What Is a Lockdown

1 August 2017

INTRODUCTION

This guidance has been produced to advise schools on how to prepare a lockdown procedure for their organisation and has been developed in accordance with advice issued by the National Counter Terrorism Security office (NaCTSO) and the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC). This guidance should be read in accordance with guidance issued on emergency planning for schools.

WHAT IS A LOCKDOWN

A lockdown is the ability to quickly restrict access and egress to a site or building (or part of) through physical measures in response to a threat, either external or internal. The aim of lockdown is to prevent people moving into danger areas and preventing or frustrating those trying to access the site (or part of). It is recognised that due to their nature some sites may not be able to physically achieve a full lockdown.

Situations which may require a school to go into lockdown include:

·  Reported incident/ civil disturbance in the local community

·  An intruder on the school site with the potential to cause harm to staff or students

·  A warning being received regarding risk locally of air pollution (smoke plume, gas cloud ect.) or biological, chemical or radiological hazards.

·  A major fire within the vicinity of the school

·  The close proximity of a dangerous animal roaming loose

·  An extreme weather event

DEVELOPING LOCKDOWN PROCEDURES

Schools should consider developing robust plans capable of dealing with situations as outlined above. All plans developed should be proportionate to the risk posed to the school both internally and externally and should aim to cause minimal disruption to the learning environment whilst ensuring the safety of staff, students and visitors.

It is not possible to provide a generic lockdown procedure to schools; this is because each school will face individual localised risks. Individual organisational factors that will need to be considered when developing lockdown procedures include:

·  Proximity to areas likely to be targeted in a terrorist attack (e.g. transport hubs, government buildings, hospitals, tourist attractions and other areas where large numbers of people are likely to congregate)

·  Proximity to areas at risk of fire or chemical incident (e.g. waste handling facilities, industrial estates, electrical sub stations)

·  The layout and structure of the school site (e.g. building design, school security measures, classroom arrangements)

·  Environmental factors (Including proximity to rivers, open spaces or other natural features)

·  Proximity to local emergency services (e.g. police stations, hospitals and military compounds)

·  Available resources (e.g. alarm systems, availability of mobile communication to staff, security staff)

Additionally consideration should be given to arrangements for the different user groups or those who work in particular areas within the school including specific procedures for:

·  members of staff who do not have a regular office or classroom.

·  visitors/volunteers/peripatetic staff are included in your school lockdown plan.

·  pupils/staff with different needs (i.e. hearing/visual impairment or mobility needs).

·  Areas in the school that cannot be effectively locked down should be identified and the lockdown procedures should include instructions on removing staff and pupils from these areas to a place of safety (i.e. toilets/outbuildings).

A checklist on the steps to take to develop your individual lockdown procedure is contained in appendix 1 of this guidance.

KEY COMPONENTS OF A LOCKDOWN PROCEDURE

The following components are crucial to forming a coherent and effective lockdown procedure. Each factor should be considered at the planning stage of the lockdown arrangements.

Alert

·  Staff are alerted to the activation of the plan by a recognised signal, audible throughout the school.

·  Where possible the sounding of the fire alarm should not be used to notify of a lockdown, as this could lead to confusion over what situation is taking place and could result in staff and students leaving the building, additionally an intruder may use the alarm system to trigger a false evacuation, compromising the lockdown.

·  Where possible a clear signal such as “lockdown” should be used to notify that a lockdown is under way.

·  Where possible individual signals should be used to notify of a partial or a full lockdown.

·  Establish an official lockdown termination announcement/signal so that all staff know that it is authentic

Coordination & Communication

·  A member of staff must be nominated to initiate, manage and conclude the lockdown. They will also communicate with emergency services. Their roles and responsibilities should be clearly documents as part of the procedure and included in the schools emergency plan. Deputies

·  Once in lockdown mode, staff should notify the office immediately of any pupils not accounted for and any additional pupils/staff in their classroom via the agreed communication channel.

·  As appropriate, the school should establish communication with the Emergency Services as soon as possible.

·  A means of notifying the borough school lead officer and emergency planning team.

·  If necessary, parents should be notified as soon as it is practicable to do so via the school’s established communications system.

·  Establish agreed methods of communication from staff to the lockdown manager should a dangerous intruder be located on the school premises. An overview sheet outlining the school’s procedures will be displayed in the staffroom and other places throughout the school as appropriate.

Security Measures

·  All external doors and, as necessary, windows are locked (depending on the circumstances, internal classroom doors may also need to be locked).

·  Pupils/staff who are outside of the school buildings should be brought inside as quickly as possible.

·  Those inside the school should remain in their classrooms or proceed directly to the nearest classroom.

·  Blinds/curtains drawn and windows on internal doors covered.

·  Any students with mobile phones should switch them to silent mode and should be told not to contact

·  Pupils must not be released to parents during a lockdown.

·  A method of evacuating the building should the lockdown need to end.

Types of Lockdown

Partial Lockdown

This may be as a result of a reported incident or civil disturbance in the local community with the potential to pose a risk to pupils, staff and visitors in the school. It may also be as a result of a warning being received regarding the risk of air pollution, etc.

Immediate actions:

When the signal is given to initiate a partial lockdown

•  All outside activity to cease immediately with pupils and staff returning indoors. (NB: There will need to be a means of communicating the alert to duty staff at break times.)

•  All pupils and staff to remain indoors and external doors and windows should be locked.

•  Free movement may be permitted within the building, dependent upon the circumstances.

All situations are different; once all pupils and staff are safely indoors, senior staff will conduct an ongoing and dynamic risk assessment based on advice from the Emergency Services. This can then be communicated to staff, who can inform pupils if they are old enough to understand. “Partial lockdown” should be seen as a precautionary measure which puts the school in a state of readiness should the situation escalate, whilst retaining a degree of normality.

In the event of an air pollution issue, air vents can be closed where this is possible, as an additional precaution. Emergency Services will advise as to the best course of action in respect of the prevailing threat.

Full Lockdown

This signifies an immediate threat to the school and may be an escalation of a partial lockdown.

Immediate actions:

•  All pupils return to base (classroom, form room or other agreed location e.g. sports hall, assembly hall, dining room).

•  External doors locked.

•  Classroom doors locked, where a member of staff with key is present.

•  Windows locked and blinds drawn

•  All smartboards, lights and computers (unless used as part of communication method) to be switched off.

•  Pupils sit quietly out of sight (e.g. under desk or around a corner).

•  Register taken - the administrative office will contact each class in turn for an attendance report if this is possible.

Staff and pupils remain in lockdown until it has been lifted by a senior member of staff or the Emergency Services.

During the lockdown, staff will keep agreed lines of communication open but not make unnecessary calls to senior management or the administrative office as this could delay more important communication.

Examples of discreet communication channels might be:

• Where staff have access to an internal email system then they could access their account and await further instruction. In practical terms, staff would need to be familiar with accessing their account through a variety of means e.g. laptop, smartphone or tablet.

• Where a school uses “Parentmail” then staff could be placed into a defined user group which could then be used to communicate instructions via text message in an emergency

The checklist in appendix 1 has been produced as a guide on how to develop a lockdown procedure.

COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS

General Communications

Parents should be made aware that the school has a lockdown procedure and that it will be tested at a certain point within the academic year. The specific details and content of the procedure should not me made available to parents, as this has the potential to release key security information into the public.

It should be made clear to parents that in the event of a lockdown they will not be allowed access to the school or to communicate with those within the school. Parents should be advised not to attend the school site until they have been instructed to do so as they could place themselves in danger by being in the vicinity of the building. A letter template which can be sent to parents advising them of lockdown procedures and potential drills can be found in Appendix 3.

During a Lockdown

Parents should be advised that a lockdown has been initiated as soon as is practicable after the event. To ensure parents remain calm it is important that any information communicated is accurate and provides enough detail about what is happening to ensure that parents:

·  Feel reassured that school is taking all practicable measures to ensure the safety of their child

·  Are aware that calling the school for additional information could block vital lines of communication compromising safety

·  Are aware that they should not attend site until they are instructed to do so by either the school or emergency services, as they could place themselves in danger.

·  Understand that the lockdown may continue for a prolonged period, extending beyond the schools normal operating hours

If the school is in contact with the emergency services they should ensure that any information provided is consistent from both sides and does not compromise ant emergency support operations that are taking place.

In the event that parents do arrive at the school whilst a lockdown is taking place under no circumstances should and staff or students attempt to leave the building to communicate with them or respond to any signals made by parents.

Post Lockdown

A communication should be sent home to parents in the event of both planned and unplanned lockdowns. In the case of a planned lockdown event parents should be informed of the drills success or any issues specific to parental/pupil behaviour which were identified during the drill (e.g. parents turning up on site, making calls to the school) and reemphasise the key messages of the procedure around their role and that of the pupils in any lockdown event.

In the event of an unplanned lockdown it should be made clear to parents:

·  what situation triggered the lockdown

·  if it was a full or partial lockdown

·  the duration of the lockdown

·  that a review of the procedures will be undertaken in light of the event

·  details of any support available for parents and pupils affected by the lockdown event (e.g. counselling support for those who suffered distress as a result of the lockdown)

It may be beneficial for the school to produce a template letter to be sent to all parents in the event of a lockdown taking place. An example letter can be found in appendix 3.

EMERGENCY SERVICE

It is important to keep lines of communication open with Emergency Services as they are best placed to offer advice as a situation unfolds. The school site may or may not be cordoned off by Emergency Services depending on the severity of the incident that has triggered the lockdown. Emergency Services will support the decision of the Head teacher with regarding the timing of communication to parents.

In the event of a prolonged lockdown or more severe scenario, emergency services, local authorities and voluntary sector organisations will work together to co-ordinate practical and emotional support to those affected by any emergency, also referred to as humanitarian assistance. A reception centre for friends and family could be set-up outside of the cordoned area.

RECORDING PROCEDURES

Your schools lockdown procedure should be recorded within the schools emergency plan. Southwark Council has issues a template emergency plan which can be found here. Appendix 6 of this document contains the section where lockdown procedures are recorded as part of the emergency plan. Schools may also want to provide a more detailed guidance document to their staff on the specific arrangements of their plan.

STAFF TRAINING

All staff both full and part time should be made fully aware of the emergency plan and all lockdown procedures. The lockdown procedure should be incorporated into staff inductions as part of the schools emergency arrangements (fire drills, bomb threats, security alerts). Those with specific critical roles may need further in depth training to allow them to undertake their roles successfully.

TESTING PROCEDURES

Any lockdown procedures should be thoroughly tested and practiced to ensure effectiveness. A lockdown drill should be carried out at least once annually to ensure that staff are aware of how to respond, communication methods can be tested and to ensure pupils are familiar and comfortable with such a situation. It is advised that parents are notified in advance of any drill that takes place, outlining what a lockdown drill is, the scenario which will take place during the drill and who to contact if they had concerns; an example letter can be found in appendix 3.