Martyn’s Law – preparing schools for the new requirements

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly known as Martyn’s Law, introduces new requirements aimed at improving preparedness for, and protection from, terrorist attacks at certain publicly accessible premises, including schools.

The legislation has received Royal Assent, but the substantive requirements are not yet in force. The exact implementation date has not been confirmed, although implementation is currently expected in Spring 2027. Therefore, schools are not yet legally required to comply with the new duties but should use the implementation period to review their existing security and emergency arrangements.

To support schools in preparing for the new requirements, we have updated our Site security policy to include reference to Martyn’s Law and the need for appropriate public protection procedures. Other relevant model policies and procedures will be reviewed in early 2027 in preparation for implementation.

We have also published a new document ‘Martyn’s Law – guidance and compliance checklist’. This document explains which schools are likely to fall within scope and provides a practical checklist covering the four key public protection procedures:

• Evacuation.
• Invacuation.
• Lockdown.
• Communication.

Schools are encouraged to use the guidance and checklist now to review their existing arrangements and identify any action that may be required before the legislation comes into force. The guidance will be reviewed and updated once the implementation date and final requirements are confirmed.

Further guidance can be found here How Martyn’s Law will affect education settings – GOV.UK

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The site security section of our CEFMi website contains a range of policies and guidance, including a guidance and compliance checklist on Martyn’s Law. Get a free trial of CEFMi – a comprehensive resource for school managers containing over 7,000 pages of text, including over 170 policies written specifically for schools.