Security Policy

LUSITÂNIA PRIMARY SCHOOL

SECURITY POLICY

Risk Awareness

The school and its contents are constantly at potential risk from criminal damage, burglary, theft and arson. In some circumstances, the lives and the safety of staff and students could be in jeopardy. A successful criminal attack in the school will have at least one of several predictable results:

  • loss of equipment
  • loss of records
  • loss of community facilities
  • drain on resources
  • demoralisation of staff and pupils
  • disruption of school life
  • displacement of staff and students
  • total loss of school 62

Whatever the precise outcome, any criminal attack upon the school will inevitably impact the running of the school. It follows that every realistic step should be taken to prevent it. In order to identify the most appropriate, cost-effective security procedures and measures, consideration has to be given to the nature of the likely risks, previous incidents, the local environment and changing conditions, the potential cost of crime (including repair and replacement costs) and the scope of consequential losses, through, for example, timetable disruption and inconvenience. To this end, a security risk assessment will be conducted annually and used as the basis of this policy.

Aims and Objective

The Governors recognise and accept their corporate responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment for children, employees and visitors to Lusitânia Primary School. The school’s security procedures will operate within the framework described in this policy.

  • Where appropriate the Governors will seek any necessary expert advice to determine the security risks and precautions required to deal with them.
  • The Governing Body will provide staff with enough resources, information and training to implement the security procedures.
  • The Governing Body will, where appropriate, be informed of breaches and failures of the policy to enable them to take any corrective action as is necessary to ensure the safety of members of the school community.

 

Part 2: Roles and Responsibilities

The Governing Body:

The Governors will ensure that the school has a security policy and that this has been implemented.

The School Administration Manager will monitor the performance of the school security measures. This will be achieved:

  • Governors will periodically review the school’s security policy.
  • Governors will delegate the day to day implementation of the policy to the Administration Manager.

The Headmaster:

The Headmaster has overall responsibility for policy, organization and arrangements throughout the school and is responsible for the effective implementation of the security policy and for encouraging staff, through regular monitoring, to implement security arrangements. In particular the Headmaster will:

  1. Set up arrangements in school that comply with the security policy agreed by Governors.
  2. Ensure that all staff within the school receive information, instruction and training in the security policy and procedures.
  3. Establish a system for the reporting, recording and investigation of breaches of the policy and take reasonable steps to prevent reoccurrence.
  4. Ensure that all visitors, contractors and agency staff adhere to the security policy.
  5. Monitor the implementation of the policy and security arrangements.
  6. ensure parents are informed of the security policy
  7. instigate appropriate disciplinary action where it is shown that staff have ignored or shown a disregard for security matters outlined within the Security Policy;
  8. ensure that security is taken into account when considering any proposed or impending changes e.g. building works, room allocate or usage, etc;

The Health & Safety Representative

The Health & Safety Representative is the adviser to the headteacher on security within Lusitânia Primary School and is responsible for the co-ordination of security management throughout the school. The H&S Representative will:-

  1. review the Security Policy annually and when significant changes occur within the organisation of the school;
  2. have general oversight on security and monitor this on behalf of the headmaster;
  3. undertake an annual security risk assessment and prepare recommendations for discussion with the Headmaster and Governing Body
  4. make recommendations to the Headmaster and Governing Body for matters requiring immediate attention;
  5. publicise security matters;
  6. ensure routine security checks are carried out by the Caretaker;
  7. meet with the Headmaster and prepare termly reports for the Governing Body;
  8. include security in the annual premises action plan to present to the Governing Body so progress and budget requirements can be planned for;
  9. ensure all incidents are reported to the police
  10. Maintain the school inventory and ensure all valuable equipment is asset tagged, labeled and included on the inventory
  11. Undertake an annual check of the inventory
  12. Ensure lettings do not compromise school security and brief hirers on school security procedures

Caretaker

The Caretaker will ensure:-

  1. The site is checked every 2 days during holidays
  2. Undertake all required security checks, including perimeter fences and checking of locks/gates
  3. All external doors and perimeter gates are secured by 4pm each day
  4. Maintain a key log and issue/disable key fobs and car park keys
  5. Ensure laptops are locked in laptop trolleys, projectors are secured and the terms of the school insurance policy are implemented
  6. Monitor site security and liaise with police Ensure external lighting is maintained in good condition
  7. Ensure cleaners and other contractors working in the school understand and respect school security procedures
  8. Check all doors and windows are secure at the end of the day, set alarms and check there are no trespassers on the school site

All Staff

All employees have a responsibility to ensure that they act with all reasonable care with regard to the security of the premises, staff and school equipment. In particular, all staff have a responsibility to:

  • secure windows and doors when rooms are not in use and upon their departure at the end of the day.
  • Ensure the perimeter gates and external doors are closed when they leave
  • Challenge anyone walking around the school who is not meant to be there and ask them to report to reception to sign-in
  • Ensure the security of valuable equipment such as cameras and laptops by ensuring they are locked away when not in use
  • Ensure laptops are kept secure when taken off school premises and not left on display in cars or left in car boots overnight
  • Ensure data and information is secure through careful protection of passwords, memory sticks, awareness of security of confidential information
  • Sign in each day using the Belina System and sign out when leaving in the evening
  • Report any security concerns to the Health & Safety Representative

Part 3: Physical Security

The physical security of any site has three distinct aspects. These are the:

  • perimeter
  • external protection of buildings within the perimeter
  • protection of specific vulnerable or sensitive areas within buildings
    Perimeter security on its own is not sufficient – it is not possible to make the perimeter of the school completely impenetrable. Instead these three aspects need to work together.

Perimeter

The fences and locks are checked daily by the Premises Officer.

Reception Gate

The school gates gate are left open in the morning between 7.00 am and 8.00am and again in the afternoon between 2.00pm and 3.30pm. At all other times the gate should be locked to ensure the safety of the children, the security of staff cars and also the security of the overall building and safety of staff. Permission must be requested from the School Administration Manager, or Headteacher, for the gate to be left open at other times

Car Park

Because of the layout of the school, the car park is a main entry point for parents which dropping off and picking up their children. As such, the gate is left open in the morning between 7.00am and 8am and again in the afternoon between 2pm and 4pm. At all other times the gate should be locked to ensure the safety of the children, the security of staff cars and also the security of the overall building and safety of staff.

  1. Exterior Lighting

The car park and walkways of the school have lighting. The caretaker is responsible for checking this lighting is working efficiently to ensure the security of staff cars and also the security of the overall building and safety of staff.

Safeguarding personal property

Personal property will remain the responsibility of its owner. This includes both staff and pupil personal property. Staff and students should be encouraged to take an active interest in the security of their personal property whilst on the school premises or engaged on school activities elsewhere. The loss, theft or vandalism of personal property can create distrust and suspicion and can lower morale. Staff lockers are provided outside the staff toilet and also outside the staff room. Teachers are also provided with lockable cabinets in their rooms which should be utilized for storing personal valuables.

Students should be discouraged from bringing valuables to school unless they are necessary for a particular lesson or activity. Lost property should be handed to the school office where it will be kept for 6 months before disposal.

Vigilance

Under no circumstances should visitors be permitted to remove items of the school’s property, or the property of staff or students, unless the person witnessing the event has personal knowledge of their identity and their authority to do so. Walk-in thieves, sometimes under the guise of equipment repair personnel, can be extremely plausible in manner and appearance and staff need to be aware of the dangers.

Pupils who encounter anyone whom they do not recognise as a legitimate visitor should report their concerns to staff. Casual access to parts of the premises should, as far as possible within the limits of safety, be prevented by physical means. As a general rule, visitors should be escorted to and from their destination within the school, although this may not always be necessary or practical.

Harare, 12th November 2016  

 

__________________________                                _______________________

Eurico Marques                                                               Dan Kalan

Chairman of the Board of Governors                             Headmaster