INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE

Would You Recognise the Threat?

Three scenarios. Three levels. Test your situational awareness in a school environment — and discover what most people miss.

Scenarios

Questions

5min

To Complete

00:00

Scenario 1 of 3

The Playground

Break time. The playground looks normal. But is it?

Setting: It’s 10:45am on a Tuesday. Morning break. You’re a member of staff on playground duty. Around 120 children are outside. Two other staff members are on duty with you. The weather is overcast — a normal school day.

School playground during break time

Take a moment to look at this scene. What do you notice?

Question 1 of 9

A bag has been left on a bench near the perimeter fence. No one is near it. What’s your first response?

Ignore it — someone’s probably just left their lunch bag. It happens every day.

Make a mental note and keep an eye on it. If no one collects it in a few minutes, investigate.

Walk over immediately, check who it belongs to, and if unclaimed move children away from the area and notify the office.

Question 2 of 9

You notice the side gate — the one used by kitchen deliveries — is open. It’s usually locked during break times. What do you do?

Walk over and close it. The caretaker probably forgot. No need to make a fuss.

Close and lock the gate, radio the office to confirm whether a delivery was expected, and note the time.

Ask another staff member to close it when they get a chance — you don’t want to leave your duty area.

Question 3 of 9

A parent you don’t recognise is standing outside the fence, watching the playground. They’ve been there for several minutes and haven’t approached the main entrance. What do you do?

It’s probably a parent waiting for a meeting. Ignore it — they’re outside the fence.

Approach the fence and ask if they need help — direct them to reception. Radio the office to confirm whether anyone is expected.

Note what they look like and where they’re standing. Inform the office immediately. Ask another staff member to observe from a distance while you make the call.

Scenario 2 of 3

Something Isn’t Right

The signs are there — if you know what to look for.

Setting: It’s 1:15pm. Afternoon lessons have just started. You’re the Designated Safeguarding Lead. The office receptionist radios you — a man is at the main entrance asking to see a specific child. He says he’s the child’s uncle. He doesn’t have ID and isn’t on the approved contacts list.

View from inside a school looking out

Question 4 of 9

The man says it’s urgent — a family emergency. He’s becoming agitated at reception. What’s the correct response?

It sounds genuine. Bring the child to reception — the man is clearly upset and it’s probably a real emergency.

Do not bring the child. Ask the man to wait. Contact the child’s parent or legal guardian directly to verify. If you can’t reach them, the child stays in class.

Tell reception to deal with it — it’s their job. You’re busy with safeguarding paperwork.

Question 5 of 9

While you’re dealing with the man at reception, a colleague radios to say they’ve seen someone trying door handles at the rear of the building. Two incidents at once. What do you do?

Tell the colleague to lock down the rear corridor. You stay at reception. These are probably unrelated — deal with one at a time.

Treat them as potentially connected. Initiate lockdown procedure. Inform the head teacher immediately. Radio all staff to secure their classrooms. Call the police.

Go and check the rear of the building yourself — you need to see what’s happening before making any decisions.

Question 6 of 9

Lockdown is in place. All classrooms are secured. The man at reception has now left the building voluntarily. A child in Year 4 is crying and asking what’s happening. The class teacher asks you what to tell the children.

“Tell them the truth — someone was trying to get into the school. They need to know the reality so they take it seriously.”

“Tell them nothing — just say it’s a drill. Don’t scare them.”

“Reassure them — we’re practising keeping everyone safe, just like a fire drill. You’re all doing brilliantly. We’ll be back to normal soon.” Calm, honest, age-appropriate.

Scenario 3 of 3

The Corridor

It’s happening. Right now. What do you do?

Setting: It’s 2:30pm. You hear shouting from the main corridor. A door slams. The fire alarm has NOT gone off, but something is clearly wrong. You’re in a classroom with 28 children. The corridor is between you and the main exit.

A school corridor at a junction — which way do you go?

Question 7 of 9

You hear aggressive shouting getting closer. Your classroom door is closed but not locked. You have 28 children, one teaching assistant, and a fire exit at the back of the room. What do you do first?

Open the door to see what’s happening — you need information before you can decide.

Lock or barricade the door immediately. Move children away from the door and windows. Stay quiet. Assess your options: the fire exit is your secondary route out.

Evacuate immediately through the fire exit — get everyone out of the building as fast as possible.

Question 8 of 9

The shouting has stopped. It’s been quiet for two minutes. A colleague sends a text: “All clear — it was a parent confrontation in reception. Resolved.” There has been no official all-clear from leadership. What do you do?

Good news — unlock the door and resume lessons. Your colleague confirmed it’s fine.

Stay in lockdown until you receive an official all-clear from the head teacher or senior leadership through the agreed communication channel. A text from a colleague is not an all-clear.

Open the door carefully and check the corridor — if it looks clear, let the children out.

Question 9 of 9

The official all-clear comes through. Children are upset. Two are crying. One child says “Are we going to die?” The incident is over, but the impact is just beginning. What matters most right now?

Get back to the lesson as quickly as possible — normality is the best medicine. Don’t dwell on it.

Sit the children down. Acknowledge what happened honestly but calmly. Reassure them they were safe and they did everything right. Let them talk. Note any children who seem particularly distressed for follow-up. Inform parents that afternoon.

Send the distressed children to the school counsellor. Continue with the rest of the class — most of them seem fine.

Your Results

0/9

What this tells you: This assessment covers basic situational awareness, threat recognition, and decision-making. In the full ORVIA programme, these scenarios are expanded into immersive, practical training — with escape drills in your actual building, age-appropriate activities for children, and advanced preparedness for staff and parents.

Ready to Protect Your School?

This was a sample. The full ORVIA Active Threat & School Safety programme covers Tier 1 (online), Tier 2 (on-site), and Tier 3 (full assessment and drills). Every programme is tailored to your school.

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