Security and personal safety

Primary responsibility for security rests with schools, but they should aim to involve the police in their security arrangements. Schools should have an identified contact in their local police force, with whom they are in regular and informal contact. In the case of the schools they maintain, LEAs also have a key role in monitoring overall security policies. As well as providing their own advice to schools, LEAs can often help to facilitate police–school cooperation.

Schools should think about procedures for responding to a range of security incidents. These incidents will range from assault, trespass and incidents involving offensive weapons, to offences not involving assault (e.g. harassment, or threatening or abusive behaviour) and criminal acts such as theft, burglary and vandalism. Not all incidents will require an emergency response, but in an emergency 999 should always be dialled.

Schools should adopt a system of recording and reporting incidents, even minor ones. This can indicate wider trends and can be of use to the police; schools may wish to discuss with the police the type of records they should keep. See Resources/Incident report form.

Accidents Fire Flooding Terrorism Security and personal safety Assault Trespass Offensive weapons Use of force to restrain pupils Workplace violence Medical conditions Missing persons	Security and personal safety Primary responsibility for security rests with schools, but they should aim to involve the police in their security arrangements. Schools should have an identified contact in their local police force, with whom they are in regular and informal contact. In the case of the schools they maintain, LEAs also have a key role in monitoring overall security policies. As well as providing their own advice to schools, LEAs can often help to facilitate police–school cooperation. Schools should think about procedures for responding to a range of security incidents. These incidents will range from assault, trespass and incidents involving offensive weapons, to offences not involving assault (e.g. harassment, or threatening or abusive behaviour) and criminal acts such as theft, burglary and vandalism. Not all incidents will require an emergency response, but in an emergency 999 should always be dialled. Schools should adopt a system of recording and reporting incidents, even minor ones. This can indicate wider trends and can be of use to the police; schools may wish to discuss with the police the type of records they should keep. See Resources/Incident report form.	School Security: Dealing with Troublemakers
The advice contained on this site should not be taken as an authoritative interpretation of the law. That is a matter for the courts.