Martyn’s Law in Education, Everything You Need To Know

Martyn’s Law, also known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, became UK law on the 3rd of April 2025.

It requires those responsible for publicly-accessible premises to consider the risk of terrorism and other mass-casualty incidents. However, this includes educational settings.

Protective security measures put in place should be proportionate to the risk, and there is a tiered approach for implementation. Specifically, these protective security measures must be fully implemented by April 2027.

What are the Martyn’s Law in Education Tiers 

Standard Tier 

• All primary and secondary schools, that have more than 200 people on the premises
• Further education colleges that have less than 2000 people on the premises

Enhanced Tier

• Higher education institutions, such as universities, who have more than 800 people on the premises
• Further education colleges that have more than 2000 people on the premises

Where higher education institutions have less than 800 people on the premises, they fall into the Standard Tier.

Martyn’s Law Compliance Checklist

Here is checklist of what you need to do in both tiers:.

• Appoint a competent person who is responsible for the premises and putting in place the protective security measures. This can be outsourced to a safety consultancy if preferred, such as Safety Group
• Register your education setting with the Security Industry Authority (SIA), who are designated as the regulator of Martyn’s Law, making them aware of which tier your premises falls into  
• Complete a protective security risk assessment to understand the site’s vulnerabilities and current design features that would mitigate risks from a terrorist attack or mass-casualty incident
• Have procedures in place and test them at least annually for:
  • Evacuation - Exiting the school in the event of an incident
  • Lockdown - Locking down the perimeter of the grounds and the external doors and windows of the school 
  • Invacuation - A lockdown, plus securing the internal corridors and classrooms, and moving children and staff out of view of internal windows or glazing panels in classroom doors
• Have a robust communication procedure in place to inform staff, pupils, visitors, and parents in the event of an incident 
• Staff must be proportionately trained in terrorism and mass-casualty awareness, including completing refresher training. Temporary and agency staff should be included
• Pupils must receive simple age-appropriate training and guidance
• Records should be kept to document protective security measures that have been discussed and / or implemented 
• The records should integrate with the educational setting’s other similar safety and security policies, such as safeguarding or fire safety

What’s the difference between a lockdown and an invacuation?

A lockdown is the securing of the perimeter of the school grounds, which includes all gating. In fact, plus the securing of all of the external windows and doors of a school.

You might do this when you know that there has been an incident in the local area. Moreover, and you want to try and proactively protect the school. Or an unauthorised person is on your school grounds, but you don’t see them as a threat of terrorism or a mass casualty incident. Such as youths on the field.

With a lockdown, your schooling day can continue within the school, and you don’t necessarily have to inform the children. Furthermore, although teachers should be aware.

An invacuation is different and a fundamental part of Martyn’s Law in Education. In fact, in that you lock down the perimeter of the school, plus the external windows and doors. But you also lockdown the internal corridors and classroom doors within the school. In addition, you will also pull down blinds to prevent someone seeing through windows or glazing panels in classroom doors. Then importantly, you’ll aim to hide the children where possible. Everyone should keep quiet and phones should be switched to silent. In this situation, you need to make both staff and pupils aware.

You would complete an invacuation when you think that there is a credible risk of a terrorist attack of mass casualty incident at your school. However, it might be that you don’t foresee this risk to start with, and just complete a lockdown of the school. But that lockdown may then become an invacuation, if you feel that the threat escalates to a level that requires it.

What mitigation measures should you put in place?

For the Standard Tier of Martyn’s Law in Education. Additionally, the protective security measures that are put in place must be reasonably practicable and proportionate to the risks identified in the risk assessment. Where possible, you should adapt the security measures that you currently have in place. For example, changing the tone of a fire alarm to become an invacuation alarm.

The additional requirements of the Enhanced Tier, is that they must put more emphasis on proactive prevention and protection of their premises. Additionally, with additional physical security measures where required.

Higher risk education facilities should also consider liaison with local police counter terrorism advisors (CTSAs). Furthermore, the protective security risk assessment should highlight the requirement for this.

Multi-academy trusts should put consistent measures in place across each of their schools that fall into the same risk rating as each other.

Protective security measures should be reviewed annually, in the event of an incident. Notably, if the school undergoes a significant building or renovation project, or if the schools risk rating changes.

What should you do next?

We appreciate that most people thankfully have not had to deal with a terrorist attack or mass-casualty incident. Notably, so get in touch to arrange your free no obligation Teams call with our subject matter expert:.

007939532682 / [email protected].

If this article has raised questions about your own security, find out more about our security consultancy or our personal safety advice - or get in touch to discuss your requirements directly.