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The school day can be hectic from start to finish. In fact, it can feel like a mad rush well before the first bell goes, as parents get their children to school, and staff prepare themselves for the day ahead. 

In our latest blog post for our Education Pain Points series, we explain how to keep everyone as safe as possible when an incident occurs or there’s an emergency situation arising. 

The scale of the task at hand

Across the UK, 8.9 million pupils attend 24,400 schools, where the average pupil to teacher ratio is 19 to 1. This helps paint a picture of the task facing teachers, and non-teaching staff, when it comes to promoting and maintaining a safe learning environment for young people. 

And due to the age of children who attend primary and secondary schools, they can be more vulnerable to safety risks, such as accidents and injuries, threats of violence and adverse weather conditions. 

The role of education leaders in this respect is mapped out by the Department of Education in their 2023 publication named ‘Keeping children safe in education’. The document goes into detail about safeguarding and the responsibilities schools have in ensuring children aren’t at risk. 

That’s why it’s so important to have the right solution in place that not only keeps pupils safe but allows staff to manage situations without causing unnecessary attention or adding further to fuel to the fire. 

The push of a discreet button

As we’ve discussed in previous blog posts, like ‘why there’s a need for two-way radios in UK schools’, two-way radios have a range of features that make them a go-to choice when it comes to choosing the right communication device. 

One of these features is an easy-to-press panic alarm button – which can be utilised in a number of ways in a number of scenarios. 

Built to be easy to press and discreet in nature, the panic alarm button allows staff to trigger an alarm to another radio device to alert them to a situation where help is needed. 

The types of scenarios this could cover in your school:

• Intruders trying to access the property

• Threats of violence to or from a pupil

• Accidents and injuries in or outside the classroom

• Medical emergencies for a member of staff or pupil

The last thing you want to do in any of these scenarios is worry innocent bystanders or heighten tension with the individual or group of people you’re attempting to calm down. 

Using a discreet panic alarm will help to put the minds of school leaders, teachers, non-teaching staff, and the parents of pupils at rest - who may want to know what measures are in place to keep their child or children safe and secure whilst in and outside of the classroom. 

A flexible solution designed around you

With the panic alarm button, alarms can be instantly sent to a specific radio individual, radio groups, or via text, email and telephone – giving you a range of ways to activate the alert that will be sent to the right people at the right time. 

You can also locate a button under a teacher’s desk that will trigger an alert to a radio user that support, and help is required. This is achieved via a WiFi connected button that is neatly placed out of sight that can be easily pressed – with an alert signal sent straight to an appropriate radio device. 

Another smart feature of the panic alarm is the ability to create keyboard shortcuts that can also trigger an alert to a radio device. This is really handy when you want to act as natural possible in a situation that may flare up if it’s clear and obvious that you are calling for help. 

Other smart safety features

The school day isn’t just dominated by teachers and pupils. You will have teams of non-teaching staff who play a vital role in keeping premises safe and secure, and running like clockwork. 

Facilities and maintenance staff can often work on their own, and sometimes at heights or in hard-to-reach places. Safety features known as Lone Worker and Man Down can ensure they stay safe throughout the day. 

Both features trigger emergency alarms when danger is detected or their whereabouts cannot be identified. For more information, visit the Personal Safety section of our software page today.

Ready to speak to us about a two-way radio solutions that suits your needs?

You can find out more about our two-way radio solutions for schools, and how we help them transform safety, productivity, and efficiency for their students and staff. If your school would benefit from having an effective two-way radio solution in place, then book a FREE, no obligation demonstration with us today via our contact us page and we’ll talk you through all your available options.