Martyn’s Law Is Now Live – What This Means for Your School
- Joshua Spencer
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
As of 3rd April 2025, Martyn’s Law is officially live. For schools, this marks an important shift in how we approach security and public protection – particularly for those with more than 250 pupils, now falling under the Standard Tier of the legislation.
Named in memory of Martyn Hett, a victim of the Manchester Arena attack, the law aims to ensure stronger security measures in public spaces – including education settings – to help protect lives in the event of a terrorist incident.
What Schools Need to Do Now
Although there’s a 24-month flight path to full implementation (allowing time for the Security Industry Authority (SIA) to establish its inspection regime), Senior Leadership Teams should already be taking the first steps toward compliance.
Here are the two key requirements you need to be aware of:
1. Appoint a Responsible Person
Each school must identify an individual to act as the Responsible Person. This person is legally accountable for ensuring the school takes reasonably practicable steps to protect staff, pupils and visitors.
This individual must register with the SIA – a process that will become more formalised as protocols are rolled out, but early identification is strongly advised.
2. Establish Public Protection Procedures
The law requires schools to have appropriate public protection procedures in place. This includes creating and maintaining four key contingency plans, which should reflect:
The nature of your school’s premises
The resources available
The type and level of threat relevant to your environment
These are not generic templates – they should be tailored to your school and reviewed regularly.
Feeling Overwhelmed? You’re Not Alone
If you’ve already been put “in the hot seat” or suspect that you’ll be the Responsible Person, but aren’t sure what appropriate and reasonably practicable means in your context, don’t worry – you’re not expected to do this alone.
At AI Schools, we’ve developed a Martyn’s Law support package designed specifically for schools. Whether you need help identifying gaps in your current procedures or want peace of mind that your plans meet the Standard Tier requirements, our expert-led resources can help.
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