Schools and colleges are important institutions for providing education and developing pupils’ social skills, but they should also be places where parents feel confident that their children are safe and secure.
Schools have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of staff and pupils whilst on the premises. The Department for Education (DfE) has a list of the policies and documents that schools are legally required to hold. These encompass the social, criminal and on-line risks children face including evacuation procedures, but procedures or policies covering emergency situations that may require the school to go into lockdown are not included. Lockdown is necessary when children and staff need to be securely locked within buildings for their own safety.