The COVID pandemic has meant that for the past 11 months OFSTED has not been able to carry out normal school inspections. This has now all changed since January 2021 when Ofsted indicated that those schools judged inadequate will be top of the list for visits with the majority of inspections resuming after Easter.

Although some schools were inspected during the pandemic, the vast majority have been left to their own devices with obvious priorities around simply keeping the education process going. Undoubtedly some schools will have funds available to spend on resources in anticipation of the visits and whilst educational tools will take priority, the safety and security of the site will be a significant consideration.

Ofsted Inspections

As part of the Ofsted inspection, schools will be asked if they have a Lockdown Policy – this can be a simple document with guidelines – up until recently they have not had to have an actual Lockdown system installed. However, Ofsted now advocate a dedicated lockdown alarm to be in place, distinctive to the sound of the fire alarm. This is in line with advice from NACTSO (National Counter Terrorism Security Office) which states that the ‘use of fire alarms should be avoided to reduce incorrect response to an incident’. A poor showing with regards to the safety of pupils in the case of emergency will impact an Ofsted inspection negatively, therefore schools are looking to implement lockdown systems in accordance with their policy.

The Alertex system offers battery-powered units which can be deployed anywhere. They offer an audible AND visual alert to pupils and staff and are distinguishable from fire alerts which of course mean evacuate the building. The units can be quickly installed on the school site over a weekend or even at the end of the school day, thus minimising disruption to the learning environment. Battery life is around three years. A maximum of 64 units can be installed per site, up to 1km apart. When one Alertex device is activated it will trigger all units in range to sound an audible alert or lockdown message, accompanied by a flashing beacon light.

Both internal and external variants are available and decibel levels can be adjusted accordingly. There are 32 sounds to choose from. Alternatively, an annunciator variant can be ordered which has a built-in strobe with a standard lockdown message or the school may wish to record their own.

Altertex has been installed successfully in many schools around the UK and if you would like a copy of these case studies please email marketing@qedgroup.co.uk.

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Or call our friendly and professional team on 01772 336 111.

TEACH is a Multi-Academy Trust of primary schools comprising two infant schools, two junior schools and an Initial Teacher Training Centre. The academy trains up to 30 primary school teachers per year in Canford Heath, a suburban area of Poole, Dorset. Almost 1500 pupils, ages 4yrs to 11yrs, attend the four schools.

Problem & Solution

The Trust’s Health and Safety Coordinator faced a challenging task to provide an effective lockdown alert system for each school. Luminite’s Nexus critical alert range was chosen to provide a wireless solution, negating the need for a hard-wired system which would be costly in terms of resources and installation.

Luminite supplied a mixture of internal and external units meaning that no matter where the initial alert point was triggered and due to ‘flood technology’, all pupils and staff both inside and out would hear the voice alert and see the flashing blue beacons. Nexus lockdown units are deliberately blue in colour to differentiate them from fire beacons and there are 32 sounds to choose from to further differentiate them from fire alarms. The fact that the Nexus system could be installed by the Trust’s own Site Managers was a significant advantage, as their installation was quick and easy requiring no specialist or technical skills.

The TEACH Trust H&S Coordinator said:

“The Nexus system was installed without any disruption to the school day by the Site teams, following simple instructions supplied by Luminite who were available throughout for back-up support. After fully preparing our pupils for the event, we successfully completed lockdown drills without causing any distress to pupils or staff. There are no ongoing maintenance costs, other than a 3-yearly change of batteries and we would recommend the system to other educational establishments.”

Laura Grainger from Luminite commented: ‘We are conscious that especially in the current climate, school budgets must be spent wisely and we were happy to supply advance demo units to the school in order for them to test thoroughly. A consideration for the TEACH Trust was that they could easily add units to the system if needed and Nexus allows them to do this.’

View the product range here

Or call our friendly and professional team on 01772 336 111.

Lockdown solutions, and how schools choose the best one.

Up until recently, schools weren’t required by Ofsted to have an official lockdown system installed. A simple document with guidelines was considered just fine for a Lockdown Policy.

However, now, Ofsted require schools to have a specific lockdown alarm that is not the same sound as a fire alarm! Why – you may ask? This is because of the NACTSO which advises against the use of fire alarms to “reduce incorrect response to an incident”.

You’re correct in thinking aren’t Ofsted concerned for a school’s performance and learning? Yes, but they will refer to site security and will expect schools to demonstrate the measures in place for protecting pupils, staff and the school itself.

In the case of an emergency, poor acknowledgement of pupil safety will be detrimental to an Ofsted inspection. Therefore, which lockdown system best suits a school’s needs, and whether it’s inline with their policy, is vital informatio

Choosing a Lockdown System

There is little guidance from councils and governments when it comes to choosing a lockdown system, and the NASUWT did recently call on the government to provide schools with nationally recognised lockdown procedures.

Chris Keates, NASUWT General Secretary said: “responsibility for ensuring security and terrorism preparedness should be the responsibility of the whole governing body. It would not be appropriate for the government simply to require schools to have preparedness plans in place and assume that they are able to do this.”

Why would a lockdown system be used?

There are a number of incidents that may instigate a lockdown: postcode wars, an armed intruder, an escalating argument between parents, rogue animals or nearby fires with noxious fumes. So, how does a school alert everyone in a safe manner to find a safe place within the school and stay put?

IP Speakers

IP Speakers produce audio announceemnts but no visual alert. These speakers do require wiring, which takes time and money to install. The advantage, of course, is once installed, the system can be used for any alert (wet play, class room changes). So this option really does depend on the school’s budget.

Using the fire alarm

For smaller sites using only one sound as an alert, it is possible to use fire alarms for lockdowns. However, in schools, using the fire alarm for lockdown prompts confusion: do we evacuate, or do we stay put?

Other voice systems

Are live voice-based systems the answer? Again, there are pitfalls such as language barriers. And as most lockdowns are prevalent in inner cities, this can be a real problem. A lockdown message with a built-in alert on loop can work. Especially if the school has regular lockdown drills. However, these tannoy announcements rarely cover outside areas such as playing fields due to cabling. Therefore, schools with several outbuildings may not be able to use this option.

Alerts via mobile network

Schools will have policies about mobile phones during learning times. Therefore, unless the school looks to providing all staff with a hand held device purely for lockdowns or emergencies, relying on personal phones is a no-go.

ALERTEX School Lockdown Solution

The ALERTEX system offers battery powered units and is deployable anywhere.

ALERTEX offers audible and visual alerts. The alerts are distinguishable from fire alerts, and ALERTEX can be quickly installed on site over a weekend or even at the end of the school day. Resulting in minimal disruption to the learning environment.

With a three year battery life, a maximum of 64 units can be installed per site, up to 1km apart. What’s more, when one ALERTEX unit activates, it triggers all units in range to sound an audible alert or lockdown message, and a flashing beacon light.

Internal and external variants are available with adjustable decibel levels. There are 32 sounds to choose from, or an annunciator variant can be ordered which has a built-in strobe. Choose the standard lockdown message, or the school may wish to record their own.

The ALERTEX PC app also allows one central location (usually the school office) to monitor and control the activated units. From here, the user can reset the system after activation. The PC app also has an email function which advises a specific email group of the severity of the lockdown event.

In conclusion…

It is vital schools conduct and review fire and security risk assessments regularly. Staff should be aware of potential risks and the difference between a fire alert (evacuation) and a lockdown alert (stay on the premises and make your way to the nearest place of safety).

Contact us for more information: 01772 336 111 or email sales@qedgroup.co.uk

Critical Alert Systems for Schools in Time for Ofsted Inspections