Lockdown Procedure

Dear Parents/Carers,

The safety and wellbeing of all our pupils is our highest priority, and I am writing to remind you about our Lockdown Emergency Procedures. These are in place should the school ever need to go into ‘lockdown’.

A school lockdown is the opposite of an evacuation. In a lockdown, pupils and staff remain safely inside the building. While such an event is extremely unlikely, it is considered good practice for schools to have clear procedures and to practise them in the same way we do with fire drills.

Why we may use lockdown procedures

Lockdown may be activated in response to situations such as:

• A reported incident or disturbance in the local community.

• An intruder on or near the school site.

• A warning of a local risk (e.g. smoke, gas cloud, or other air pollution).

• The presence of a dangerous animal nearby.

Types of lockdown

• Partial lockdown (Amber): Staff and pupils remain inside the building while normal activities continue. Entrances and exits are locked and monitored, and staff are extra vigilant. Younger children and parents would not generally be made aware of the situation at this level.

• Full lockdown (Red): All staff and pupils remain inside the building with internal and external doors and windows locked. Pupils remain seated, quiet, and out of view. In this instance, children would be fully aware of the situation, and the school would follow Emergency Services’ instructions. Parents would be informed.

How we prepare

The lockdown procedure is published on our school website, and all staff are trained. This morning, we refreshed staff and pupils’ awareness and carried out a practice lockdown. We will continue to discuss this with children in assemblies and classrooms in a calm, sensitive way. Our aim is not to cause worry but to ensure everyone understands what to do should the need ever arise.

Please be reassured that our school site is already extremely secure and access is restricted, so in many ways we are operating at a level of ‘partial lockdown’ as part of our everyday routine.

We encourage you to discuss this with your children, and we will keep you updated on all important safety matters.

Yours sincerely,

Mr Horton