OnSite Lockdown helps your school carry out the day-to-day work Martyn's Law expects — sign-in, lockdown, evacuation and communication. Here's what the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 requires, and how to be ready before enforcement begins.
It places new duties on premises where 200 or more people may be present — here's what your school needs to know, and what to do before enforcement begins.
A guide for UK schoolsTerrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025
Preparing your school for Martyn's Law.
Royal Assent received April 2025. Statutory guidance published April 2026. Enforcement expected from April 2027. Here's what your school should know, and what to do now.
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly known as Martyn's Law, is UK-wide legislation that received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. It introduces a tiered approach: smaller qualifying premises must put in place public protection procedures such as evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication. Larger premises and events have additional duties, including documented plans submitted to the regulator.
For most UK schools, the question is not whether Martyn's Law applies; it's which tier they fall into, and how their existing procedures map to the new requirements. The Security Industry Authority will be the regulator.
Schools will need to consider how they currently respond to incidents, and put in place procedures that could be expected to reduce the risk of harm to people if an act of terrorism were to occur.
Home OfficeStatutory guidance, 2026
How OnSite helps
How OnSite gets your school Martyn's Law ready.
OnSite brings the everyday work Martyn's Law expects into one platform and one log. Four products mean you always know who is on site, and can act in seconds.
OnSite — Reception
Front-desk kiosk for visitors, late pupils and early leavers.
Visitors, late pupils and early leavers sign in at the desk in seconds.
Photo capture, printed badges and policy acceptance built in.
Late arrivals write straight back to your MIS — no double entry.
OnSite — Staff
Automatic phone sign-in — accurate without the admin.
Staff phones sign in automatically as they arrive on site.
Location verified — the on-site list is always trustworthy.
Face ID, swipe cards, QR and Apple Wallet badges supported.
OnSite — Evacuation
Calm, fast roll-call when every second counts.
Start an evacuation instantly from any authorised device.
Multiple staff mark people safe in parallel — pupils and visitors.
Live register shows who is safe and who is unaccounted for.
OnSite — Lockdown
Trigger a lockdown the moment a threat appears.
Account for everyone quickly — who is safe and where they are.
Reach every member of staff with clear, role-specific instructions.
Built for Martyn's Law — auditable, compliant, ready for inspection.
A practical tool for the day-to-day compliance work.
OnSite isn't a Martyn's Law compliance product on its own; no software is. But the day-to-day work that Martyn's Law expects of your school is the work OnSite was built to support: knowing who is on site, communicating when something happens, and being able to show what you did.
A live count and named list of every visitor, member of staff and pupil currently on site, across reception, staff phones and any kiosks.
Procedure · Evacuate
Calm, parallel roll call
Multiple staff can mark people safe at the same time during an evacuation. The register updates live, so leadership can see who is still unaccounted for.
Procedure · Lockdown
One-tap lockdown trigger
Any authorised staff member can start a lockdown from their phone. Every member of staff receives clear, role-specific instructions within seconds.
Procedure · Communicate
Mass communication
Reach every member of staff with a single message. Role-specific instructions cut through the noise of a general alert.
Documentation
Auditable record of every event
Every sign-in, evacuation, lockdown and message is time-stamped and retained, providing useful evidence for both Standard tier review and Enhanced tier documentation.
Occupancy
Capacity awareness
Trends across the week make it easier to give the SIA an honest “reasonable expectation” of how many people may be present at the same time.
From schools using OnSite
What schools say about OnSite
With over 1,200 pupils and staff on site every day, we needed a system we could trust in an emergency. The MIS integration alone has saved our admin team hours every week.
Cwmbran High School
Business Manager · Cwmbran, Wales
1,200+
on site every day
3 hrs
saved every week
Pricing
LAUNCH PRICING FOR FIRST 300 SCHOOLS
Primary schools
£379+VAT
Secondary schools
£579+VAT
All of this for one price. No surprises.
Limited to the first 300 schools to sign up. Launch pricing available until the end of term.
Plain answers, with references to the statutory guidance where applicable.
When does Martyn's Law come into force?
The Act received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025 and is law, but the duties are not yet enforceable. The Government has stated an implementation period of at least 24 months from Royal Assent, meaning enforcement is expected to begin from around April 2027.
There is no legal requirement to comply before then, but those in scope are encouraged to begin preparing.
Does Martyn's Law apply to schools?
Yes, provided the four scope criteria are met: there is at least one building; the premises are used for a Schedule 1 use (which includes education); at least 200 individuals (including staff) may reasonably be expected to be present at the same time; and the premises are not excluded under Schedule 2.
For the great majority of UK schools, this means the Act applies.
Which tier will my school be in?
Standard tier is 200 to 799 people reasonably expected to be present at the same time. Enhanced tier is 800 or more. The count includes staff.
Most primary schools and smaller secondaries are in the Standard tier. Larger secondaries, sixth form colleges and university campuses are more likely to be Enhanced.
How do we work out our "reasonable expected" occupancy?
You can use methods you may already be familiar with, such as fire safety occupancy calculations, or historic attendance and visitor data. The Home Office has published a supplementary document on assessment methods alongside the statutory guidance.
What are the four public protection procedures?
Procedures that should be followed by people working at the premises if an act of terrorism were to occur there or in the immediate vicinity. They cover four areas: evacuation; invacuation (moving people to a safer place inside); lockdown of the premises; and communication with individuals on the premises.
What happens if we don't comply?
The SIA will support, advise and guide duty holders in the first instance. For serious or persistent non-compliance, it can issue compliance notices, monetary penalties and restriction notices. The Act also includes some criminal offences.
Is visitor sign-in mandatory under Martyn's Law?
The Act does not prescribe any particular system. What it does require, for all in-scope premises, is procedures that may reduce harm, including evacuation, invacuation, lockdown, and communication. Knowing who is on your premises in real time is foundational to every one of those procedures, which is why visitor management and sign-in are practically essential, even though the Act doesn't name them.
Launch offer · ends this term
Get your school Martyn's Law compliant with OnSite Lockdown.
Book a free 10-minute demo before the end of term to secure launch pricing for your school. We'll walk through how OnSite's four products — reception, staff sign-in, evacuation and lockdown — work day to day.
