Every school has a fire evacuation plan. Most have a lockdown procedure. Many have some form of emergency communication system. Under Martyn’s Law, these existing plans need a close look, because what worked for fire response usually isn’t fit for a terrorism incident.

This page explains what the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 actually asks of schools in scope, and where existing plans need upgrading.

Places of education sit in Schedule 1 of the Act. That means schools, colleges, universities, and early-years settings meet the first part of the scope test automatically.

Whether a specific school is in scope comes down to expected attendance. The threshold: 200 or more individuals reasonably expected on site from time to time, staff and pupils combined.

For most primary schools with 200+ pupils, the threshold is met. For secondary schools, sixth form colleges, and universities, almost universally. Smaller primaries, early-years settings, and small independent schools may sit below the threshold, but often cross it when considering events (parents’ evenings, sports days, nativity performances).

Fire evacuation vs terrorism evacuation

A fire evacuation plan directs pupils out by any available exit and gathers them at a known muster point outside. That works for fire.

For terrorism, this approach fails in two specific ways:

1. The muster point can become the next target. A known, predictable gathering point outside the premises is exactly what > an attacker can plan around.
2. “Any exit” may direct pupils toward the threat. If the threat is at or near an exit, using that exit is the worst possible choice.

A Martyn’s Law evacuation procedure needs flexible decision-making: which exit is safe given where the threat is, and where should pupils and staff go (not a fixed muster point) that takes them away from the incident.

Lockdown procedures

Many schools have lockdown plans, often written with intruder scenarios in mind. These are a stronger starting point than fire plans. They usually still need upgrading to meet Martyn’s Law standard: specific procedures for different parts of the building, decision-making rules for staff, and clear evidence that staff have been trained on them.

Invacuation

Invacuation (moving pupils to a safer place within or into the premises when the threat is outside) and Lockdown (securing the premises to prevent individuals entering or leaving) is often missing entirely from existing school plans. It’s a distinct procedure, different to a lockdown, and needs to be prepared.

Communications

Most schools have some form of internal communications, often via bell, PA, or email. The Martyn’s Law standard is higher: a system that reaches every staff member and every pupil, in every building, quickly, with clear instructions. Many existing systems don’t meet this bar when tested.

For a school in scope, the readiness state includes:

1. Four purpose-built procedures (evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, communications) specific to the terrorism context and the school buildings and layout.
2. Staff training on all four procedures, including teaching staff, support staff, and site staff.
3. Pupil-facing components (where appropriate to age group) for lockdown and invacuation, integrated with existing safeguarding training.
4. An exercise that tests the procedures in practice.
5. Evidence packaged and kept current, ready if the regulator asks.

For MATs (multi-academy trusts) and similar multi-site governance structures, the challenge scales: every site needs its own procedures, but central oversight needs visibility of readiness across the estate.

Schools, MATs, and local authorities have governance structures that map to Martyn’s Law duties. Boards, trusts, and senior leadership teams need to understand their responsibilities, which are set at the organisational level but implemented at site level.

A central dashboard showing which schools have procedures in place, which have trained staff, and which have completed exercises is the lever that makes multi-site readiness workable at scale.

The fastest way to know is our free Am I in Scope? tool. A handful of questions, a clear answer, no account needed.

If you already know you’re in scope, Get Started with Prova Risk to prepare your public protection procedures, train your staff, and keep the evidence you’ll need if inspected. £399 per year per site.

• 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