AnonyMouse_52234 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Last week at our staff training day, the issue of having a lock down policy was raised. Our local primary school has one and one of my staff runs Beavers and she has had to do one recently. We went round and round in circles discussing what we would do in the event of a major incident but didn't come up with a final solution (at school they have a special bell that rings and the children are told to up turn all the tables, close the blinds, cover the windows in the doors and hide anywhere they can). In our setting it is very open plan, only a few tables and a cupboard big enough for about 3 people! I was just wondering if anyone had a lock down policy? I have contacted the local police to ask for advice but thought I would see if any of you helpful people can help too. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_19762 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Sure that I am being totally dense here :blink: what sort of emergency situation would be helped by 'upturning' tables? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_52234 Posted April 23, 2015 Author Share Posted April 23, 2015 An intruder in the setting. My own children have a practice Lock Down every term at school, just like a fire drill and the older ones are told that there is someone in the building who shouldn't be there. I suppose our circumstances are slightly different in that we our situated on a military housing patch which is open to the general public (ie. it's not behind a wire). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_7120 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Hi Bluebell and welcome.....but oh Sunnyday that made me really LOL....they'd be ok in a flood, they could be rafts But on a serious note I've never actually thought about it, now I'm worried we don't have any blinds 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_15046 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Would I be unreasonable to ask does anyone have a policy for telling trainers to get a grip? 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_22106 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Never heard of that one! Do have a 'designated safe place' but that is a named collection place for if we have to evacuate because of fire. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 We have it as part of our emergency policy, which also includes bomb threats. We have identified an area of the building that is safest. We get every one inside. All doors and internal doors are locked. Mobile phone carried with us and emergency medication for all children (we have a grab bag for outings/emergencies which should include money ! and black bags to be used like foil blankets. We also have a flood policy!....to be fair we are very near windsor castle so high risk area...we have had a bomb threat before!! Covers you for strangers/ terrorist attack/ major incident and we also include an evacuation plan if we need to get everyone of the grounds! ....feel a bit silly now but it is recommended for our area! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_19782 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 I dont know how i feel about all this for our group it would seem over the top, we do have a place of safety as Thumper does we have a grab bag - but nowhere the stuff that Finleysmaid has in it. I can't imagine getting the children to do a lock down though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_22106 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 I know it is a serious issue for some settings who are probably 'at risk' more than others but i can't help but have a mental picture of all us staff under a table and the children all standing round looking at us, wondering what the heck is up with us! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 I dont know how i feel about all this for our group it would seem over the top, we do have a place of safety as Thumper does we have a grab bag - but nowhere the stuff that Finleysmaid has in it. I can't imagine getting the children to do a lock down though. Our local alarms went off last term so had an unexpected practice!!! My daughters school was near a prison...they also had a lock down system! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_52234 Posted April 23, 2015 Author Share Posted April 23, 2015 We have it as part of our emergency policy, which also includes bomb threats. We have identified an area of the building that is safest. We get every one inside. All doors and internal doors are locked. Mobile phone carried with us and emergency medication for all children (we have a grab bag for outings/emergencies which should include money ! and black bags to be used like foil blankets. We also have a flood policy!....to be fair we are very near windsor castle so high risk area...we have had a bomb threat before!! Covers you for strangers/ terrorist attack/ major incident and we also include an evacuation plan if we need to get everyone of the grounds! ....feel a bit silly now but it is recommended for our area! Would it be possible to have a copy of your emergency policy Finleysmaid please? Whilst I agree it does seem over the top we are in an area which is probably considered more vulnerable than others. It was actually quite interesting having all the staff talk about this as everyone had very different ideas about they would do if someone did manage to gain access to the building (and if we are being perfectly honest, it doesn't matter what safety measures you have in place, if someone wants to get in, they will). It did make me realise that without having a known procedure all the staff would be doing totally different things, potentially putting others at risk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 our policy requires us to get everyone indoors, stay in classrooms, close windows, pull down blinds and lock external doors. No-one may leave the room until told it is safe to do so, so bucket at the ready in the corner! No-one may use mobile phones. We have a claxon to differentiate from fire warning. Having said that, haven't had a practise ever. We were required to have such a procedure in place by the LA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_19762 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 An intruder in the setting. My own children have a practice Lock Down every term at school, just like a fire drill and the older ones are told that there is someone in the building who shouldn't be there. I suppose our circumstances are slightly different in that we our situated on a military housing patch which is open to the general public (ie. it's not behind a wire). Apologies Bluebell76 - didn't even stop to welcome you to the forum - my mind was boggled by the 'upturned' table scenario! So hi and welcome! I can see that you are in a somewhat special situation...... We do have an 'emergency' folder thingy - Kent issued years ago - now feeling terrible because I looked through it at the time and then added it to the shelf of a zillion other folders and it has been there gathering dust ever since - if I find time i will blow off the aforementioned dust tomorrow and see if there is anything in there that might help you :1b 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 would love to post policy but can't get my blinkin hard drive to work! :unsure: Arrgghhhh!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_7120 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Finleysmaid ...I want to know what you're gonna spend the money on when your all locked in your cupboard.....do you think the ice cream van might come round 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_30128 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Finleysmaid ...I want to know what you're gonna spend the money on when your all locked in your cupboard.....do you think the ice cream van might come round Haha yes i realised that didn't quite make sense!!! the money is for if we have to evacuate in case we need to organise food/drink or buy emergency supplies ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_44288 Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Hello We have a lockdown policy. We ensure everyone's in lock all windows and doors. We have mirrored windows so people can not see in. We all sit in a corridor that is out of sight. Hope that helps ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_19762 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 (edited) Sooooooo I blew the dust off our Emergency type folder and discovered.........nothing of much use to you except possibly try www.teachernet.gov.uk/emergencies/planning/index.html But bear in mind that folder was published in 2008....... Edited April 24, 2015 by sunnyday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_23964 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Do I sense a touch of summer term madness going on in some of these posts people - upturned tables and icecreams! Goodness me it sounds as though you may be having fun?? Seriously though - we have a procedure that is meant to come into practice if we have uninvited person or aggressive parent / carer on the premises. Used it once when a parent did not appreciate my phone call to Children's Services or the reasons why I made the phone call. Scary We lock inner door and shut blinds / curtains and leave the manager to it (thats me then)! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_7120 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 So what happens when all you've achieved is to lock them in with you ? ....sorry I really am trying to take this seriously, note to self...buy more blinds, hand grenades and a twelve bore 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_23964 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Well ...... The main door is not locked. The staff and children are locked inside the playroom, although they can escape through a fire door if necessary, and I am in the cloakroom with the afore mentioned 'threat'. I will of course have risk asessed the danger to myself, written it out in duplicate and stored it in a file somewhere. The blinds etc are drawn so that the children do not witness anything inappropriate or traumatic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_8282 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Well, we're in a wooden [more or less single room] hut........ we're doomed it tell you......DOOMED!!!!!!!!! Although I am more than happy to have a 'ice-cream' money stash for emergencies 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_12805 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 I'm sitting here with my mind boggling- sorry I dont mean to be rude and I realise that for some of you this maybe a necessary evil however I cannot think of anything more scary for a three year old than seeing us all run around practising a 'lock down' Any intruder or whatever would be locked in with us as we have no interior locks, the safest thing for us to do if someone was in would be to get out- we have plenty of fire exits- so there is our emergency evacuation then. I suppose if the threat was outside then that would be different- we never know what is going on outside anyway as we have only one door that lead to 'proper' outside and we aren't in that room, all our windows are about 20 feet up and we can only see sky !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_12960 Posted April 24, 2015 Share Posted April 24, 2015 Ok, I have to admit to having an evacuation policy, with a designated safe place if we can't return clause, and have experienced "lock down" on the request of the Local Authority during the London bombings, but honestly, common sense needs to prevail. We are adults, we understand that the saftey of children is paramont, and I don't need a policy to cover every unlikely scenario in life...i can apply common sense in an unforseen disaster. I still have all my emergency call trees and disaster plan for swine flu, and will never ever waste that much time again planning for what probably will not happen, just to tick a box!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_12805 Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Ok, I have to admit to having an evacuation policy, with a designated safe place if we can't return clause, and have experienced "lock down" on the request of the Local Authority during the London bombings, but honestly, common sense needs to prevail. We are adults, we understand that the saftey of children is paramont, and I don't need a policy to cover every unlikely scenario in life...i can apply common sense in an unforseen disaster. I still have all my emergency call trees and disaster plan for swine flu, and will never ever waste that much time again planning for what probably will not happen, just to tick a box!! Hear Hear!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_39602 Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 We do have an intruder policy - any intruders are required to sign to say they have read it and understood it ! Seriously though we do have one in place but not a lock down one and personally feel it is unnecessary for us but can fully understand why it is needed in some settings. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_12960 Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 that did make me laugh Lashes, thank you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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