Back to School Security: Is Your School Prepared?
The start of a new academic year is a time of excitement for students and staff. But it also brings renewed challenges for school leaders when it comes to safety and security. With recent headlines highlighting security incidents on school grounds, it’s clear that risks remain ever-present.
- In May 2024, a school in South London was evacuated following a security alert, causing disruption and distress for pupils and parents.
- In March 2024, intruders gained access to a Birmingham primary school, triggering a police lockdown.
These incidents underline the importance of having robust security systems in place. Almas Industries has developed a Back to School Security Checklist to help schools assess their vulnerabilities and take action. Below, we explore the key areas covered in the checklist, along with the solutions that can help keep your school community safe.
CCTV – Monitoring and Deterrence
CCTV plays a vital role in both preventing and responding to incidents. Visible cameras act as a deterrent to intruders, vandalism, and anti-social behaviour. They also provide vital evidence in the event of an incident.
Almas’ CCTV systems are designed specifically for schools, offering high-definition coverage, secure storage, and remote access for authorised staff.
Access Control – Protecting Entry Points
Unrestricted access to school grounds remains a key vulnerability. The Birmingham intrusion case demonstrates how quickly an incident can escalate when perimeters aren’t secure.
With Access Control systems, schools can manage who enters and exits the premises. From fob or card-based entry to biometric solutions, access control ensures only authorised individuals can gain entry, protecting both pupils and staff.
Visitor Management – Tracking Everyone On-Site
Parents, contractors, and delivery staff frequently enter school premises. Without a robust visitor management system, it can be difficult to track who is in the building and why. This creates safeguarding risks and operational challenges.
Almas integrates inVentry Visitor Management into school security strategies, offering:
- Quick and professional visitor check-in
- ID badge printing for clear identification
- Real-time visitor logs for compliance and safeguarding
- Integration with school MIS systems for streamlined processes
This ensures every visitor is accounted for, improving both safety and efficiency.
Staff Time Tracking – Accountability and Efficiency
Knowing who is on-site at any time is vital. Beyond safeguarding, accurate time and attendance data supports compliance, HR, and operational efficiency.
Almas’ Time & Attendance solutions give schools real-time visibility of staff movements and can integrate seamlessly with access control systems for a complete overview of site activity.
Lone Worker Safety – Protecting Staff Out of Hours
Teachers, caretakers, and cleaning staff often work alone on school premises, particularly outside of normal hours. This presents risks ranging from accidents to confrontations with intruders.
Our Lone Worker safety devices provide staff with discreet panic alarms, fall detection, and GPS/location tracking, ensuring they’re never truly alone.
Take Action This Term
Security is not something schools can afford to leave to chance. A proactive approach helps prevent risks and reassures parents that safeguarding is taken seriously.
