This headline, reporting an incident at a school in Norwich, was not what caught our attention. Instead, it was a comment within the article, attributed to a parent, who said: “There was a total lack of communication from the school. To hear nothing, it was terrifying…to have no information ……your mind instantly goes to the worst.” This is exactly the type of dilemma we cover during the Scrutiny Phase of our Critical Incident Training. We explore with participants how, when t

If you type “critical incident management”  into an AI tool, you’ll get a neat list. Usually six key elements. Clear structure. Logical. Sensible. On paper, it all looks covered. But there is a problem. AI has never stood in a corridor while alarms are sounding. It has never watched a senior leader try to process incomplete information while staff are asking questions and pupils are frightened. It has never felt the emotional weight of knowing that every decision carries cons

For many school leaders, Martyn’s Law can sound daunting at first glance. Any legislation linked to terrorism naturally raises concerns about complexity, cost and the emotional impact on pupils and staff. In reality, for schools and colleges, the focus of the law is far more measured. It is about preparedness, leadership and proportionate planning, not turning educational environments into high-security sites. Understanding what the law expects, and what it does not ,  is the