Teaching Union Calls For School Lockdown Plan
The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers is calling for the government to put together a comprehensive national plan for school lockdown procedures.
Currently, although schools have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of both pupils and staff, the government has issued guidance but stopped short on defined procedures for a lockdown situation. This has left interpretation to either individual schools, or in some cases, local authorities. For example, in West Yorkshire more than 200 head teachers have attended a council-run seminar providing advice on lockdown.
The current government guidance on Dynamic Lockdown from NaCTSO (National Counter Terrorism Security Office) advises that a separate alert to a fire alarm bell should be used in the event of a lockdown situation to avoid confusion.
Chris Keates, NASUWT General Secretary, said: “Responsibility for ensuring security and terrorism preparedness should be the responsibility of the whole governing body. It would not be appropriate for the government simply to require schools to have preparedness plans in place and assume that they are able to do this.
“Schools will already have plans in place to respond to a range of emergency scenarios, but it’s important that they are given specific advice and support on what additional provisions are considered necessary and the support and advice to implement them.”
Autotime Systems have created a Lockdown Alert Solution, which broadcasts a unique Lockdown School Alert across your entire premises at the touch of a button, separate to fire alarms. Our multi-button control panel enables you to broadcast a range of emergency alerts such as lockdown, evacuation and panic alarm at reception, so your staff and pupils know exactly how to react in any situation.
If you would like us to conduct a free site survey to see how a Lockdown Alert System could be tailored for the specific requirements of your school, please contact us 01257 252002.
