Source: Department for Education published on this website Thursday 15 March 2025 by Jil Powell
This new non statutory guidance Protective security and preparedness for education settings was published on the 29 April.
This non-statutory guidance is for:
- security and incident leads
- all staff, including non-teaching staff
It applies to:
- all education settings and childcare providers
- all organisations and agencies that have functions relating to learners
The guidance:
- aims to improve security awareness
- helps staff and learners identify security vulnerabilities and suspicious activities
- sets out practical, low-costs steps to improve preparedness and response plans
The Act for Education interactive e-learning resource will teach learners:
- how to identify security vulnerabilities and suspicious activity
- how to respond when there is an incident
The Summary states:
“This non-statutory guidance provides advice to help educational settings be better prepared and able to respond to terrorism and other major incidents. It sets out practical steps to keep learners, staff and volunteers safe in the event of an incident through simple and cost-effective methods. The guidance is aimed at those working in settings who have existing responsibilities for emergency planning and response, site security, and staff new to concepts of protective security and preparedness. It is recommended that all staff read this guidance to ensure they are able to identify security vulnerabilities, suspicious activity and how to respond when there is an incident. For the purpose of this guidance, educational settings cover settings from early years, all schools, further and higher education (including colleges, sixth-form colleges and independent training providers), and alternative provisions (including special schools and children’s social care settings). This guidance can also be adapted to out-of-school settings (OOSS)”.
Key Actions for Schools: (summarised by Claire Stewart safecic’s Development Manager)
- Appoint a Security Lead to oversee emergency planning and act as incident lead if needed.
- Review and test plans for lockdown, invacuation, evacuation, and bomb threats, ensuring they meet the needs of all learners, including those with SEND.
- Train all staff to recognise suspicious behaviour (SCaN), assess suspicious items (HOT protocol), and respond to incidents (RUN HIDE TELL).
- Use the self-assessment tool (Annex D) to review current plans and identify gaps.
- Prepare a ‘grab kit’ with essential items to support response efforts, especially for those with additional needs.
This guidance has been developed in collaboration with the National Counter-Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) and sector partners.
