Nurseries urged to practice security lockdown drills

One nursery in Bath says lockdown practice is now part of the children's "normal nursery life"

Nurseries are being encouraged to practice emergency lockdown drills, in case intruders manage to gain access.

A body representing nurseries has created a plan to help staff practice with children without scaring them.

The chances of such an emergency are extremely rare, but some schools in the west of England have used their lockdown procedures in recent weeks.

Hayley Fitton-Cook, from Snapdragons Nursery in Bath, said they treat it "like a game of hide-and-seek".

In the past two weeks, serious incidents at a school in Tewkesbury and also in Swindon have led to lockdowns.

It is something nursery staff are also practicing following advice from the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA).

"In a similar way that we do a fire drill, the lockdowns will allow children to move to a place where they can feel calm and quiet, and they sit and wait until they're told it's safe to come out," explained Ms Fitton-Cook, the nursery's safeguarding lead.

Ms Fitton-Cook is the nursery's safeguarding lead

"We say 'attention - lockdown', that gives children and staff the knowledge that it's time to move.

"They find a room that they can close the door and they barricade it and they sit and wait."

The lockdowns at Snapdragon nurseries, which also has branches in Wiltshire, Bristol and South Gloucestershire, happen three times a year.

Ms Fitton-Cook added: "I think because we've been doing it for so long, it's just part of their normal nursery life.

"After every lockdown, we sit down and age-appropriately explain what has happened."

She said if they had to do a real lockdown "we would never not tell them the truth".

Snapdragons Nursery treats the drills like a game of hide and seek

NDNA's chief executive, Purnima Tanuku, said: "Keeping children safe and secure is absolutely crucial."

She explained the NDNA offers policies and factsheets for its members to make sure they carry out drills on a regular basis.

They advise nurseries to use metaphors that children are familiar with.

"These incidents [where lockdowns are required] are rare, but there's always room to improve and practice and learn," she added.

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