Have your children experienced lockdown at there schools?

[ironman]

My friend called me tonight, apparently at her daughters school they had a lockdown drill. The classroom doors were locked, and children had to turn the tables on there sides to protect themselves. Apparently this has been ordered by the government. From my look on the internet it also happened in a school in the North of England.

If there is a terrorist threat to schools, shouldn't the government let the public know? I find it absolutely terrifying! Any other schools been in 'lockdown'?

[adoptmama]

we also have them. no biggie. just the same as having fire drill. children are given age appropriate scenarios and the opportunity to discuss it with tutors if they are worried. we have presentations to class first to talk them thru what goes on and why and a few days later we have a drill. it's the world we live in. you only need to look at the number of school shootings across europe, not just US, to know it needs to be done. it has got nothing to do with any specific secret terrorist threat being told to schools as OP suggests, it is simply something many schools are beginning to see the need to plan for. as others have said, disgruntled parents or ex-pupils are still top of the threat list in the eyes of most teachers, not terrorists of any persuasion.

[phlebas]

"If you are going to practice fire-drills to get everyone out in a hurry, then you also have to practice other situations that mean everyone stays inside."

^ exactly!

[MrsBright]

Also in Australia.

Its common-sense really. If you are going to practice fire-drills to get everyone out in a hurry, then you also have to practice other situations that mean everyone stays inside.

Just imagine the FUSS if a school had to do this, had never practiced it, and got it badly wrong. You wouldnt be able to move for the lawsuits.

[sisterofmercy]

Wow I didn't know any UK schools were doing this sort of thing.

Crunchfrog - my school also had a nuclear drill although I don't think hiding under our desk and shutting the windows would have helped us escape from a nuclear bomb much.

[lilyaldrin]

Dog in the playground and abusive parent are the only reasons we've had to get all the children inside and lock the doors.

[TalkinPeace]

Every school will have emergency drills for appropriate risks.
Parts of the north of this county have procedures for radiation leaks.

[JohnnyBarthes]

All establishments should have emergency procedures defined and preferably tested and practised through drills.

Seems pretty sensible to me

[Andypipkin]

Where does it say that the lockdown drills are in place in the event of "Islamic terrorist" attacks Ironman? And why should the school let the general public know they have practised a lockdown drill? Do they do that for fire drills? You are being racist idiot.

[notso]

Never heard anything like it.
It used to fun when a dog got in the playground when I was at school, we didn't cower under our desks!

[lljkk]

I never heard of it and it sounds horrible.
We had regular earthquake drills in my schools, though. :)

[MissBetseyTrotwood]

I love that story SouthernComforts .

[dexter73]

My dd has them at her state school in Oxfordshire. They lock doors and windows and get under tables.

[lainiekazan]

There was one when ds was at primary school. There was an armed robbery near the school and one of the robbers was on the loose.

I was thoroughly impressed. I had happened to turn up at the school as a parent helper and didn't know about the incident, and was met by a line of teachers with linked arms across the gate. All the dcs were kept inside. And all parents were contacted and told either to meet their dcs personally out of school or they would be kept until collection.

[SecretWitch]

My children's school went into lockdown when they were in kindergarten and grade 1. A non- custodial parent attempted to remove a child from the school. When she was refused, she made several violent threats to return and do harm. Parents were notified via telephone tree. I lived so close to school I could hear all the sirens. We were advised not to come to the school and that we would receive timely updates. Three hours after, the situation was resolved. My heart pounded in my ears until I received that all clear call..

[newbiefrugalgal]

We had one when I was supply teaching in an inner London secondary. Adult male had made threats whilst on the school.
Kids were ok we just had to shut windows and curtains and lock doors.
Was all over in less than an hour. During the day so just extended the lessons we were teaching.
It happens
It's not a religious thing

[Ladyfarquhar]

Yes DCs school do this, secondary school in rural north east England. I was under the impression that is was mainly for lone intruders rather than terrorist attack but either way it's not a bad thing is it?

[Floppityflop]

Lol at the dangerous dog roaming loose scenario!

[ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged]

Ive worked in various schools and never done this. I have had vague 'what would you do?' Discussiond with colleagues though.

Op - I'm really a little concerned/confused about why you think this is related to terrorism. I can think of one terrorist attack on a school in the last 20 years and (sadly) many many random shootings.

[vvviola]

I think I saw some reference to one on the list of alarm codes in DD1's classroom (New Zealand).

They don't appear to have practised it yet though... just the earthquake and tsunami ones. Even her pre- school had a tsunami evacuation plan .

[DoctorDonnaNoble]

How odd then. As I said, never happened in a school I've attended or taught in.

[BackforGood]

Never heard of it here - dcs in 2 sep schools and quite a few friends who work in school.

[PartyConfused]

I've just asked my DH about this. We are both teachers (I'm on mat leave). He said "oh, yes, it's on the calendar-Terrorist Training".
Apparently he cant remember what the official title on the actual calendar is, but it's being called this.

[Timeforabiscuit]

I went to a Roman catholic primary and found we were the only school to get an extra special fire drill, the kind where you had to be careful of flying glass and if we found a package we had to put it in a bucket of sand

tbh it troubles me more now than it ever did at the time.

[NCISaddict]

admission When it happened at my DS's school I think everyone was very sensible when we were emailed. We did ring each other up for moral support but generally panic did not ensue.