School - Lockdown 'Practice'?

[Oakey]

My kids came home from school today and said they had 'lockdown' practise, this apparently involved hiding under the desks.

They're going to be doing this again in the coming weeks, the letter from school says this will form part of their annual drills.

Do other schools do this?

[Heathwood]

I believe my daughter had similar a couple of weeks ago, although she didn’t mention anything about hiding under desks.

[dundarach]

Yes most do. Some take it extremely seriously. We've installed panic alarms across some sites too.

[Oakey]

Seemed a bit random.

Surprised it's necessary though, school is like fort knox during the day. Gates locked, doors locked, only way in is through two (locked) inner doors.

[smithyithy]

Seems quite American..

[HTP99]

Yep, my grandson has had them, not sure if I'm that keen TBH: a) it's hardly a common thing in the UK, a school being invaded or whatever and b) I just see it as something else for the kids to have to worry about and over think.

[McGee_22]

Daughters school does it once a year but does take it pretty seriously with a few official ‘observers’ checking all the protocols are being followed.

[pidsy]

Ahead of the government’s new Anti-terrorism schools policy.

We’ve had to do an awful lot for it.

[StevieBee]

HTP99 said:

Yep, my grandson has had them, not sure if I'm that keen TBH: a) it's hardly a common thing in the UK, a school being invaded or whatever and b) I just see it as something else for the kids to have to worry about and over think.

Little different to fire drills which have been a thing for decades.

It's very common in the States for obvious reasons. The threat may be significantly less in the UK but the threat exists so better to have some modicum of process should the need ever arise.

[Wacky Racer]

[matrignano]

I was at a restaurant in Mexico when there was a shooting and you could clearly see the North Americans ducking for cover straight away and the Europeans (including myself) just sitting there holding their dicks.

It’s not a life skill I want to ever use again but it’s perhaps not that bad to have a bit of preparedness for these things.

[Boringvolvodriver]

Yes this is a thing that I think all schools have to have a plan for and a drill.

I know the school that I am an invigilator at has a plan - just hope they never have a drill when an exam is on though.

[RUNAMOK]

Really surprised by this - can’t think of any recent incidents in the uk that would require this

[remedy]

RUNAMOK said:

Really surprised by this - can’t think of any recent incidents in the uk that would require this

Isn't that thinking where the saying of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted comes from?

Better to be prepared than incredulous that no one thought it a risk.

[GliderRider]

RUNAMOK said:

Really surprised by this - can’t think of any recent incidents in the uk that would require this

The one in Wales this April? The one in Wales this April?

We know now it was only one pupil with a knife, not a gang with firearms as well, but at the time the teachers probably didn't know the full extent of what was happening.

[dundarach]

We've had two schools in lock down this academic year so far that i know of.

One nothing much at all, random stranger wander around offer sweets in the playground, the other drunken parent rampaging, jumped over the reception desk and went for it.

[pidsy]

There are basic needs within the policy but it’s a very good idea. You can go whole hog:

Classrooms with viewing panels in the doors should have blinds that can be lowered if needed as well as thumb turn locks on the inside.

[bishop finger]

Never had this in my day. School doors were never locked, anybody could have walked in. There were no perimeter fences either, we didn't need them

[Panamax]

"Duck And Cover". Google it.

The concept of lockdown doesn't exist in UK. At least, it didn't until Boris Johnson decided the police should stop people going outdoors and sitting down. Mind you, since then Boris has changed his mind and expresses surprise that anyone followed the rules while he, obviously, didn't.

There is nothing to fear but fear itself.

[The Rotrex Kid]

bishop finger said:

Never had this in my day. School doors were never locked, anybody could have walked in. There were no perimeter fences either, we didn't need them

I imagine they probably thought the same at Dunblane

No harm in being prepared, safe in the knowledge that we don’t live in some bonkers place that has insane gun laws and kids actually have to worry about their school getting shot up as an (almost) weekly occurrence….