June 2010

Schools of all sizes face a number of security threats due to their large and easily accessible premises, transient populations and the high value goods often being kept on-site. Criminals are increasingly targeting these premises and so tough security measures are needed. Here James Kelly, Chief Executive of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), explains the technologies that schools can adopt to better protect themselves against thieves and vandals.

With both pupils and staff on site, no-one could argue otherwise that security should be of paramount importance to schools. Thankfully, there are a number of key security measures that schools can apply in order to increase protection and make the school less of a target to criminals.

Having large premises that are often located in a built-up area within a town or city puts a school at an increased risk of being targeted. The task of accessing the site is made even easier in these conditions, particularly with larger schools, and so making the perimeter of these premises challenging to enter should be a top priority. Physical security measures such as security fencing combined with gates, barriers or bollards will help to deter any unwanted visitors and will make accessing the site more difficult.

Installing security fencing demands attention to several design considerations such as sufficient height and strength, the use of climbing impediments, secure ground fixing as well as the provision of clear areas to facilitate surveillance and maintenance. Enhancing the impact of this barrier is key and this can be achieved through the use of lighting and signage to indicate the presence of security patrols, alarms and monitoring systems.

Gates and entrances are just as important as fencing. Traditional gates can be used to secure entrances but there are alternative methods such as bollards, which can physically prevent vehicles accessing the site. Such bollards can sink into the ground and be removed when authorised vehicles need access to an area.

Combining these external physical measures with the likes of CCTV or intruder alarms will provide even tougher protection for schools. If an intruder attempts to climb security fencing, an alarm could be triggered to alert a monitoring centre of the intrusion, which can in turn lead to Police response where necessary.

As well as installing physical measures around the perimeter it is also important to place them on the school building itself. Measures such as security rated locks for accessible windows and doors, security grilles or shutters can all be used in combination to protect school premises both from intrusion and against vandalism. Such products help to strengthen a building's security by reducing the chances of unlawful entry and making an intruder's task difficult, time-consuming and noisy. Of course, their effectiveness is directly related to the intruder's skill and determination, which, in turn, depends upon the perceived benefits of crime.

Combining physical measures with other security technologies is one of the most effective forms of protection. Schools have a large passing population with staff and pupils wandering in and out of the building and so tough measures are needed to filter out and deal with unauthorised visitors. Installing CCTV, access control and property marking in a school can help to increase protection and deter criminals.

Nowadays it is not unusual to see CCTV cameras installed on school premises. Strategically placing cameras on the entrances as well as within certain areas of the school can effectively deter criminals and trespassers and can help to capture evidence of any incidents. As well as deterring or monitoring unwanted visitors, the cameras can also assist in improving the behaviour of pupils.

This was demonstrated at Newall Green High School in Manchester, which installed CCTV on its premises for classroom monitoring and general security. Since using the system, the school has reported that pupil attainment levels have increased and incidents of poor behaviour have dropped dramatically. The CCTV system has made such a positive contribution to security, safety and education that the headteacher ordered its expansion to cover the school's sixth form buildings.

On top of CCTV, access control technology can be installed to enable only authorised individuals into the building. Access control provides the ability to control, monitor and restrict the movement of people, assets or vehicles in, out and around a site and consists of three components known as the physical barrier, the identification device and the door controller and software. The physical barrier consists of doors being secured by a magnetic or strike lock and turnstiles or speedgates, which are designed to limit access to one person for one card presented. Cards and readers can be used to identify each individual, which can be achieved through Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or even a smart card and reader, a swipe card and reader or PIN pads. Door controller software decides who can gain access through which access point at what time of day, which can vary depending on the size of the system and how many readers or sites are being controlled.

It may be that schools wish to secure their entrances with access control technology so that in order for visitors to enter the site they will have to present themselves to staff who can then allow them into the building. Schools may also wish certain areas of the site to be secured by access control, such as IT suites or offices and reception areas, to better protect staff and expensive equipment.

Access control is increasingly becoming a leading security choice for schools. Guildhall School of Music and Drama worked with a BSIA member to update its existing access control system into a complete security system. Spread across five sites and with around 2,000 people accessing the school's facilities, the site needed to replace its outdated access control system with one that clearly identifies and records who exactly has access to where and at which time on all of their sites. Consequently, a Smart Card system was developed which not only provides access to designated areas but also allows all sites to be linked via a modem, thus allowing administration from a central point.

A final security measure that can be adopted by schools is property marking. This is the permanent identification of items to deter thieves by providing evidence that links them to the scene of a theft and enables stolen goods to be returned to their rightful owners. This is achieved either by marking the school's name onto the equipment, or increasingly, by using technology to enable property to be traced to its origin through a database register. Success rates are high and schools are encouraged to mark property and highlight the use of it with signs on the buildings, which deter criminals.

Property marking can be applied to the likes of IT equipment, projectors and televisions. Just last year, all primary and secondary schools across Oxfordshire worked with a BSIA member to protect their new computer and electronic equipment. All 300 schools were sent a kit containing a bottle of DNA solution to protect items such as laptops, PCs and interactive whiteboards. The schools were also issued with stickers to place in their windows and on their doors as well as external signs, which warn thieves that equipment is marked.

There are plenty of options when it comes to securing a school's premises. Every school will face different threats and an individual assessment is needed in order to decide on the most appropriate technologies to adopt. With physical, access control, CCTV and property marking security measures readily available, schools can better protect themselves and ensure that staff, pupils and visitors are safe on site.

The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) is the professional trade association of the UK security industry. Its members produce over 70 per cent of the country’s security products and services to strict quality standards. For further information, visit www.bsia.co.uk. The BSIA operates a local rate helpline on 0845 389 3889.

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