Martyn's Law, officially known as the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025.
The Government has confirmed there will be an implementation period of at least 24 months from that date before the legislation comes into effect. This gives organisations time to understand their responsibilities, review their emergency procedures and prepare for compliance before the new legal duties become mandatory.
For schools, now is the ideal time to review emergency communication, lockdown procedures and site-wide preparedness.
What is Martyn's Law?
Martyn's Law is named in honour of Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people who lost their lives in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in 2017. Following years of campaigning by his mother, Figen Murray, the legislation was introduced to improve protective security and help organisations prepare for the unlikely event of a terrorist attack.
The Act requires those responsible for certain publicly accessible premises to consider how they would respond to an incident and take reasonably practicable steps to improve preparedness.
Rather than focusing solely on physical security measures, the legislation places significant importance on planning, communication and ensuring staff know how to respond during an emergency.
Martyn's Law for Schools: What You Need to Know
Martyn's Law for schools uses a tiered approach based on the number of people reasonably expected to be present. While the Standard Tier generally covers premises with 200 to 799 people and the Enhanced Tier covers 800 or more, special considerations apply to education settings.
Early years, primary, secondary and further education premises will remain within the Standard Tier even where 800 or more people are expected. Settings with fewer than 200 people are outside the scope of the Act, although the Government still encourages all education settings to have appropriate preparedness plans in place.
The Security Industry Authority (SIA) will act as the regulator for Martyn's Law, providing support and guidance as well as addressing non-compliance once the legislation is in force.
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How Can Schools Prepare?
The Government has identified several key procedures that schools should have in place to help protect staff, students and visitors during an emergency.
These include:
- Evacuation procedures
- Invacuation procedures, where people are moved to a safer area within the building
- Lockdown procedures
- Clear communication systems for alerting people on site
Of these, communication plays a vital role. During any emergency, staff need to be able to deliver clear instructions quickly to reduce confusion and support a coordinated response.
The Importance of Reliable Communication
A modern lockdown and tannoy system allows authorised staff to issue emergency alerts at the touch of a button.
Depending on your school's requirements, systems can provide:
- Instant lockdown alerts
- Live or pre-recorded voice announcements
- Site-wide or zoned messaging
- Communication across classrooms, corridors and outdoor spaces
- Integration with telephony, IT infrastructure and access control systems
By helping staff communicate quickly and consistently, these systems support existing safeguarding procedures and strengthen emergency preparedness.
Why Schools Should Start Preparing Now
Although Martyn's Law has not yet come into force, the implementation period has been introduced to give organisations time to prepare rather than make changes at the last minute.
Schools can use this time to:
- Review their emergency response procedures
- Assess existing communication systems
- Carry out lockdown drills
- Ensure staff understand their roles during an emergency
- Identify any improvements needed before the legislation takes effect
Taking a proactive approach now can help schools feel more confident and better prepared in the future.
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How Fluent Can Help
At Fluent, we design and install reliable lockdown and school communication systems that support safeguarding and emergency response.
Our solutions enable schools to communicate critical instructions quickly through emergency alerts, live or pre-recorded announcements and zoned messaging, with the option to integrate with existing telephony, IT and access control systems.
Whether you're reviewing your current lockdown procedures or planning ahead for Martyn's Law, get in touch with our team and we can help you find a communication solution tailored to your school's needs.