Gary Smart, Head of Capital & Compliance, and David Lowbridge-Ellis, Director of Educational Standards, Matrix Academy Trust
There will always be rare occasions when school lockdowns are required and we must be prepared for this. But the number of schools going into lockdown is increasing. How many of these could have been avoided?
While there is no nationally published data on the number of school lockdowns, we have tracked the post-Covid media and the figures keep climbing. Barely a week goes by without a news outlet picking up several of these stories. What about those which don’t get picked up?
Most concerningly, when you read between the headlines, you quickly work out that most of these didn’t need to happen.
We have lived experience of this.
In February 2024, one of our schools went into lockdown. The consequences were widely reported in the national press. In fact, we made sure it was reported as widely as possible, so others could learn from our experience.
It’s putting it mildly to say that more than fifty members of the local community storming school site was an ‘unintended consequence’. But at its hearts, that’s what it was: an unintended consequence of following existing lockdown policy. And while this exact a consequence may not always occur, the impact of having a lockdown is disruptive everywhere. There are aftershocks across a school community which are felt for days and weeks afterwards.
Our lockdown experience in February 2024 tested every aspect of our operational response, communication, and leadership. While everyone was safe, the event left us asking difficult but necessary questions: Could we have been better prepared? How do we reduce panic and confusion in the moment? What does “effective” really mean in a lockdown? And did we even need to go into a lockdown in the first place?
Just over a month later, another of our schools went into lockdown. This time, there was a very real threat. But we had already started to implement some of what we had started to put in place a few weeks before. The outcome was very different: the school remained calm and the ripple effect was minimal.
SMART Response
Our team began by studying emergency response models used by the emergency services. We wanted to understand how professionals make calm, structured decisions under pressure. We then adapted that national guidance into a levelled approach specifically tailored for educational environments.
We worked closely with police experts, operational leaders, and school staff to ensure that SMART Response aligned with the realities of school life—large, complex sites; multiple communication points; and a range of staff experience and confidence levels.
The result is a model that is simple, scalable, and human. It recognises that no two schools are alike, but every school must have a plan that keeps children and staff safe.
A framework rooted in practice
SMART Response provides more than policy—it gives schools practical, tested tools for implementation. Each of our schools now follows a structured process that includes:
- A tiered lockdown system, so responses can be scaled based on the level of threat.
- Clear roles and responsibilities for leadership, operations, and communications.
- Scenario-based training, helping staff build confidence and competence through realistic simulations.
All of these materials—including our training videos, model policies, command cards, and checklists - are freely available on the SMART Response website: matrixacademytrust.co.uk/smartresponse.
We made the decision early on that this work would be shared nationally, completely free of charge. For us, this is not a business opportunity—it’s a moral one. We see it as our civic duty to support schools in being ready for the worst, in the hope that it never comes.
Leading national change
The timing of SMART Response coincides with the introduction of Martyn’s Law - legislation that will require all public venues, including schools, to implement proportionate measures to protect staff and pupils in the event of a major incident.
This new legal framework provides the sector with an opportunity to reset how we think about safety. Lockdown training should not create fear; it should build confidence. It should not add workload; it should offer clarity. Above all, it should ensure that every child and member of staff feels protected and prepared.
As a trust, we’re proud to be part of that national conversation. Our work has been recognised by RoSPA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents), and we have collaborated with multiple trusts and schools across the country to help embed SMART Response in their settings.
Preparing for tomorrow, together
We have learned that effective lockdown procedures are not just about systems - they’re about people. The calm, clarity, and confidence of staff are what protect children in the moments that matter most.
Our hope is that SMART Response empowers other schools and trusts to start their own journey towards readiness. You don’t need expensive consultancy or complex equipment. What you need is structure, shared understanding, and the commitment to practice regularly.
If schools can treat lockdown drills with the same normality and professionalism as fire drills, we’ll have made real progress.
Preparedness isn’t about fear - it’s about safety, responsibility, and care.
- Visit the Matrix Academy Trust website for more details of the SMART Response programme
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