Guidance on Lockdown Procedure

Why should we have a Lockdown Procedure?

  • There is no statutory requirement for a lockdown policy, schools can choose to have one if they feel that it would help them to manage risks.
  • Your Lockdown Procedure should be simple and short and can be linked to your Emergency Planning and Evacuation Policy and whole school Health and Safety Policy.
  • Lockdown may be activated in response to a number of reasons, this could include;
  • A major fire or environmental emergency in the vicinity of the school
  • Severe weather conditions
  • A disturbance in the local community, with the potential to pose a risk to staff and pupils in the school, this may be community disturbances, dangerous dogs
  • An intruder on the school site, with the potential to pose a risk to staff and pupils
  • You should have your own individual plan because all educational settings are different; Liverpool City Council (LCC) and School Improvement Liverpool Ltd (SIL Ltd) can provide guidance but not a completed procedure or policy this is for individual schools to prepare.

What should we consider when preparing your individual Lockdown Procedure?

Communication

  • Make it clear the reasons you would Lockdown and implement the procedure.
  • How you alert staff to the activation and the deactivation of lockdown witha recognised signal, audible throughout the school.
  • How you informallstaff of the lockdown and maintaining communication across the site.
  • What are the available means of communication (telephones, mobile phones and text systems, also is there more than one and alternative incase main communication lines are removed.
  • How staff notify the school office of any pupils not accounted for.
  • If your school may be in lockdown for some time how do you remain in communication with emergency services, LA and stakeholders including parents (see further considerations)?
  • When communicating with Emergency Servicescould you use ETHANE to give clear and concise information?

•Exact location: The precise location of the incident

•Type: The nature of the incident, including how many vehicles, buildings and so on are involved

•Hazards: Both present and potential

•Access: Best route for emergency services to access the site, or obstructions and bottlenecks to avoid

•Numbers: Numbers of casualties, dead and uninjured on scene

•Emergency services: Which services are already on scene, and which others are required

Site

  • How and who locks all external doors, windows and lowershutters as necessary.
  • The locking exterior doors (see guidance if intruder has entered the building).
  • Knowing areas within the school that are secure.
  • Know the site layout and geographical location.

People

  • Bringing pupils from outside into the school buildings as quickly and calmly as possible.

•Moving everyone away from windows and doors.

•Movement from sight lines, turning off lights, computers and SMART Boards.

•How staff maintain calm and reduce anxiety and panic for children, other staff and the public including parents.

  • Consider and include roles of individual staff members:

•The school admin should ensure that the office is locked and that the police are called if necessary using ETHANE.

•The headteacher or site supervisors should lock the school’s front doors and entrances as long as an intruder is not within the building.

•Individual teachers and teaching assistants should lock classroom doors and windows.

•The nearest adult should check the exit doors.

Other things you may consider when preparing your Lockdown Procedure

  • Plan to practice and prepare staff and pupils for Lockdown by having an annual drill and sharing the Lockdown procedure/plan.
  • Will Lockdown change if it is initiated before, during changeover of lessons or after the school day?
  • How you communicate with parents and share understanding of what happens in the event that the school is in lockdown;

•If necessary parents will be notified as soon as it is practical to do so via the school’s established communication network – text

•Depending on the type and severity of the incident, parents may be asked notto collect their children from school as it may put them and their child at risk.

•Pupils will not be released to parents during a lockdown.

•Parents will be asked not to call school as this can stop communication lines with emergency services

•If the end of the day is extended due to the lockdown, parents will be notified and will receive information about the time and place pupils can be picked up from office staff or emergency services.

•A letter to parents will be sent home on the nearest possible day following any serious incident to inform parents of context of lockdown and to encourage parents to reinforce with their children the importance of following procedures in these very rare circumstances.

•Could the CLOSE Model be beneficial to assist understanding and preparation?

•Close all windows and doors

•Lock up

•Out of sight and minimise movement

•Stay silent and avoid drawing attention

•Endure – be aware you may be in lockdown for some time

If anintruder has entered the building you should consider the changes to the procedure, this may include;

•Directing all pupils, staff and visitors into the nearest classroom or secured space.

•Classes that are outside should not enter the building but be moved to the evacuation point.

•Lock classroom doors, but do not lock exterior doors.

•Keep pupils seated on the floor and turn off the lights.

•Do not respond to anyone at the door until given the all clear.

•Ignore any fire alarm activation; the school should not be evacuated using this method.

More advice is available through LCC and SIL Ltd and further reading can be found online.

and you may find it useful to use Appendix 6 of the SEMP template School Emergency Management Planalso found on ednet in Stage 2 of the SEMP Process.

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J. Holt – SIL Ltd and J. Riley - LCC