# Martyn’s Law for schools > Does Martyn’s Law apply to schools? Check the standard-tier rules, who is responsible, school lettings, lockdown procedures and how to prepare staff. Martyn’s Law applies to qualifying primary and secondary schools expecting at least 200 people at once, including state schools, academies and independent schools; they remain standard tier even at 800 or more. The duties are not yet in force. As at 16 October 2026, the SIA expects commencement in spring 2027, with no exact date confirmed. The aim of the law is that, if there were ever an attack, staff would know how to help pupils to safety calmly. ## At a glance - **School threshold**: 200 or more reasonably expected together - **At 800 or more**: Qualifying schools remain standard tier - **Responsible person**: Governing body or proprietor; special rule for PRUs - **When**: Expected spring 2027; exact date unconfirmed ## Check whether your school is in scope The premises must include a building, be wholly or mainly used for a qualifying purpose, meet the attendance threshold and have no applicable exclusion. A school reasonably expecting fewer than 200 people together is outside scope, although the Department for Education encourages all settings to prepare for emergencies. Qualifying primary, secondary, childcare and further education premises receive special treatment: they stay standard tier above 799 people. Universities do not receive that exception. Check the statutory categories for training providers; privately owned providers do not automatically receive the treatment given to qualifying further education. [What Martyn’s Law requires](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law) · [Standard-tier requirements for schools](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/standard-tier) · [Martyn’s Law for nurseries and childcare](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/nurseries-and-childcare) ## Count pupils, staff and visitors together Use the greatest number reasonably expected at the same time from time to time. Enrolment alone may miss staff, contractors, volunteers and visitors. Consider the school day alongside predictable assemblies, performances, parents’ evenings and open days. Count people in the qualifying use areas. Where the premises comprise a qualifying group of buildings, consider those buildings together. Add staff if the attendance method leaves them out, and keep the calculation available for the future SIA notification. - Compare normal attendance with predictable busy occasions. - Include people working during each occasion, including volunteers. - Check overlaps between lessons, clubs, visitors and lettings. - Explain the site boundary and any separately operated premises. [How to count people at a school](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/counting-people) ## Identify the governing body or proprietor Schedule 1 of the Act identifies the governing body as the responsible person for primary and secondary schools, or the proprietor where there is no governing body. For a pupil referral unit, it is the maintaining local authority. The DfE’s Martyn’s Law paper explains the governing-body or proprietor rule. A head teacher, business manager or site lead can organise preparation without becoming the legal responsible person. Keep the statutory responsibility separate from the allocation of practical tasks. - Maintained state schools: identify the school’s governing body. - Academies and multi-academy trusts: establish the trust’s legal governing or proprietor arrangements under the statutory rule. Do not automatically name a local committee with delegated tasks. - Independent schools: identify the governing body, or the proprietor where there is no governing body. - Pupil referral units: identify the local authority that maintains the unit. - Across several sites: agree who prepares each site’s procedures and how the responsible organisation reviews them. [Who is the responsible person?](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/responsible-person) ## Prepare evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication Standard-tier schools will need appropriate public protection procedures, so far as reasonably practicable. These cover getting people out, moving people to a safer place within the premises, preventing entry or exit, and giving information when terrorism is suspected on site or nearby. Build arrangements around lessons, breaks, assemblies and after-school activities. Identify who can give instructions, how messages reach classrooms and outdoor areas, and what happens when the usual leadership team is absent. Include supply staff and people who need assistance. A fire evacuation route may lead towards an external threat. Consider the danger before choosing evacuation, invacuation or lockdown. DfE security guidance recommends reviewing these options and seeking local police advice about lockdown where there is a threat. [A lockdown procedure for schools](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/lockdown-procedure-schools) · [What invacuation means](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/invacuation) · [The four public protection procedures](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/public-protection-procedures) ## Include school lettings and events Hiring out a school hall, classrooms or sports facilities does not by itself remove the school’s standard-tier treatment. Events at premises wholly or mainly used for qualifying school, childcare or further education purposes are excluded from the qualifying-event rules, including at 800 or more people. The responsible person should share relevant procedures with hirers and can include practical requirements in hire terms. Explain who leads during the booking, who can operate relevant controls and how the hirer contacts the school. Hire terms cannot transfer the school’s statutory responsibility. Check separately operated facilities on a shared campus on their own facts. A public theatre or café is not necessarily school premises simply because it shares the school’s site. [Martyn’s Law rules for events](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/events) · [A Martyn’s Law hire agreement clause](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/hire-agreement-clause) ## Brief your team and prepare notification details Standard tier does not require buying software, a consultant or a training course, or producing a written plan or formal terrorism risk assessment. Recording, practising and reviewing procedures is useful good practice. Existing fire safety, safeguarding and health and safety duties continue separately. Prepare the responsible organisation’s details, attendance calculation and premises information. Schools already in scope at commencement will have three months to notify the SIA. Use the notification guide for later changes and deadlines. Wardcote’s optional standard-tier software is £99 a year per venue and free to try. This page is general guidance, not legal advice. [The standard-tier preparation checklist](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/standard-tier-checklist) · [School SIA notification requirements](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/sia-notification) · [Wardcote standard-tier pricing](https://wardcote.co.uk/pricing) · [Check your school’s tier](https://wardcote.co.uk/check-your-tier) ## Questions ### Does Martyn’s Law apply to schools? Yes, where the qualifying premises tests are met and at least 200 people are reasonably expected together from time to time. Qualifying primary and secondary schools remain standard tier even at 800 or more. ### Is a school with 1,000 pupils enhanced tier? No, if its relevant use is qualifying primary or secondary education. The school exception keeps it standard tier. Count staff and other people as well as pupils when establishing expected attendance. ### Is the head teacher the responsible person? Not automatically. The Act identifies the governing body, or the proprietor where there is no governing body. A pupil referral unit’s responsible person is its maintaining local authority. ### Does hiring out the school hall change the tier? Hiring out school facilities does not by itself change the school’s standard-tier treatment. Relevant procedures should reach hirers, and the responsible person retains statutory responsibility. ### Do schools need a separate Martyn’s Law lockdown plan? Standard tier does not require a separate written plan. Schools must consider appropriate procedures, including lockdown, so far as reasonably practicable. Existing arrangements can be reviewed and adapted for the school’s circumstances. ### Do universities and all training providers receive the school exception? No. Higher education can be enhanced tier, and training providers must check whether they fall within the Act’s qualifying further education categories. ## Sources - [Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025: official text](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/10/pdfs/ukpga_20250010_en.pdf) - [Department for Education: how Martyn’s Law affects education settings](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/martyns-law-for-education-settings/how-martyns-law-will-affect-education-settings) - [Department for Education: academy trust governance guide](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/academy-trust-governance-guide/academy-trust-governance-guide) - [Department for Education: school and college security guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-and-college-security/school-and-college-security) - [Home Office statutory guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-terrorism-protection-of-premises-act-2025/terrorism-protection-of-premises-act-2025-statutory-guidance) - [SIA: regulatory role and implementation timetable](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-martyns-law-and-the-sias-role-as-regulator) - [Home Office: notification requirements and deadlines](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/terrorism-protection-of-premises-act-2025-notification-requirement/terrorism-protection-of-premises-act-2025-notification-requirement-accessible) ## Related - [Martyn’s Law for nurseries and childcare settings](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/nurseries-and-childcare) - [Martyn’s Law standard tier: what you need to do](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/standard-tier) - [Who is the responsible person under Martyn’s Law?](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/responsible-person) - [Lockdown procedures for schools and nurseries](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/lockdown-procedure-schools) - [What is invacuation?](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/invacuation) - [Martyn’s Law training](https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/training) --- Source: https://wardcote.co.uk/martyns-law/schools · Last reviewed 2026-10-16 · Wardcote, venue and event security. General guidance, not legal advice.