School Security Policy: Everything You Need to Know

The importance of school security 

Across the UK, schools face growing security concerns. From unauthorised access, vandalism and antisocial behaviour, and in more recent years, these concerns have expanded to include data protection.

It is the responsibility of the school to take steps to help manage these risks and ensure the safety of pupils and staff. A school’s security policy sets out the policies and procedures for managing everything from unauthorised visitors and violence to dealing with emergency situations. 

Key features of a school security policy

While each school security policy will be unique to the needs and threats of each school, there are some common themes that should be considered for inclusion. A robust and comprehensive school security policy should cover physical security and procedures that should be followed in specified scenarios.

Key areas to include in your school security policy are: 

• Access control: secure entry and exit points, fencing and gates to manage access to the premises and grounds and manned reception areas. 
• Visitor management: visitors should be required to sign in, wear ID and be escorted to where they need to be. This is crucial to ensuring security and safety, and helps staff know who is on site in the event of an emergency.
• CCTV: consider using CCTV to monitor areas such as the perimeters of the grounds, entry and exit points and other key areas of the building. You must ensure that clear signs are displayed to inform people that CCTV is in use and that it follows data protection laws. 
• Key holding: explore professional security teams who have access to your key, and provide a swift and controlled response in an emergency, outside of school hours.
• Alarm response: similarly, alarm response ensures a rapid reaction to potential threats, such as break-ins, vandalism or emergencies outside of school hours. This can minimise potential damage, deter criminal activity and provide peace of mind to staff, students and parents.
• Train staff: keep staff training up to date to ensure they recognise threats and know how to report suspicious activity. Onboard new staff adequately to help them understand the school’s security policies and procedures. 
• Emergency protocol: whether it’s an authorised visitor or fire, all staff and students should know the lockdown and evacuation procedures. Hold regular planned and unplanned tests to practice your emergency protocols. 
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Improving the security and safety at your school 

If your school security policy hasn’t been reviewed for a while, now is the time to take a thorough look at it. Get heads of departments and other key personnel involved to help you review existing and emerging threats and your responses to them.

Document everything clearly in your school security plan so all staff have visibility and understand their responsibilities, as well as the correct procedures to follow. 

Looking for security for your school?

Whether you are looking for alarm response, mobile security patrol, CCTV installation and monitoring or static guarding, Stonewall Security can help you improve the security at your school. Get in touch with us to discuss your requirements and see how we can help.