EXPLAINER · FOR SCHOOLS
Martyn’s Law for schools
Last reviewed: June 2026
If your school could have 200 or more people on site at once, Martyn’s Law applies to you. Here’s what the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 actually asks of schools and colleges — in plain English — and the one part worth getting right early.
Does Martyn’s Law apply to your school?
The test is simple: how many people — pupils, staff and visitors — could reasonably be present at the same time?
200 or more — you’re in scope.
Fewer than 200 — you’re not covered by the duty, though the same good practice still makes sense.
Count the realistic maximum — including the busy moments: drop-off and pick-up, assemblies, parents’ evenings, performances and sports days.
What tier are schools in?
This is where schools get special treatment. The Department for Education has confirmed that schools, colleges and most other education providers fall in the standard tier regardless of size — even large secondaries that would otherwise cross the 800-person line that pushes other premises into the enhanced tier. (Higher-education providers and independent training providers are the main exceptions.)
Standard tier is the lighter-touch, procedure-based tier. So for nearly every school, complying is about plans and people — not buildings and budgets.
What schools have to do
Once the duty is in force, a responsible person at each in-scope setting will need to:
Notify the SIA that the premises are in scope.
Have public protection procedures ready — what staff and pupils would do to evacuate, move to safety inside (invacuation), lock down, and communicate during an incident.
If that sounds familiar, it should: it’s essentially the lockdown and invacuation planning many schools already rehearse — now on a statutory footing. You don’t need to buy a particular product or hire a consultant to comply; the Home Office and SIA have said so plainly, and they don’t endorse any third-party product.
The hard part: reaching everyone, at once
Across a school site — classrooms, corridors, the hall, the field, the car park — the difficult bit isn’t deciding to lock down. It’s getting that instruction to every adult and every room at the same moment, then telling them what’s happening as it changes.
That’s exactly what Share999 is built for: one trigger reaches everyone on site in seconds, with two-way updates — so a teacher in a far classroom knows as fast as the front office does. It supports your procedures; it doesn’t replace them.
When does it start?
Royal Assent was 3 April 2025, with an implementation period of at least 24 months. The duty is expected to take effect around spring 2027 — so schools have time to fold this into existing safeguarding and emergency planning rather than scramble for it later.
Common questions
Are all schools covered by Martyn’s Law?
Only settings where 200 or more people could be present at once. Settings under that threshold aren’t in scope — though the same good practice is still sensible.
What tier is my school in?
Schools, colleges and most education providers are placed in the standard tier regardless of size, per Department for Education guidance. Higher-education and independent training providers are the main exceptions.
Isn’t this just our existing lockdown plan?
Largely, yes. Martyn’s Law formalises procedures for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication — much of which schools already rehearse. It gives that planning a legal basis.
Do we have to buy a system to comply?
No. There’s no product you’re required to buy, and neither the Home Office nor the SIA endorse any. The duty is about procedures. That said, reliably reaching everyone on site at once is the hardest part to deliver — which is where a tool like Share999 helps.
When do we need to be ready?
The duty is expected to come into force around spring 2027, following Royal Assent in April 2025.