Security measures at primary school?

[ALMummy]

I live in London and there are 6 primary schools in my local area. 5 out of 6 of them have a very high gates and walls and a buzzer system to allow access to the school premises outside of picking up and dropping off time. 1 does not - my DS's school. I happened to walk past his school one morning and the kids are out in the playground for break and basically the gates are standing wide open and anyone can just walk on to school premises.

Just interested to know what security measures are taken at your DC's schools? I am not really happy about the ones being taken at present at our school and have spoken to the head about it, she told me I would have to write to the Governers and no one has ever complained before. I sort of thought that free access was a bit of a no no at primary schools. Can anyone tell me is this usual? It makes me want to move him, although happy with every aspect of his school to one that is a bit more security conscious.

Dss primary school has two gates, one is only opened at drop-off and pick-up time. The main gate is usually shut, but not locked, during the day, so the Middle School children are not technically secure at playtime, although there are always teachers around at that time. Entry to the building itself is through a buzzer system.

Gate is locked 5 minutes afyer the bell goes in the morning, and thereafter the main route into the school is locked until 3, when the gate is then open (there will be lessons and after school clubs unitl 5:30). Buzzer/camera gets you admitted to the school. That said I suspect someone determined might be able to work out some other way in (via kitchens or something). But would be challenged unless they were a known parent.

wow am shocked. ds is at secondry and their school is locked and has fences ect.
I would be complaining.

Hi, my dc's school entrance is by buzzer/camera system only.

Every entrance into the school is monitored and even the minor doors (such as door into caretakers outside office!) has keypad entry. The doors remain locked at all times, but are easily de-activated in an emergency.

They had a practice fire alarm the other day and the school evacuated in under 2mins!!! The head wanted to enter the whole school in to the local athletics team! lol!

We are in East Sussex

Buzzer to get in to reception
Two gates
CCTV

Recent pta meeting had a request for:

Barbed wire and searchlights
Dog patrols (preferably attack dogs)

Barbed wire???? Blimey - to think I could walk out of my primary school easily when I was little. Secondary schools with locked gates??

Ds2's school is a small village school - about 60 pupils. Has gates which are shut during the day - not locked, but the door into the school is.

Ds1's school is normal town primary - pretty much same as ds2's school except has an added gate into the playground at the back of school, which is locked. They're at school not prison. Shut gates yes, please tell me you're joking sagacious or someone at your school having a laugh!!

I always think about this sort of thing as March approaches, security absolutely minimal here in Suffolk and wouldn't want it any other way.

Would like to see some lovely rottweilers or german shepherds patrolling the grounds though.

So far we've had an offer of a rather elderly yorkshire terrier, the owner has promised to take off its pink bow.

Terrifying.

I used to live in croydon and they had the high gates and buzzer entry. When I moved to ascot I found it rather unsettling that there is no security, and anyone can walk into the playground. The mian door has a buzer but the classes are often open in any case. I've gotten used to it now, and I do actually prefer it, and I'm glad their new school isn't like a fortress.

Ours is a village primary school. Gate from church/car park to school is not locked during the day. There is also the main entrance/car park which is always open, even at weekends.

The playground is patrolled at break/lunch by staff who stop pupils leaving and who approach any adults going in - but it's only ever parents armed with antibiotics.

The doors to the school are buzzer system.

For this location, I really wouldn't want any other security measures, particularly high locked gates.

Where the hell do you live sagacious? Baghdad?

Gates to the playground are locked once the bells go and the parents leave. After that, and until picking-up time, access is through the office. If you were determined, I suppose you could scale the fence. At local infants school (which both dc's attended, the fence was lower, so you could have scaled it, but then the children weren't out in the playground unsupervised.
Don't like the look of the infants school next to my dh's office; it's like a high security prison, totally cut off from the world, and the first thing the kids see as they arrive in the morning is enormous Stranger Danger posters. Apparently, the head is completely paranoid, she even tried to stop them building flats on a nearby road, as she was afraid residents might be able to get a glimpse of the playground. A fat lot of harm that was going to do! Thankfully, the heads of dc's schools have had a much more positive view of the local communities.

my sons small village primary all of the gates are locked into the playground after they go in in the morning and are only opened at picking up time. The only access in the day is via a buzzer system on the front door which is opened by the secretary, this can be a little frustrating if you need to take in a forgotten item there is no one is in the office.

small (100) village primary.
2 gated entrances, both of which have a bolt on them which is shot outside of pick up/drop off, both of which can just be opened from the outside (reach through or over). Have never seen them locked.
Buzzer system to reception (overlooks door) on the main door and numberpad on the other door.

small (100) village primary.
2 gated entrances, both of which have a bolt on them which is shot outside of pick up/drop off, both of which can just be opened from the outside (reach through or over). Have never seen them locked.
Buzzer system to reception (overlooks door) on the main door and numberpad on the other door.

Ours has double layers of high fences and locked gates cctv at all the doors, buzzer system for entry, armed sentry posts every fifty yards (only joking on last point but wouldn't be surprised if it happened) for the primary. It is a decent area overlooked by family houses.

It is mainly to keep parents out in case they try to speak to a teacher!!!

We have locked gates with buzzer system outside of drop off/pick up times. Also once through gates have to be buzzed into locked door to reception aswell.

gate bolted a few minutes after drop off, can reach through and unbolt. THen a buzzer and tv camera on the door. Children are never out in the playground without supervision though

Current school: There is only one entrance door to the building for the infants through to year 3. It is opened by the head at 9.45 and all the kids walk in. At 9.55 is is closed again and children have to knock to be let in. At going home time, the teachers supervise the kids as they exit.

Previous school may be worth a mention: The Head disagreed with gated communities and wanted the buildings on the (huge) site open for parents to come in and out. They had several access points, only one of which had a buzzer and CCTV. All access points were locked after 9AM. And yes, a reception-aged child got out (I caught him running down the pavement at 9.15). The problem was that he was able to get out of one of two gates that were still open onto the main road after 9AM. He was caught on CCTV but so what? Non-one was watching the screen, certainly not the teacher who was running around the building looking for him. I'd think about security of the whole site, not just buildings.
HTH

Was only a couple of years ago that our school managed to divert a public footpath (FFS!!) across the KS2 playground! We regularly had an elderly man with a white stick attempt to cross the playground at break time, who complained that the children might knock him down!