Church Hill Primary School in East Barnet, North London will be the first school in the country to receive a Secured Environments Award on Tuesday, June 5.
Secured Environments is a new risk management scheme, launched earlier this year by the Association of Chief Police Officers Crime Prevention Initiatives and Perpetuity Group, a spin-out company from the University of Leicester.
To achieve the award, Church Hill Primary School reviewed their security measures, including their procedures, processes and staff responses to ensure that they were in line with six principles: of commitment, understanding, responding, management, implementation and evaluation.
After a Secured Environments audit involving a thorough inspection of the site, it was agreed that the school met the principles and could be awarded the Secured Environments certification.
A senior representative of ACPO CPI, Alan McInnes, said: "The Secured Environments award demonstrates Church Hill Primary School’s commitment to maintaining a long-term, quality, risk-managed approach to crime."
Head of the school, Rebecca Mottershead said: "Everyone at Church Hill Primary is extremely pleased about the award. The school’s governors have been very concerned about security issues which they felt weren’t taken seriously enough. Achieving this Secured Environments Award has made them feel security is being taken seriously. They have also realised security can be low key yet effective, building a fortress isn’t always the best or most effective strategy."
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