DFE - Protective Security and Preparedness for Education Settings

 

Introduction

Settings can enhance protective security awareness and preparedness through simple plans that can deter terrorists, mitigate a range of threats (such as anti-social behaviour, dangerous animals, and other criminal activities), and ensure the safety of learners, staff, and visitors. Implementing proportionate, low or no-cost changes can improve safety during any security incident without adding extra burdens to the workforce.

What does good look like?

Settings should have plans to reduce the risk of terrorist and other harmful incidents by making their sites difficult targets. All staff should know how to contribute to a strong security culture that minimises incident risks. Additionally, settings should have effective response plans for various incidents, enabling staff to make informed safety decisions. Plans should be tested for suitability and effectiveness, with sensitivity to individual trauma, especially for learners previously affected by incidents, during practice drills.

Roles and Responsibilities

Establishing clear roles and responsibilities for protective security and preparedness is considered good practice.

Teachers and Headteachers

Headteachers, deputies, assistants, and teachers have a contractual duty to ensure the safety and well-being of learners and staff. Consequently, they may be expected to assume specific roles and responsibilities related to this duty.

Security Leads

Responsible for coordinating and managing your setting's protective security and preparedness.

Incident Leads

This role activates during an incident and involves:

• Leading the initial response within the setting.
• Liaising with the police and incorporating their advice.
• Making quick, clear decisions to ensure safety.
• Addressing safety concerns, such as missing persons.
• Communicating with parents and carers.
• Managing social media and mainstream media interest, if needed.
• Managing resources and considering the well-being of staff, learners, and families.

All Staff including Non-Teaching Staff

All members of staff have a role to play in your settings’ security culture and preparedness.

Responsibilities may include:

Staff should participate in training and awareness programs related to protective security, remain vigilant and report suspicious activity, support the Security Lead in implementing security measures, be familiar with incident response plans (including lockdown, invacuation, evacuation, exit routes, communication methods, and grab kits), and provide extra support to vulnerable individuals such as those with SEND.

During an incident:

Staff should be prepared to call 999 unless certain it has been done, keep track of and report any safety concerns about learners to the Incident Lead or police, escalate the incident to the security lead or senior staff, and be responsible for their own safety while considering their duty of care to learners. They should be familiar with the incident response plan, undergo relevant training, make informed decisions based on available information, and guide visitors on how to respond during an incident.

For special schools:

Staff should ensure that measures for learners and staff with SEND are effective and not overwhelming. To help maintain calm, staff should model calm behaviour and set clear expectations for appropriate behaviour, tailored to the learners' age and disabilities. They should keep track of the learners they are with and report any safety concerns to the Incident Lead or police. Special care should be taken for learners with SEND, potentially assigning specific buddies or marshals to assist them during incidents.

Tailor your Plan to your Setting

To determine appropriate measures for your learners, consider their specific needs, particularly those of SEND learners, and tailor your plans to ensure their safety. Think about the best ways to engage with your learners and convey safety messages positively and reassuringly.

Involving Learners in Practice Drills

Security incident drills, such as lockdowns, are generally uncommon for primary school and Early Years learners, with staff conducting drills when younger learners are absent. Drills are more common for secondary school students and older, and are most effective when integrated into a broader plan to share security awareness and incident response in an age-appropriate manner.

Learners with SEND should not be excluded from drills, which should be designed with inclusivity and accessibility in mind. Participation may be determined on a case-by-case basis following a risk assessment, allowing the school to review and amend their plans as needed.

Impacts of Live Exercises and Drills on your Neighbours

Real incidents may affect the wider neighbourhood, so realistic drills may need to involve nearby educational settings and businesses. When planning drills, consider how to alert these neighbours or use their sites as muster points. Where possible, involve neighbouring settings in the planning and testing of your exercises.

Embedding a Security Culture

Security goes beyond obvious physical measures like fences and CCTV; it can be enhanced in simple, subtle ways. Most settings already have a culture of preventing harm through long-standing health and safety, safeguarding, and risk management practices, which serve as a strong foundation for incorporating counter-terrorism practices into their existing security culture.

How to Respond to Unusual or Suspicious Activity

Your setting likely has safeguarding procedures, so staff may already be vigilant about unusual behaviour, such as someone taking photographs of learners or unescorted visitors. The See, Check and Notify (SCaN) program helps businesses and organisations enhance safety and security using their existing resources.

How to Respond to an Unattended or Suspicious Item

Terrorists may conceal bombs in various items like packages, bags, holdalls, or rucksacks, then leave before detonation. It's crucial to recognise that bombs can be hidden in places beyond just these items. In settings, unattended bags are common, so maintaining good housekeeping reduces clutter and makes it easier to identify suspicious items. Staff awareness of suspicious item characteristics allows for a proportionate response based on local knowledge and available information. The HOT protocol (Hidden, Obviously suspicious, Typical) helps determine the suspicion level of an item.

Bomb Threats

This guidance defines a bomb threat as an action or communication intended to make someone believe that something will explode or ignite, causing harm within an educational setting. Accurate and precise bomb threats, received well in advance of an actual attack, are rare. Most bomb threats are hoaxes aimed at causing fear and disruption. Hoax bomb threat calls may be made by terrorists or others to intimidate, draw attention to their cause, or mislead authorities.

Run Hide Tell

All staff, including regular contractors like cleaning and catering personnel, should be equipped to make informed decisions during a terrorist incident. Familiarity with the RUN HIDE TELL principles, along with thorough knowledge of the site and emergency procedures, enables dynamic responses to each situation. Knowledgeable staff should provide guidance to learners, visitors, contractors, and the public during such incidents.

Communicating during an incident

Effective emergency response coordination involves planning communication strategies for various scenarios and stakeholders. Establishing tested communication plans provides a framework to address unique and unforeseen incidents as they arise.

Compiling your grab kits

Settings typically have first aid and fire safety equipment on hand as per health and safety and fire risk assessments, which may be utilised during incidents. In addition to these, grab kits containing extra necessary items for terrorism incident response can be beneficial. Grab kits consist of essential items prepared in advance and stored conveniently. Staff should refrain from endangering themselves to retrieve grab kits.

Writing, Testing and Implementing your Plans

When developing protective security and preparedness plans for your setting, you must decide whether to create a new policy or integrate them as annexes within existing policies and plans. Some settings incorporate these objectives into critical incident plans, major incident plans, or other security policies and plans.

Testing Plans through Exercises

Exercises simulate emergency situations to test procedures.

Post Incident Welfare

Your plan should address the emotional and mental impact on learners, staff, and parents within the setting. Implementing a monitoring strategy can help identify and support those primarily affected by the incident.

Post-Incident Reviews

Post-incident evaluation is crucial for everyone affected within the setting, and integrating business continuity plans into security policy is essential.

Resources

Protective Security and Preparedness for Education Settings: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6633799b1834d96a0aa6cfdd/Protective_security_and_preparedness_for_education_settings.pdf

HOT Protocol Poster: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a806e19e5274a2e8ab5019a/HOT_Poster_NaCTSO.pdf/preview

Ride Hide Tell Poster: https://www.protectuk.police.uk/advice-and-guidance/response/run-hide-tell#:~:text=a terrorist attack-,PDF,-RUN HIDE TELL

Run Hide Tell Video: https://www.protectuk.police.uk/advice-and-guidance/response/run-hide-tell

Bomb Threat Action Cards: https://www.protectuk.police.uk/bomb-threats#:~:text=Bomb Threats Action Card

Trauma First Aid Kits: https://www.protectuk.police.uk/advice-and-guidance/response/standards-public-access-trauma-pact-first-aid-kits-equipment

SCaN for Staff: https://www.npsa.gov.uk/scan-all-staff