School Security Policy

The governors recognise and accept their corporate responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment for children, employees, and visitors to Tanfield School. The school’s security procedures will operate within the framework described in this policy.

Where appropriate the governors will seek any necessary expert advice to determine the security risks and precautions required to deal with them.

The governing body will provide staff with enough resources, information, and training to implement the security procedures.

The governing body will, where appropriate, be informed of breaches and failures of the policy to enable them to take any corrective action as is necessary to ensure the safety of children and staff.

The following groups and / or individuals have responsibilities for ensuring the security of the school.

The governors will ensure that the school has a security policy and that this has been implemented. Governors will monitor the performance of the school security measures. This will be achieved:

• By the Health & Safety Governor monitoring performance on their special interest visits.

• Via the Headteacher’s reports to governors.

• By all governors observing its implementation when they visit the school.

Governors will periodically review the school’s security policy. Governors will delegate the day-to-day implementation of the policy to the Headteacher.

The Headteacher will:

• Set up arrangements in school that comply with the security policy agreed by governors.

• Ensure that all staff within the school receive information, instruction, and training in the security policy and procedures.

• Establish a system for the reporting, recording, and investigation of breaches of the policy and take reasonable steps to prevent reoccurrence.

• Ensure that all visitors, contractors, and agency staff adhere to the security policy.

• Monitor the implementation of the policy and security arrangements.

All staff will comply with this policy and the arrangements made by the Headteacher to ensure the safety of children, employees, and others on the school site.

Those listed below have been given specific responsibilities for school security.

Children will be encouraged to exercise personal responsibility for the security of themselves and others.

Children will cooperate with the arrangements made for the security of the school. Breaches of the school security arrangements are a breach of the school’s Behaviour Policy.

The school has agreed the following arrangements to ensure the safety and security of staff, pupils, and other persons using the school premises.

All staff must be aware of the school’s security procedures, especially staff that have been given a specific role to play.

All staff inductions will include the school’s security policy and will be recorded on the employee’s training profiles. Records of which are kept in the school’s Risk Register.

These arrangements will be communicated to all third parties that use the premises and grounds. All will be expected to comply with the school’s security arrangements as a condition of shared use of the building.

Parents will be informed about the school security arrangements and what is expected of them, e.g., when visiting the school or at handover times.

Controlled access is a combination of measures to ensure that unauthorised visitors do not present an unacceptable risk to pupils or staff.

The extent of physical controls, such as fences, has been decided by a robust risk assessment of the likelihood of visitors presenting a risk and the reasonableness of the control measures needed to reduce this risk. Tanfield School has, through risk assessment, balanced the need to remain a welcoming environment to the community and safeguarding pupils.  The risk of pupils absconding and the potential for injury while doing so should be considered when designing, installing, and maintaining physical controls.

Buildings

The school will take all reasonable efforts to restrict access to the building to prevent unauthorised access to children and ensure the personal safety of all.

Grounds

The following parts of the school have been secured by means of physical restrictions such as fencing and electronic access control.

The following areas are accessible by the public but the risk is controlled with our school’s supervision arrangements and how the school deals with visitors.

The control of visitors is a fundamental part of our school’s security policy for the safeguarding of both people and property.

The school’s overall safeguarding strategy requires that at times the security of pupils is achieved by competent supervision by authorised school staff.

Our school security arrangements have taken into account any other third parties that use the school building or grounds. In most circumstances the arrangements for the school in general will be equally applicable for the third parties involved. Below are the additional security measures that apply to the groups listed.

Contractors and maintenance personnel will not always have been DBS checked and they should not have unsupervised access to children. They will therefore be controlled as follows:

• All will be given school badges and be expected to wear them, green with DBS red no DBS.
• They will only park where authorised to do so.
• Will only carry out work agreed at the start of the contract and at the times agreed.
• Will be supervised at all times by school staff. This does not mean watched continuously but in a way proportionate to their location and proximity to unsupervised children.

Our school has Lone Working Risk Assessments for staff where there is a security risk due to the need to work alone.

The governing body has considered the need to use physical measures such as fencing and electronic access controls to ensure the safety of staff and pupils. The governors will review the provision of physical security measures on a regular basis in the form of a security risk assessment.

The risk assessment will take into account:

• The location and layout of the school.
• Past incidents related to security.
• The performance of other security measures already in place or that could be implemented.
• The cost of physical security improvements and the availability of funding.

Where justified by consideration of the risk, governors will ensure that physical security measures are installed. Where physical controls are not justified the governing body will ensure that other controls are implemented by the school to ensure the safety of staff and pupils.

Where electronic controls are installed, for example alarm systems, they will be maintained as recommended by the manufacturer.

At different times of the day the school security arrangements require the locking of various entrances and exits as detailed below.

The CCTV system is part of our security procedures. The system can record incidents to enable evidence to be presented to the appropriate authorities. Signage at entrance points to site inform people of this as required under data protection law.

Schools should avoid keeping cash on the premises wherever possible.  Safes should be used and kept locked.  Avoid handling cash in visible areas, any money requiring banking should be done at irregular times, particularly where substantial sums are involved.

The security risk assessment will take into account the location and security arrangements for high value equipment, for example ICT equipment.

Personal property will remain the responsibility of its owner. This includes both staff and pupil personal property. Both are discouraged from bringing to school any valuable personal property.

Lost property should be handed to the school office where it will be kept for 6 months before disposal.

There are occasions when pupils may be prescribed treatment where medicines are needed during school time. Parents will provide such medicines in suitable and labelled containers. These containers will be locked in the school’s medicine fridge in N125.

Arrangements for the administration of medicines are detailed in the medication in school policy.

A security risk assessment will be completed annually by the Business Services Manager. The findings will be used in the review of this security policy.

The risk assessment will use the format in the Health and Safety Team School Health & Safety Policy & Procedures Manual.