ACT for Education
Strengthening Protective Security in Education Settings
How prepared is your school to respond to a security incident? ACT for Education is a free online training course that helps school staff recognise potential threats, identify suspicious activity, and understand how to respond effectively during a major incident.
Developed by the Department for Education in partnership with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), this free online course is aimed at all those working in education settings, from early years through to further and higher education. It helps staff understand how to recognise security risks, identify suspicious activity, and respond effectively during a major incident.
What Does the Course Cover?
The training consists of seven modules and focuses on:
- Creating a security-minded culture within educational setting
- Identifying security vulnerabilities and suspicious behaviour
- Understanding how to respond to incidents using the Run, Hide, Tell principles
- The HOT Protocol for assessing suspicious items
- Managing bomb threats
- Responding to marauding attacks and other major incidents
Practical protective security measures that can be implemented in schools
The course forms part of wider guidance to help education providers improve preparedness and emergency response planning.
Why Schools May Find It Useful
The eLearning provides practical and informative content that is directly relevant to schools. In particular, the sections covering bomb threats and marauding attacks offer valuable insights and guidance for responding to rare but serious incidents.
Given that some Oxfordshire schools received bomb threats last year, this training provides a helpful opportunity for staff to build confidence and understanding around protective security and incident response.
Getting Started
Schools will need to create a free account with ProtectUK before accessing the training.
Access ACT for Education here:
ACT for Education | ProtectUK
The course takes approximately one hour to complete and can be undertaken at a time that suits staff.
Further Information
Schools may also wish to review the Department for Education's guidance on Protective Security and Preparedness for Education Settings, which provides practical advice on improving security awareness, developing response plans and preparing for major incidents.
We encourage headteachers, school business managers, safeguarding leads and other staff with emergency planning responsibilities to consider completing this free training and sharing it with colleagues where appropriate.