The reality of schools being plunged into ‘US-style’ lockdowns as violence and hoax threats soar

British schools are increasingly being plunged into "American-style" lockdown measures in response to student violence, adult intruders and hoax threats, GB News has found.

Keeping pupils safe is a top priority for every educational setting – and the Association of School and College Leaders says many are being urged to rapidly adopt emergency protocols amid incidents of youth violence, security breaches and malicious communications.

GBNews.com has reported on more than 15 major, high-profile school lockdowns and safety scares since January this year.

And while the Government does not record data on school lockdowns, research by Schools Week found a staggering 117 cases between January and September last year.

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Analysing news reports via Google, the magazine found some 100,000 pupils were affected by lockdowns in response to emergencies – 38 per cent of which were off-campus events such as weapon sightings.

The introduction of such measures, which require children to hide in designated areas when an alarm is triggered, comes in the thick of soaring anti-social behaviour among youngsters.

More than 3,200 knife or weapons offences committed by children aged 10 to 17 resulted in a caution or sentence in 2023/24, according to the Youth Justice Board for England.

Yesterday, a 14-year-old girl was charged with attempted murder after three people were stabbed at the Co-op Academy in Manchester, with counter-terrorism police taking the helm of the investigation into the attack.

Anti-knife crime campaigner Ken Hinds told the People's Channel: "I can go onto the streets as a street father, intervene, de-escalate situations and even take weapons away. But enforcement alone will never solve this crisis."

The founder of the Haringey Independent Stop-and-Search Monitoring Group highlighted underlying issues of low self-esteem, trauma, poor mental health, lack of belonging and emotional instability as reasons behind youth violence.

Beyond immediate lockdown measures, he pointed to intervention and community-led support systems which “encourage young people to speak before anger turns into irreversible decisions”.

Pepe Di’Iasio, the ASCL's general secretary, remarked: “Schools and colleges go to great lengths to protect their students and staff but, like many public venues, they do sometimes face threats. It’s therefore sensible to have precautionary measures in place to deal with these, including lockdown procedures, and to keep these under regular review.”

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Another rampant threat facing Britain’s schools is that of intrusions – those who have no business entering the premises attempting to storm classrooms with intent to cause harm and harassment.

One case in September last year saw armed police and a helicopter descend on Abbeyfield School in Northamptonshire following reports of an incursion involving "masked men carrying knives", although no arrests were made.

Some schools will enact lockdown procedures preemptively before any real threat is identified.

Last month, boys and girls at Cedar Mount Academy in Manchester were told to hide "under desks" after a water pistol was mistaken for a firearm.

Six months before that, officers detained a man “acting suspiciously” at Kents Hill School in Essex where they recovered a BB gun.

A spokesman for the National Education Union stated: "Schools are generally very safe places for staff and children, but vigilance is essential and it is important that plans are in place to protect staff and children in the event of a variety of potential threats.”

On preparing for a crisis, the NEU added: “Staff know how to carry out drills in a way that does not alarm or frighten children."

While some leaders appear to be acting overly cautious, Wayne Bates of the NASUWT teaching union described “anecdotal evidence of some institutions ignoring the advice, believing they do not need a lockdown procedure”, which leaves “teachers, pupils and other staff potentially vulnerable to a violent intruder”.

He also noted current guidance “appears to discourage drills in primary and early years settings”, where staff “may hold drills for staff at a time when younger learners are not present”.

Britain's News Channel spoke to one former member of staff at an Essex primary school, who wished to remain anonymous, who claimed the headteacher “refused lockdown drills to avoid scaring the children".

“The NASUWT believes there is a need for comprehensive, mandatory lockdown guidance in schools," Mr Bates commented.

A rise in hoax threats is another leading factor in the prevalence of school lockdowns, with Merseyside Police launching a probe into bomb threats being sent to multiple schools in Liverpool back in March.

Lipa School was forced to enter lockdown due to "heightened media attention", deeming an attack on the premises a "credible risk", while Chesterfield High School received a correspondence which read: "Today, I will be going to multiple unnamed schools to have most casualties".

Some hoax threats, whether they manifest or not, can cause severe alarm – such was the case when a letter was flagged by staff at an Essex primary school impersonating the council leader.

After panic mounted from the school and Rochford Council leader Danielle Belton, it was later revealed the letter had been written by a pupil as part of a creative writing exercise.

Safeguarding expert Claire Ray described the significance of Martyn’s Law – also known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 – in ensuring schools are protected.

The legislation – named after Martyn Hett, who was one of 22 people killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack – will order schools with a capacity of 200 or more to have “appropriate” evacuation and lockdown procedures in place from next year. This also includes schools appointing a “responsible person” and notifying the Security Industry Authority.

A 2025 survey by Teach Tapp showed 47 per cent of primaries have lockdown drills they practise with pupils – up from 33 per cent in 2022. For secondaries, the figure rose from 38 to 59 per cent.

Dan Grant, of Leaders in Safeguarding, called on Labour to launch a “formalised process for gathering data to help the sector identify areas of growing concern, what works well and assist with planning and publishing further guidance”.

Often, lockdown measures are activated in schools due to threatening behaviour within the vicinity.

In April, three schools in Bristol were shut after a man in his 20s was rushed to hospital following a shooting.

Describing her experience of a lockdown procedure in action, one teacher revealed: “We had to keep our phones on us and on silent. There were also different tiers of urgency; for one, we had to pull the blinds down and lock doors but carry on as normal. Another was to keep children away from outside walls and windows and keep them quiet until we heard otherwise. We were taught ‘run, hide, tell’.

“I think it’s important to have a procedure in place these days. It isn’t something that I dwell on or worry about, but it is reassuring to know that it is there if, for whatever reason, it may be useful.”

The Department of Education said in a statement: “Schools must be places of safety, and while violent incidents are rare, we will always support staff and local authorities in their duty of care to look after pupils.

“Our guidance supports schools with practical advice on security measures and emergency procedures, which they can adapt based on their specific circumstances.

“We work closely with police and local authorities to ensure schools have the right support to keep children safe, allowing them to focus on learning in a secure environment.”

Sources pointed to a range of resources freely available to assist with preparedness and response to incidents, including e-learning for children and staff on “embedding a security-minded culture”.

It is understood ministers are preparing guidance to support schools in understanding the implications of Martyn’s Law, helping them take “proportionate, practical steps to strengthen security and improve preparedness”.

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