Advance notice of a lockdown drill

Thu 14 May 2026
14 May 2026

Subject: Important – Upcoming School Safety Practice (Lockdown Drill) 

Dear Parents/Carers

At Outwood Academy City Fields, the safety and well-being of our pupils and staff are our top priorities. To ensure we are prepared for any emergency, we will be conducting a practice "lockdown drill" on Monday 18 May 2026. This drill is for Y7-10 only.  Y11 will take place at a later date.

What is a lockdown drill?
A lockdown procedure is a standard safety exercise used when it is safer for everyone to stay inside the building rather than evacuate. While very rare, these procedures can be used for various reasons, such as a dangerous animal on site, a chemical incident nearby, or a disturbance in the local community. 

How will the drill be conducted?
We aim to make this practice as calm and stress-free as possible, staff have been practicing for sometime and have shared any improvements to the process, we are now ready to include students in our drill.  The drill will be:

  • Age-Appropriate: All pupils will have a recorded assembly to explain the process.  In addition pupils will have time to ask questions to their PDG mentor about the drill to reassure them beforehand in a sensitive way.
  • Procedure: During the drill, pupils will remain in their classrooms, doors will be secured, and everyone will stay quiet until the "all clear" is given.  Under no circumstances can they use a mobile device.  They cannot ring you to reassure you or text you.  It is important to be silent and not cause additional distress.  Do NOT ring them!
  • Reassurance: We will emphasise to the children that this is just a practice to keep our school a safe place to learn.   More vulnerable students will have a session before the practice to reassure them.

What do parents/carers need to do?
You do not need to take any action. However, we ask for your support in the following:

  • Discuss at Home: You may wish to talk to your child about the drill to reinforce that it is a normal safety routine.
  • Do Not Call During Drills, or if you receive a notification from school about a lockdown: To ensure our staff can focus entirely on the pupils, please refrain from calling the school office during the practice. 

We are committed to maintaining a safe environment for all our pupils. If you have any questions, please contact Ann Jarrett, Business Manager, at enquiries@cityfields.outwood.com. 

Yours faithfully




Michelle Colledge-Smith
Principal
 



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