The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 became law on 3 April 2025, and requires every qualifying school to have public protection procedures in place. Enforcement begins in April 2027, but the preparation window is shorter than it looks.

The criteria for who is in scope can also change as statutory guidance develops. So even if you don’t think your school qualifies right now, sign up to the PROVA newsletter to stay informed of any regulation updates that may affect you.

Three dates matter:

• April 2025 – The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 is granted Royal Assent and passed into law. 
• April 2026 – Statutory guidance is published giving practical details of what compliance looks like, the procedures required, and how the regulator will conduct inspections, as well as what “reasonably practicable” means in an education setting.
• April 2027 – Enforcement begins. This is the date that the Security Industry Authority starts inspections, with the power to issue penalty notices, compliance notices, and assign criminal liability for serious or persistent non-compliance.

The government committed to a minimum 24-month window between Royal Assent and enforcement, which may sound generous. But in practice, meeting the requirements takes time, effort, and careful planning.

When it comes to preparation for Martyn’s Law, there are two key reasons not to wait:

1. Preparation takes longer than you think

Compliance means more than familiarising yourself with the Act. It requires purpose-built public protection procedures, training for every relevant member of staff, testing your procedures to ensure they work, and maintaining evidence to show an inspector.

For a single school, that process can take months. For a multi-academy trust with multiple sites, it is a coordinated programme of work. Now is the time to undertake preparations carefully and correctly, rather than rush as April 2027 approaches.

2. The legislation is already live, and so is the liability

Martyn’s Law was officially enacted in April 2025, and although enforcement doesn’t begin until April 2027, schools are already liable under the terms of the Act.

If an incident were to occur at your school before April 2027, the absence of enforcement would not mean the absence of consequence. The Act applies now, and an organisation that had not put the required procedures in place would face civil liability, reputational exposure, and a moral position very difficult to defend.

Martyn’s Law requires qualifying premises to have four public protection procedures in place:

• Evacuation – safely moving pupils, staff and visitors out of the premises.
• Invacuation – moving people into safer areas within the building.
• Lockdown – securing the premises to restrict entry or movement.
• Communication – alerting people and giving clear safety instructions in an incident.

These procedures must be tailored to your building, its size, layout, and use. They must be communicated to relevant staff, and you must keep evidence that this has been done.

Most schools fall within the Standard Tier, where it is reasonable to expect 200 or more people (staff and pupils) to be present from time to time. This includes primary schools, secondary schools, academies, and further education colleges. Multi-academy trusts should treat each site as a separate qualifying premises.

Not sure if you’re in scope? Use the free Am I in scope? tool on the PROVA Risk website.

PROVA Risk is a purpose-built platform for Martyn’s Law compliance. It guides you through each step: scoping, building procedures tailored to your premises, training your staff with automated guides, and keeping the evidence you will need for inspection.

For each site, the platform can be set up and your procedures built within an hour. For a multi-academy trust, it gives you a single dashboard across all sites, consistency, oversight, and a clear evidence trail.

Stay Ahead of Martyn’s Law by Signing Up to the PROVA Newsletter

Martyn’s Law is not static. Statutory guidance has been published and enforcement is approaching, but regulation continues to evolve. The PROVA newsletter covers:

• Regulation and guidance updates as they happen.
• Practical preparation steps for education settings.
• Answers to the questions that headteachers and trust leaders are asking.

No noise. No sales pitches. Just the information you need to keep your school on the right side of the law.

• For the Education Sector
• What Are Public Protection Procedures?
• How to Measure the 200-Person Threshold
• Multi-Site Martyn’s Law Management
• Why Health and Safety and Fire Legislation Don’t Cover Martyn’s Law