Protect Your School Under Martyn’s Law: Practical, Proportionate Preparedness
With the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (Martyn’s Law) now enacted, educational settings must ensure they are ready.
Clarion’s Digital Alerts and integrated communication platforms help schools, colleges and universities comply, maintain safety and respond rapidly in emergencies.
Prepare your school for Martyn’s Law today
Talk to Clarion’s education specialists for free advice on compliance, communication systems and digital alert solutions.
What Martyn’s Law Means for Schools
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known as Martyn’s Law, places new duties on publicly accessible premises to plan for and mitigate terrorism risks. It introduces two tiers:
- Standard tier: Capacity 200-799 people
- Enhanced tier: Capacity 800+ people
Most schools will fall under the standard tier, but larger colleges or universities may be enhanced. There’s a 24-month implementation period before enforcement begins (Royal Assent: April 2025).
Government guidance for education settings stresses proportionate measures – focusing on preparedness, communication, and training, not costly infrastructure changes.
Key Steps for Compliance
Schools are expected to:
- Carry out a terrorism-specific risk assessment
- Maintain clear lockdown, invacuation and evacuation plans
- Establish fast communication systems for staff and students
- Test and review plans regularly
- Appoint a security or incident lead
- Provide basic awareness and response training
These steps build on existing safeguarding and health-and-safety duties, ensuring every setting can act fast and confidently during a critical incident.
Strengthen Your Martyn’s Law Readiness with Clarion Digital Alerts
When every second counts, Clarion’s Digital Alerts give your school instant, unmissable communication – helping you comply with Martyn’s Law and protect everyone on site.
Why schools choose Clarion Digital Alerts:
- Instant response: Send lockdown, evacuation or all-staff messages across classrooms, offices and remote devices in seconds.
- Easy integration: Works with your existing phone system, PA and IT network – no costly replacement required.
- Proportionate compliance: Supports Martyn’s Law duties through fast, campus-wide communication and reporting.
- Peace of mind: Track message delivery and acknowledgements in real time.
- Budget-friendly: From as little as £1 per user per month.
Join schools already using Clarion’s alert systems to prepare confidently for Martyn’s Law.
FAQs
1. When does Martyn’s Law take effect?
It became law in April 2025, with a 24-month implementation period before enforcement begins.
2. Do all schools fall under the law?
Yes. Most are standard tier (capacity 200–799). Large campuses may be enhanced tier (typically 800+).
3. Is compliance expensive?
Not necessarily – the emphasis is on proportionate planning and procedures, not costly infrastructure.
4. What’s the best first step?
Review your risk assessment and make sure your communication/alert systems can reach everyone instantly.
5. How Martyn’s Law will affect education settings
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 creates a tiered duty to prepare for and reduce harm from terrorist attacks. Education settings expecting 200+ people are in scope. Early years, schools and FE are always standard tier (even above 800); HE uses 200–799 (standard) and 800+ (enhanced) thresholds. Government plans at least 24 months for implementation, with duties expected to commence in 2027.
6. What do schools need to do for Martyn’s Law?
For standard tier, so far as reasonably practicable:
- Notify the SIA as the responsible person.
- Put in place proportionate public-protection procedures (evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, communication) and ensure staff are aware and can act.
- Follow forthcoming statutory guidance during the implementation period.
7. What are the requirements for Martyn’s Law?
- Scope: premises/events expecting 200+ people at the same time.
- All in scope: notify the SIA and maintain proportionate procedures (evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, communication).
- Enhanced tier (generally 800+): as above plus designate a senior individual and maintain proportionate public-protection measures in a documented plan that’s kept up to date and shareable with the SIA.
(Royal Assent: 3 April 2025; duties not yet commenced.)
8. What vital measures are likely for public venues?
For enhanced tier, proportionate measures across four areas:
- Monitoring (e.g., awareness, CCTV)
- Movement control (e.g., entry/exit, screening/barriers)
- Physical safety & security (e.g., standoff, safety glass, HVM)
- Information security (e.g., access to sensitive plans)
All tiers also need evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication procedures.
9. Who will enforce Martyn’s Law?
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) will regulate, guide, and enforce. Indicative maximum penalties: up to £10,000 (standard tier) and up to £18m or 5% of global turnover (enhanced/qualifying events), with possible daily penalties for ongoing non-compliance. Guidance will be published during the implementation period; duties start on commencement.
10. How can Clarion help?
Clarion’s Digital Alert System integrates with your ICT and telephony to deliver fast, unmissable alerts – helping you comply and protect your school community.
-
Compliance Officer | Saint Felix School
“We urgently needed a solution for an alert system to ensure we are set for Martyn's Law - the Clarion Digital Alert System is cost-effective, easy to install, and easy to manage"
“We urgently needed a solution for an alert system to ensure we are set for Martyn's Law - the Clarion Digital Alert System is cost-effective, easy to install, and easy to manage"
