Martyn's Law and Schools

What Martyn's Law means for schools and colleges — and how to start preparing now.

Martyn's Law - formally the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 — was passed following the Manchester Arena Inquiry into the 2017 attack. It is named in memory of Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people killed.

The Inquiry showed that venues and organisations were not sufficiently prepared for terrorist threats. Martyn's Law addresses that by making it a legal duty for qualifying premises - including schools and colleges - to have procedures in place for protecting people in the event of an attack.
The aim is simple: if the worst happens, staff know what to do, plans are in place, and lives are protected.
Status and timing
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025, but its requirements are not yet in force. The government has confirmed an implementation period of at least 24 months, meaning schools and colleges do not legally have to meet their obligations under the Act until 3 April 2027 at the earliest.
The Home Office published its Section 27 statutory guidance on 15 April 2026 – the detailed framework setting out what those responsible for qualifying premises need to do. Alongside it, the Security Industry Authority (SIA) launched a public consultation on its draft section 12 guidance, which explains how it intends to regulate and enforce.
Organisations are not required to comply until the Act formally commences, but the guidance is now published and the standard is set. The threat is real today. Schools that start now will be refining and strengthening their procedures rather than building from scratch when the legislation takes effect.
What it will require of schools
Martyn's Law applies to premises where 200 or more people may reasonably be expected to be present at one time. This threshold means most primary, secondary and further education settings will be in scope.
Standard Tier (200–799 people):
Schools and colleges in the Standard Tier will need to:
  • Notify the Security Industry Authority (SIA) as the regulator
  • Know who the responsible person is for your premises – the governing body, trust or proprietor
  • Put in place and maintain procedures for invacuation, lockdown, evacuation and communication
  • Ensure all staff are aware of these procedures and that they are regularly practised
Enhanced Tier (800+ people):
This is a common area of confusion. Schools and colleges remain in the Standard Tier even if more than 800 people are on site. The government has confirmed that early years, primary, secondary and further education settings automatically fall within the Standard Tier, regardless of capacity. Enhanced Tier duties apply to higher education institutions and large public events that meet the 800-person threshold — not to schools operating in their normal capacity. What about smaller schools?
Some nurseries, small primaries and specialist settings may fall below 200 people and sit outside the scope of the Act. However, the DfE's Protective Security and Preparedness for Education Settings makes clear that all education settings are expected to have proportionate emergency procedures, staff training and inclusive planning — regardless of whether the Act applies to them directly. Governors and inspectors will still expect evidence of preparedness.
Drills and current practice
Sector surveys such as TeacherTapp (September 2024) suggest practice is improving but significant gaps remain:
  • 59% of secondary schools and 47% of primaries ran drills with pupils in 2024, up from previous years
  • Around a quarter still limit drills to staff only
  • 26% of primaries and 19% of secondaries reported having no drill in place at all
The Act will require procedures to be in place, maintained and practised. The Section 27 statutory guidance, published in April 2026, confirms this. Schools and colleges that cannot demonstrate tested, documented procedures will have work to do.
Hiring out school premises
The statutory guidance confirms that events held at school premises cannot become qualifying events under the Act. The school stays standard tier regardless of the size of the event. Responsibility stays with the governing body or trust – it does not transfer to the event organiser.
However, the guidance recommends specifying public protection duties in the contract of hire, so that the organisation running the event understands what is expected of them on site. The responsible person remains accountable for ensuring procedures are in place.
Regulator and enforcement
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is the regulator for the Act. It has published its draft section 12 guidance for consultation and is building the systems, teams and processes needed for commencement. The SIA has confirmed it will take a proportionate, risk-based approach. Once the Act commences, the SIA will:
  • Provide guidance and support to help organisations meet their duties
  • Maintain a register of responsible persons
  • Monitor and, where necessary, inspect premises for evidence of preparedness
  • Take enforcement action where duties are not being met
Penalties:
Penalties under the Act include fines of up to £10,000 for breaches of Standard Tier duties and up to £18 million or 5% of worldwide revenue for Enhanced Tier venues.
The SIA has been clear that its approach will be proportionate and supportive, particularly in the early stages. The aim is to help organisations get it right, not to penalise those making genuine efforts to prepare.
What schools should be working towards
Based on the Act itself and published best practice from the DfE and Counter Terrorism Policing, schools and colleges should expect to demonstrate that:

The responsible person – governing body, trust or proprietor – is supported and aware of their duties

Written procedures are in place for invacuation, lockdown, evacuation and communication

Staff are trained and understand their roles in an emergency

Procedures are regularly practised through drills, and drills are reviewed

Records and evidence are maintained and available for governors, inspectors and regulators

Where the site is hired out, contracts specify public protection duties for the hiring organisation

This is not a one-off exercise. Emergency planning needs to be kept live — regularly reviewed, tested and updated as staff, sites and guidance change.
CTprepare is built around the same best practice that informed this guidance – including ProtectUK, NaCTSO resources and the DfE's Protective Security and Preparedness for Education Settings. The published guidance confirms the approach we've taken.
How CTprepare helps
Emergency planning takes time and expertise to get right. Creating effective procedures means thinking carefully about your specific site, your staffing, your pupil needs, your communication channels and how your school or college actually operates under pressure.
CTprepare is transparent that the government has stated that Standard Tier premises - including schools and colleges - do not necessarily need to buy a product to meet their Martyn's Law obligations. The same principle applies across other areas of regulation, from fire safety to health and safety to data protection. Organisations can often meet their legal duties without external support - but many choose to use expert tools and services because the result is better, faster and more reliable.
CTprepare brings together professional security knowledge and a deep understanding of educational settings into a structured process that guides you through the right questions about your site, staff and pupils to produce tailored, actionable procedures — in hours rather than weeks. It also:
  • Records drills, training and review evidence in one place
  • Sends automatic reminders when reviews and drills are due
  • Provides governors, parents, inspectors and regulators with clear evidence that your organisation takes preparedness seriously
  • Updates as guidance evolves, so your procedures stay current
With CTprepare, schools and colleges can be confident that their emergency planning has been shaped by experts and built around established best practice — ready when needed, but hoping it never is. Critically, it helps keep children safe in education.
CTprepare guides schools and colleges through intuitive online questionnaires and guided assistance to create emergency plans, supporting preparedness for Martyn's Law and keeping children safe in schools.
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