How to review your school's security lockdown procedure

Key points to look out for

Your school isn't legally required to have a security lockdown procedure or policy.

However, the law requires employers to take steps to reduce or eliminate risks to health and safety, including security risks. If you're a maintained school, your local authority might have its own requirements. If you're an academy, your trust might do so.

Your school leaders could create a security lockdown plan to help them manage risks, or for particular high-risk scenarios where a lockdown would be needed. This could include:

• An incident or civil disturbance in the local community which poses a risk to your school
• An intruder on the site with the potential to pose a risk to your school
• Local risk of air pollution, such as a smoke plume or gas cloud
• A major fire in the vicinity of the school
• A dangerous dog roaming loose

Your insurance provider could also require a procedure to be in place.

Below we suggest what might be included in a lockdown procedure, but as it is non-statutory, it can vary.

Roles and responsibilities

The DfE's site security guidance says that the headteacher is responsible for deciding on the level of response required for an incident, unless they've delegated this to another staff member.

Your school's lockdown procedure could set out who's responsible for different aspects, such as securing access points and guiding visitors to a place of safety.

A security lockdown plan

This is where your school leaders will set out the actions they'll take in the event of a security threat. It'll include things like:

• The signals for going into a security lockdown and for all clear
• Safe assembly points
• Steps to increase protection, such as covering windows or hiding under desks
• Arrangements for internal communication and for communication with parents
• Arrangements for pupils and staff with additional needs
• A plan for evacuation

A plan for drills

This could include a schedule, as well as information about how pupils and parents will be informed about them. 

If your school leaders have used our model template, there could be a checklist to help practice the procedure at pace.

3 questions to challenge the procedure

1. How does the procedure take our school's site into account?

You'll want an answer that demonstrates that your senior leaders have considered how your school's layout can be used to create safety. For example, they may have chosen rooms with fewer windows or facing into an enclosed courtyard as areas to shelter in.

 2. How will you make sure that everyone knows what to do?

A good answer should explain what training staff will have, as well as how often your school community will practise the lockdown procedure. It should also cover how the plan will be explained to pupils – this could be in an assembly or by their teachers in the classroom.

3. How will you make sure pupils aren't unduly frightened by taking part in a security lockdown drill?

Your senior leaders should be able to explain the steps they're taking to make this feel safe for pupils, dependent on the age of the pupils and their needs.

This could include making time to answer questions and talk about any worries pupils might have, and being honest and reassuring them that the chance of a real lockdown is very small. For very young children, this could also include stories or other resources.

Model lockdown procedure template

This model isn't meant as a guide for writing the plan, as that's your senior leaders' job, but to give you an idea of what good looks like.

KeyDoc - Template lockdown procedure

School examples

• St Edmund's Catholic Primary School in Oxfordshire has a security lockdown policy
• Millwood Primary Special School in Manchester has a security lockdown policy