An increasing number of schools are choosing to hire security guards, particularly in cities where there is a higher risk of break ins and potential dangers for the pupils.
While not all schools need security guards, this article will help you decide if your school would benefit from their services.
The first priority of school security is to keep out people (adults or children) who don’t belong there and quickly remove anyone causing trouble.
This one of the many reasons it’s important that any security guards hired are in close contact with the parents, teachers and other staff so that they can quickly identify suspicious persons.
Security guards should be informed by the school of any family issues that could result in incidents which may need to be defused professionally, and be able to quickly identify and intervene in situations where a child is uncomfortable.
While burglaries and breaking and entering might seem like the biggest risks to a school, in reality most of the incidents that security guards prevent are caused by the building itself, such as leaks, broken windows and electrical faults.
Security guards receive detailed assignment instructions and spend a lot of time becoming familiar with the building and its services. During their patrols they inspect the building for any issues and can take immediate action where they are trained to do so (such as stopping a stopcock) or call in the necessary tradespeople or emergency services for anything outside their capability.
By having security guards on site, minor problems with the building that could escalate into major incidents such as floods and fires are nipped in the bud, preventing disruption to the school’s operations.
Children should be protected not just in the school but around it as well. Security guards can ensure that children are kept safe when on their way to and from school by checking routes to bus stops and train stations for any risks.
Should a pupil need to leave the school early, security guards can verify that they are authorised to do so and then escort them safety off the premises to their parents or mode of transport.
Security guards can also provide traffic management around the gates during the school run to limit congestion and minimise the risk of traffic incidents.
All security guards who work with anyone under the age of 16 must pass enhanced vetting with a DBS check. You should always request documentation from the security company providing the security guards so that you can personally verify the results.
We also recommend that security guards working in schools receive additional first aid training so that they can respond quickly and effectively in a medical emergency, as well as customer care training so that they can provide polite and helpful assistance for visitors, staff and pupils.
Prior experience working with children is also recommended. Security guards in schools should have excellent communication skills with children so that pupils feel confident to report any incidents.
Not all schools can afford or need security all day and may instead only opt to have guards present during opening and closing. Make sure that the security company that employs the guard isn’t cutting corners just because the guard is only there temporarily.
At Magenta Security, all security guards we provide are full-time employees, whether they’re at your school for a couple of hours or a whole day.
We also have a industry-leading retention rate for our security guards thanks to our commitment to fair pair and employee wellbeing. This means that you will see the same face every day rather than a new one every few months, giving you time to build rapport and trust with the person keeping your school safe.
We’ve been providing high quality, thoroughly vetted and dedicated security guards for schools for more than two decades. Over this time we’ve refined our service to keep schools as safe as possible, while also making sure every contract is bespoke to the individual school’s needs.
To learn more about our security guard services for schools, call us now on 0800 772 3786.
Abbey Petkar
