Safeguarding at school

[edit] Introduction

There are currently (June 2020) no definitive guidelines about how schools should take precautions post COVID-19, and each school is likely to have their own health and safety systems in place. However the government does suggest the following precautionary measures:

Carrying out a full risk assessment before opening to a large number of children and young people.
Ensuring that children or young people do not attend should they or their family experience any symptoms of COVID-19.
Promoting regular hand washing and other hygiene methods and ensuring that these are carried out correctly.
Introducing more frequent cleaning and sanitisation systems on surfaces, door handles and any play equipment/toys.
Minimising contact through smaller class sizes.

Other systems that schools could implement are staggered drop off and collection times to minimise large congregations of people, dispersed groups of children during break times and a social distancing rule within hallways.

[edit] Keeping students safe once they are back at school

There is always the worry that something will happen. Ensuring that children are kept safe whilst in an educational environment should be the number one priority. Schools will do what they can to reassure parents that sufficient systems are in place to protect and monitor their children.

Traditional security methods (such as CCTV, alarms and security fencing) are widely used in schools already and can do an excellent job of protecting and monitoring children whilst they are on the premises.

However, there is often concern that more could be done. Additional measures to increase security and restrict unauthorised access may be needed, such as gates and barriers, that can assist with the flow of traffic control access to the school environment.

--Newgate