Martyn’s Law, formally the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. In April 2026 the Home Office published the statutory guidance that explains how the law will work in practice, and the duties are expected to come into force in spring 2027.
For school leaders, governors and trust boards, the guidance answers the questions that matter most: does the law apply to us, who is responsible, and what exactly do we need to have in place? This article walks through each one in plain English.
That leaves schools roughly two terms to get their procedures documented, understood and tested.
A school is in scope if 200 or more people can reasonably be expected to be present at the same time. That figure counts everyone on site, including pupils, staff and visitors, not just the number on roll.
Schools are treated differently from other premises in one important way: early years, primary, secondary and further education settings always fall into the standard tier, even if more than 800 people are on site. The more demanding enhanced tier, which applies to large venues such as stadiums and arenas, does not apply to schools.
Settings below the 200 threshold are outside the Act. However, the Department for Education’s Protective security and preparedness for education settings guidance still applies to all schools, and it recommends the same kind of planning.
Every qualifying school needs a responsible person who carries the legal duty.
If your premises are let to other organisations out of hours, review your lettings agreements so it is clear who is responsible during those events.
The standard tier duties are deliberately simple and low cost. A qualifying school must:
If you are unsure how lockdown and invacuation differ, our guide to lockdown vs invacuation explains both.
It is just as important to know what is not required. The guidance is clear that standard tier schools do not have to install new physical security such as CCTV, scanners, barriers or extra gates, hire security staff, or appoint external consultants.
The SIA, Home Office and Department for Education also do not endorse any product as making a school compliant. Be cautious of anyone who claims otherwise. For most schools, Martyn’s Law means formalising and evidencing what they already do well.
Most schools already practise evacuation through fire drills. Lockdown and invacuation are less familiar, and the communication element is where plans most often fall down. Ask yourself:
Bells, tannoys, emails, phone trees and messaging apps each have gaps: they can be misheard, unread or slow. Whatever method you choose, write it into your procedure and test it.
The SIA will be able to issue penalties. For standard tier premises the maximum is £10,000, plus up to £500 per day for continued non-compliance. The intention is to encourage compliance rather than punish, but trust boards and governors will want to show they have acted.
Free resources are available from ProtectUK and the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), and the DfE’s protective security guidance is a useful companion to the statutory guidance.
PopAlert is one way to deliver the communication part of your procedures. Authorised staff trigger a pre-written lockdown, evacuation, invacuation or All Clear alert, and it appears full screen on every connected computer across the school at the same time, with a distinct alert tone that can’t be confused with the fire alarm. Administrators can send live updates as the situation changes, and drill mode lets you practise without disruption.
Find out more about PopAlert for schools, read our overview of Martyn’s Law, or book a demo to see it working.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Always check the latest Home Office and SIA guidance for your setting.
