On 1st September, the Department for Education (DfE) published its detailed guidance on how Martyn’s Law (officially the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025) will affect education settings. The guidance sets out clearly what schools must do to prepare and the steps they will be required to take over the coming two years.
Martyn’s Law was introduced to improve public safety by ensuring venues and publicly accessible locations have practical plans in place to respond to terrorist incidents. For schools, the DfE’s guidance confirms that there is a consistent approach being applied across the sector.
What schools need to know
The guidance explains that all education settings, regardless of size or capacity, will be treated as standard-tier premises under the Act. This includes early years providers, primary and secondary schools, colleges and DfE-funded independent training providers. This means that even very large schools will not be subject to the more complex requirements of the enhanced tier.
Every setting must appoint a responsible person who will be legally accountable for ensuring the school complies with Martyn’s Law duties. Each setting must also notify the Security Industry Authority (SIA), the UK’s regulator for the private security industry, which has been given responsibility for keeping a register of premises, providing guidance and monitoring compliance with the Act.
Schools are required to have clear procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication so that staff and pupils know how to respond in the event of an incident. There is a 24-month implementation window before enforcement begins, giving schools time to review their plans, train staff and test their procedures.
Supporting schools with communication
Communication is central to Martyn’s Law. NetSupport Notify enables schools to send instant, full-screen alerts to every device, even if locked or on standby. With ready-to-use templates for lockdown, evacuation and invacuation, and support for scheduled drills, schools can respond quickly and evidence compliance with ease.