Keeping Edinburgh schools safe: entrances, events and out-of-hours

Make the front door work for you

Most school security starts at the entrance. A single, clearly signed visitor route, a reliable sign-in process and gates that close properly make it easy to know who is on site.

Walk the grounds at the start of the day and at home time. Note where gates are left open, where visitors could bypass reception, and where staff cannot easily see who is arriving.

Protect the school when it is empty

Evenings, weekends and holidays leave buildings quiet for long periods. Check that alarms, cameras and lighting still cover what matters, and that keyholding arrangements are current.

Planned patrols or an agreed alarm response arrangement can help when no one from the school is available to attend an activation.

Plan for events and open days

Concerts, sports days and open evenings bring many unfamiliar faces. Agree entry points, supervision, exit routes and who makes decisions if something goes wrong.

Prepared staff, practised procedures

Staff awareness matters as much as hardware. Everyone should know how to report a concern, raise an alert and follow the school’s own lockdown and evacuation procedures.

Regular, calm practice, guided by the school’s leadership and local authority guidance, helps those procedures work when they are needed. In an emergency, always call 999.