In Tes Magazine, Professor Michael Green explains how the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act, known as Martyn’s Law, will introduce new duties for schools, centered on planning, communication and preparedness rather than physical barriers.
“The emphasis is on planning, awareness and cultural readiness, rather than fences and barriers.”
“Preparedness is not only a matter of compliance; it is also about building institutional resilience.”
Most schools will fall under the standard tier and must:
- Appoint a responsible person
- Notify the regulator (SIA)
- Maintain and document evacuation, invacuation and lockdown plans
- Train staff, test procedures and ensure clear communication during a crisis
It’s a reminder that safeguarding, health and safety, crisis response and communication need to work together, not as separate systems.
This aligns closely with lessons learned in Sweden, where several tragic school attacks led to a national focus on systematic school safety.
Today, Cosafe supports over half of Sweden’s municipalities in implementing structured frameworks for preparedness, communication and crisis management in schools.
“The discussion around Martyn’s Law underscores the same principle: safety is not about fear, but about readiness, structure, collaboration and training”, says Pia Thevselius, Head of Advisory Nordics at Cosafe.
