Keep your school safe and secure with the help of innovative school security systems.
Running a school is a huge responsibility, in particular, the safety of students and staff is vital. It is important to assure parents their children are safe at school, and that the school is adhering to its duty of care for everyone on the premises. This includes pupils and staff, but also parents and visitors. There are also government and Ofsted regulations which must be met, or preferably exceeded.
Fortunately, there is some fantastic technology available now to assist with this and we will look at some of the most effective new school security systems here.
School visitor management
In the past, if someone visited a school they would usually just sign their name on a register at the office and then have access to the grounds. This is not the most effective way of handling visitors and is certainly not the safest. Visitor management systems such as VisiPoint make this process a lot safer by issuing visitors with smart tags that record their name and identification. This keeps a better record of who is on the grounds which can be checked easily and lessens the load on staff to do so.
Surveillance
Another effective method for monitoring who is on the school premises is through the use of CCTV, which enables the school to see exactly who is entering the grounds and also who is leaving.
This can help combat truancy and keep accurate records of who is coming and going. CCTV works well in conjunction with visitor management and access control systems giving schools the ability to identify an intruder and locking or unlocking doors to keep students and staff safe. As with all of these technologies, they work best when combined and working together in school security systems.
Access control systems
Traditional access control systems often involve a caretaker – or sometimes teachers – unlocking all the doors in the morning and locking them again at the end of the day. This is fine when it works but leaves people extremely vulnerable when it doesn’t. What if there is a fire at a school where one of the exits was not unlocked in the morning. The time wasted trying to find another exit could have tragic consequences.
To avoid this automatic doors can be added to a school’s security system. They are able to unlock when a fire alarm goes off but stay locked when needed to prevent students from running off the premises. They can be controlled from a central location and staff can see which doors are locked or unlocked. This saves precious seconds in a crisis and prevents any problems with doors that may have been locked accidentally. Using the VisiPoint visitor management system you can add RFID reader into the process, allowing automated sign in with access cards or fobs.
Access control systems should always be installed by an experienced NSI accredited professional who can install the most effective school security systems and prevent any overlooked errors. For things like bollards and security gates, make sure you find a DHF approved installer.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition
Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) has been adopted by many schools as another way of keeping students safe. It has proven itself effective in deterring dangerous driver behavior outside of a school, and in identifying people who have broken rules.
There are many new technologies available now for upgrading and optimizing school security systems. It may feel slightly overwhelming so the best thing to do is speak to a security expert who can advise you on what would work best and spot any gaps that you may have overlooked. They will take into account your protection and budgetary needs and install a system that will not only make students, staff, and visitors a lot safer but will also give you greater peace of mind.