School security is a contentious issue and all governors, parents and staff want children to be as safe as possible when in school. School security is a shared responsibility that the governing body, local authority and head teacher all have a part to play in.
If you want to improve security at your school then take a look at the following tips which could make your schools a safer place.
A common sense approach to school security by B & L Shutters
A lot of the things that can be done to improve school security cost nothing but are easy to let fall by the wayside, which is when problems arise.
School gates should be locked and bolted at all times and visitors to the school should enter by a single entrance so that they can be monitored more easily. All visitors, even if they are parents, should report to reception and sign in when visiting a school and should not be allowed to walk around the school without being accompanied by a member of staff.
Areas where cars can be parked or deliveries are made should be completely separate from playgrounds or areas that children can use during the day.
Make sure that all staff fully understand the school security procedures and aren’t afraid to challenge visitors if they don’t know why they are in the school.
School gates and windows should always be kept locked when the school is not in use and rooms that contain valuable equipment like computers or smart boards should be kept locked when hot being used.
A very effective type of lock and access system are those that use swipe cards or a number code. If your internal locks use a number code then make sure only those staff that need to know the combination.
Extra measures
When securing a school think about the points where the school is vulnerable. For example, many schools do not have adequate security around boiler rooms and this is often where thieves attempt to break in. you can fit louvered steel security doors which can be locked when the school is not in use which are extremely hard to break into.
Many schools are also choosing to fit roller shutters and security grilles to windows and doors which provide extra security when the school is not in use.
Fitting CCTV within a school can also be a great deterrent, as can fitting a state of the art alarm system and advertising the fact you have it with signs around the school.