As the UK moves closer to implementing Martyn’s Law, known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, schools are being asked to take a fresh look at their preparedness for security threats. But amid conversations about lockdown plans, perimeter control, and emergency drills, one essential element stands out as the thread that pulls everything together:
Effective communication saves lives.
This was a key message from counter-terrorism specialist Lisa Broad, during a recent Vivi Safer Schools webinar. While legislation is still evolving, Lisa made one principle perfectly clear: when an incident occurs, schools will only be able to act on their plans if they can communicate quickly and clearly.
Compliance isn’t the goal — preparedness is
Martyn’s Law has prompted understandable questions from school leaders: What exactly do we need to do? How will it be enforced? What will inspectors want to see?
Lisa offered a calm, practical perspective:
“Don’t get lost in compliance. Focus on making sure your plans would actually work in a real incident — that’s what ultimately protects people.”
At its core, Martyn’s Law expects schools to demonstrate three capabilities:
- Evacuation
- Invacuation and lockdown
- Site-wide communication
Many schools already have evacuation procedures for fire. But Lisa urged leaders to review every plan through a new lens — the lens of intentional harm. That means considering more complex scenarios: bomb threats, hostile intruders, aggressive visitors, or coordinated attacks designed to exploit standard evacuation routines.
Lockdown is only as good as your ability to signal it
Lockdown is the area schools find most challenging. Lisa broke it down simply using three levels:
These principles are clear. But all of them rely on one critical question:
How will you alert your staff and students, fast, from anywhere on site?
This is where communication planning becomes essential. Traditional fire alarm systems won’t differentiate between scenarios. Sending an all-staff email isn’t fast or visible enough. Relying on a single trigger point in the school office creates a dangerous single point of failure.
Schools need to ensure they can:
- Trigger alerts from multiple locations
- Reach staff inside and outside the building
- Share different messages for different incidents
- Maintain two-way communication throughout an incident
Communication isn’t a device — it’s a safety strategy
Schools often jump straight to tools, but Lisa urged leaders to start with strategy:
- What message must every person receive — instantly — in a lockdown?
- How do you make instructions impossible to misinterpret?
- How do you continue communicating during a lockdown?
- How do staff without radios or authority trigger an alert?
- What happens if the incident begins away from reception?
Technology should support these decisions — not define them.
Where Vivi supports schools
During the session, Vivi’s Sophie Samways highlighted how schools are using the platform to turn safety plans into action. While many know Vivi for classroom screen sharing and digital signage, more schools now use it as a site-wide communication system — one that brings emergency alerts and critical messaging onto every screen.
Schools choose Vivi because it:
- Delivers visual alerts instantly across classrooms, halls, and corridors
- Removes single points of failure by allowing alerts from any device
- Sends different messages to different areas (e.g. classrooms vs reception)
- Overlays instructions during an incident (“Police on site—remain secure”)
- Automatically logs every alert for safeguarding records
Importantly, schools aren’t replacing systems. They’re connecting communication — linking everyday teaching screens with emergency procedures already in place.
The mindset shift schools must make now
Lisa’s final advice for school leaders was simple but powerful:
“This isn’t about being afraid. It’s about being prepared.”
The schools who are already ahead aren’t waiting for government templates. They’re:
- Reviewing current plans with a worst-case mindset
- Testing how fast they can communicate site-wide
- Running tabletop drills to expose communication gaps
- Ensuring supply teachers and visitors understand procedures
- Using clear, simple language in their alerts
Final thought
Martyn’s Law isn’t just legislation; it’s a national shift in responsibility. Schools already do an exceptional job protecting students every day — this is simply an evolution of that duty.
Vivi’s emergency alerts can help you get and stay prepared. Want to try them? Schedule a chat with us today.
