proper news sources.

The thing is, if you pull them out of school on the tiny risk of a terror attack happening there, what happens if the attack actually happens at Tesco, or cinema or wherever you are instead of school.

The chances of being caught up in an attack are minuscule and unless you choose to only stay at home there is always a risk of something happening.