Lockdown Procedure for 8 Year Olds?!
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So my son who has just turned 8 came home from school yesterday feeling worried an anxious. He proceeded to tell me that they had to learn a new procedure at school called 'Lockdown' which involved the children hiding under tables and covering themselves with chairs while the teachers hid in cupboards. The children were told this was in case a 'bad person' got into the school and they needed to protect themselves. My son and many other children in the class have said they now don't feel safe at school and don't understand why they needed to learn this. I myself am baffled that this is a thing and the parents weren't informed that they would be learning this! Has anyone else experienced a similar thing at their child's school or heard of it happening? It had never crossed my sons mind before yesterday that something could happen to him at school and now he doesn't feel safe there!
Oh dear I’m sure it’s cause upset for the children. Why not pop in tomorrow and ask the head why patients weren’t warned prior to the exercise. It’s for the children’s safety so try to respect the head because I’m sure that wasn’t an easy decision to make or approach the school governors for an explanation.
It has caused a lot of upset unfortunately, the way they went about seemed to be all wrong really! I spoke to the head yesterday and she said there was a misunderstanding on the day in which they were supposed to practice the drill and my sons class did it a week earlier than everyone else. Apparently they were going to prewarn the parents beforehand but his teacher mistakenly did it too early. I really wasn't impressed with the head teachers response to the situation, she just kept coming up with different lies as to what actually happened and tried to make it out an entire class of 34 children were lying!
I'm sorry but I find that disgusting! I can of course fully understand a school needing to safe guard children but I think they've gone the wrong way about it, I find that extreme & OTT. Iv never heard of a school doing this before. It appears all that they've achieved is to unnecessarily frighten the children! Kids should be able to go to school & feel safe without even thinking about it. The school should have informed parents beforehand at the very least. I'd be having very strong words with the school.
I totally agree with you, I'm sure there could have been a different scenario they could have come up with to get the children to practice the drill if it was absolutely necessary that they do learn it. That's exactly what I said to the head teacher, they should feel safe at school and why on earth would they want to put it into children's heads that there are people in the world that would want to come into a school and harm children. It's beyond me!
LouiseGoodchild Its such an OTT reaction from the school. I just feel its unforgivable to frighten young children this way. The chance of any real threat is so minimal. Theres so many other ways they could have approached this if they felt it was absolutely necessary. Absolute madness! I'd be fuming. I hope your son & the other children relax & settle again in time. Best of luck dealing with the school going forward.
I have seen on Birmingham Mail that a Birmingham school had to do this due to a suspicious character on school grounds. I think parents should be told about the practice and the students should be told exactly why they are having to get under desks, so they do not get scared or upset.
I think being told that a bad person could come into school is why the children got scared and upset though. Had they been told it was because of a dangerous situation outside like a chemical spill or even an earthquake (I know we don't have them here but they are learning about them currently and know other countries do similar in the case of an earthquake) then the children would feel safer and less anxious at school. It's a scary world we live in now I know but our children are being made to grow up and realise that way too early now. It's so sad
Lynibis this was an issue raised to the head teacher and there was no real response to that. They have a big bathroom in the classroom which would easily fit all the children into, that seems the most logical option if there was a real threat but I honestly don't believe any of this should have been practiced
We had a situation in our school were a suspicious person was on the grounds and after that the head made sure all teachers knew the procedure, but the pupils would only be told about it if we actually needed to use it. In which case we would tell them what to do and explain that it was training for a new safety procedure. In my classroom there was a large cupboard at the back where the pupils would hide and I would be the one under the desk. The parents were sent letters to inform them that the teachers had this training and what the steps would be if it had to be implemented. I'm a secondary school teacher though, so might not have scared them as much.
To me it makes more sense that the children would be in the cupboard or locked in the bathroom which is inside the classroom and big enough for them all to be in as they aren't able to protect themselves. So the students at your school weren't aware of the procedure unless the parents told them about it?
LouiseGoodchild the only reason the pupils should be under the desk is because there isn't anywhere else for them to hide. Basically, the parents were told that there were procedures in place in case something happened, it was precautionary and if they wanted to tell their children that was up to them. We need to practice for fire drills, that is understandable, but if someone suspicious gets into the building, your first instinct as the teacher is to protect the children and they will do what you tell them in that situation, so why scare them and make them worry if you don't need too?
MrsCraig my thoughts exactly, which is why I got so angry and upset about the situation. The head teacher didn't seem to see it the same way though!
Thanks to MrsCraig I was waiting for your comment because you mentioned one of question you are a teacher now you clear the situation thanks a lot it will help to all parents 
Shouldn't they have informed and discussed this matter with the parents first? From what I see and hear about schools nowadays they are rather like prisons. They police what the kids can and can't eat. Report everything to social services no matter whether there really is something going on (I also saw a lot of this working for the NHS and council. False reports by over zealous teaching staff). I would not be happy if my kid came home and said that happened. Then again, if I had a kid, the teachers would know me very well as I would be complaining all the time.
That's the point I raised to the head teacher and apparently my sons class had done the procedure early by accident, it was supposed to be next week after a letter was sent out. I still think it is wrong to put these worries into our children, I am 100% sure if the teacher told the children to get in the cupboard or under a desk they would do it without the training!
Also totally agree with what you said about schools. My son got himself in such a state before school the other day because he needed the toilet when we got there and his teacher makes them lose their lunch break if they use the toilet during lesson time!! Unbelievable that they treat young children that way. This is also supposedly the best school in our area, worrying!!
I could understand this happening in America, but i don't think it's needed here. I haven't heard about them doing this, surely they should be discussing this with parents first?
I absolutely agree with you. They were sending a letter out but his class ended up doing it before the letter got sent. The head teacher said its government guideline so every school should be doing it... So far I've not found a single school that does!
LouiseGoodchild i hope your son is ok, must have been quite confusing and a little worrying for him
KirstyW he's taken it a lot better than the other children surprisingly! But thank you for asking x
I'm sorry your son felt this way but completely agree with the school taking action and preparing the children in case an event like this did actually happen. Maybe the school could have tackled it in a different way.
Yes I agree with the procedure being in place but it was handled terribly and after learning other schools approach I think the best way would have been to train the teachers and inform the parents but the children don't need to know. I find it very strange that barely any schools have this practice in place but it's supposedly a government guideline 
So the teachers were hidden while the kids were still accessible? But that aside, I am appalled at this and cannot think who on earth allowed it and thought it was a good idea. How many school assaults happen resulting in death or injury in UK to warrant this.
We are constantly being told of children 4+ with mental issues and the stress of modern life and they pile this new fear on young shoulders, I am disgusted. The harm is now done and I just hope none of the children become scared of going to school in case a bad man gets them.
Absolutely agree with you, I had never heard of this until my son came home from school that day. As you say, the damage is now down and it is such an extreme measure. I was informed this morning they are doing another practice next Wednesday so they are really drilling it into the kids that there are potential threats to them at school. It's awful, it really is
LouiseGoodchild maybe you could muster other parents and all sign a petition to get it stopped?
Lynibis its a good thought. Another mum wrote on our private group for year 3 questioning it and a lot of parents agreed it was terrible. Then all the parents who commented got phone calls telling us to remove our comments and we weren't allowed to discuss it, only with the head teacher! Madness!
LouiseGoodchild well the last I heard this country was a democracy with free speech so I hope no one deleted their comments? Surely that is down to the police. They cannot stop you picketing outside the school or you could all refuse to send your kids in on the allotted day. I am not usually the sort of person who takes aggressive action about anything, but this would make me very angry.
Lynibis I certainly didn't delete anything but it has gone totally quiet since! I feel the same, i really do but I'm not sure I'd get the support from other parents. Perhaps I could write to the school governors and see what their stance is on it.
LouiseGoodchild stand for school governor yourself. Sound out the other parents, they appear to feel same way as you.
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