New school safety drills are coming to Aberdeenshire

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-26 14:23 3 min read

A classic British yellow school crossing sign against a bright blue sky.

Families across Aberdeenshire should expect schools to begin introducing and practising additional emergency arrangements over the coming months. Aberdeenshire Council says evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and rapid communication procedures will support compliance with Martyn’s Law.

Parents and carers have already been sent a letter explaining the new safety routines. The immediate step for families is to read school communications, as each headteacher will explain how the arrangements will be introduced in a way suited to the school’s pupils and premises.

A new protect duty for council-controlled schools

Martyn’s Law is the informal name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. It creates a protect duty intended to improve security and preparedness at premises within its scope, including schools controlled by Aberdeenshire Council.

The duty requires schools to establish procedures designed to reduce harm during a terrorist or serious violent incident. These measures will sit alongside familiar emergency planning for fires and severe weather rather than replace it.

The council says the work is precautionary and is not a response to an incident at an Aberdeenshire school. It has reported no recent case in which the new procedures had to be used for real.

Evacuation, invacuation and lockdown explained

The plans distinguish between three protective responses, supported by a fourth requirement covering communication:

Evacuation means moving pupils and staff safely out of the school.
Invacuation means moving people away from danger to a safer place elsewhere within the school grounds or buildings.
Lockdown means securing the school to control people entering or leaving the premises.
Communication ensures pupils and staff receive information and instructions as quickly as possible.

Invacuation and lockdown are not interchangeable. Invacuation focuses on moving people to an area where the risk of physical harm is lower, while lockdown concerns securing the premises and controlling movement through its entrances and exits.

Individual school plans will not be published because they contain security-sensitive information. Aberdeenshire Council says they will form part of each school’s wider safeguarding, security and emergency arrangements and will be reviewed regularly.

New school safety drills are coming to Aberdeenshire

Drills will be adapted to pupils and each school

There will not be a single drill format imposed across every Aberdeenshire school. Staff will assess individual buildings, identify credible practical measures and decide where suitable safe spaces could be located.

For some pupils, preparation may involve a calm classroom discussion about following instructions. In other schools, particularly with older learners, it could include moving to a designated safer area. Headteachers will receive guidance on explaining the procedures without introducing frightening scenarios or creating unnecessary alarm.

The council describes the approach as proportionate rather than an attempt to turn schools into fortresses. It expects protective drills to be held annually, although the activity used to practise a response may differ according to pupils’ ages and the circumstances of each school.

Staff and pupils will be expected to understand where to go, what instructions to follow and how to respond calmly. Parents may receive further school-specific information, but operational details will remain limited to those who need them.

The implementation timetable runs into 2027

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act became law in April 2025 with a two-year implementation period. The UK Government published statutory guidance in April 2026 to help organisations understand the requirements and prepare before full commencement.

Aberdeenshire Council is using this period to develop its Prepare and Protect Framework and integrate the procedures into existing school safety planning. Council staff are due to visit schools over the next 12 months to examine realistic local circumstances, practical controls and possible safe spaces.

On the council’s stated timetable, the implementation period runs to around April 2027. Before then, schools will continue introducing the procedures, briefing their communities and preparing for the anticipated cycle of annual drills.

Source: Aberdeenshire Council News

Context & actions About this article

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The procedures, timetable and guidance for families were checked against information published by Aberdeenshire Council.

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Matched the four stated requirements: evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication.
Checked the April 2025 start of the two-year implementation period and the April 2026 publ...
Confirmed that school visits are planned over the next 12 months and drills are anticipate...
Preserved the council's statement that individual security plans will not be released publ...

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