The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 — better known as Martyn’s Law — received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. Named in memory of Martyn Hett, who was killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, this landmark legislation marks one of the biggest changes to UK public safety law in a generation. It stands as one of the most significant pieces of legislation in over two decades. For schools, it introduces clear legal obligations around emergency preparedness that every headteacher, business manager and governing body needs to understand.
The Home Office’s statutory guidance was presented to Parliament on 15 April 2026. The Security Industry Authority (SIA), which will regulate the Act, says it is expected to come into force in spring 2027 and will confirm the exact date nearer the time. That may feel like a long way off, but the time to start preparing is now. The right technology can help you carry out your procedures, and it can be useful far beyond ticking a legislative box.
What Is Martyn’s Law?
At its core, Martyn’s Law requires publicly accessible premises and events to take proportionate steps to prepare for, and respond to, terrorist incidents. Think of it like fire safety legislation. Every school already has fire evacuation plans, alarm systems and regular drills. Martyn’s Law extends that same duty of preparedness to the threat of terrorism.
The Act creates two tiers of obligation. The tier depends on how many people are typically present at the premises:
Standard Tier applies to premises expecting between 200 and 799 individuals (including staff). The responsible person for these premises must notify the SIA that the premises are in scope and put appropriate public protection procedures in place.
Enhanced Tier applies to premises expecting 800 or more individuals. These venues face additional requirements around physical security measures, documented compliance and the appointment of a designated senior individual.
What Does This Mean for Schools?
Here is the important detail: the legislation includes a special consideration for education settings. Early years, primary, secondary and further education premises will always fall within the Standard Tier. This applies even when combined staff and pupil numbers exceed 800. The extra Enhanced Tier duties, such as public protection measures and a documented assessment sent to the SIA, do not apply to schools.
This is a sensible recognition that schools already maintain robust safeguarding and security frameworks. However, Standard Tier compliance is not optional. Schools must demonstrate they have appropriate procedures across four key areas:
1. Evacuation — clear procedures for getting everyone safely out of the building and away from danger.
2. Invacuation — procedures for bringing people inside, or moving them to safe areas within the building, when the threat is external.
3. Lockdown — securing the premises by locking doors and restricting entry to prevent an attacker from gaining access.
4. Communication — the ability to alert everyone on the premises to danger, quickly and clearly.
The responsible person is typically the headteacher, business manager or governing body. They must ensure procedures are in place and that staff understand them. The school must also notify the SIA. The focus is on procedures and preparedness, not expensive physical alterations.
But many school leaders are now asking a key question. How do you reliably execute a lockdown or invacuation? What if you cannot instantly reach every room, corridor and outdoor space on your site?
The Communication Challenge
Of those four pillars, communication is arguably the linchpin that holds the other three together. An evacuation plan only works if everyone knows to evacuate. A lockdown procedure only protects people if staff can trigger it instantly and everyone on site can hear it. If raising the alarm means a staff member running down a corridor or relying on a telephone cascade, you have a significant gap. Martyn’s Law aims to close it.
Many schools have no public address infrastructure at all. Others have ageing tannoy systems that only cover certain areas, with blind spots in newer extensions, temporary buildings or outdoor spaces. Traditional PA systems required dedicated cabling infrastructure, separate from the school’s data network. Retrofitting could be expensive before a single speaker went up.
How Tempus 360 and SchoolSafe PA Support Your Procedures
SchoolSafe PA is now part of Tempus 360, our lockdown system for schools, which brings together public address, Tempus LED displays, staff alert buttons and lockdown alerts on staff computers. It works with existing 100V speakers, a fully IP system or a mix of both, so you can take proportionate steps that fit your site.
Built on Your Existing Network
Unlike traditional PA systems that demand entirely new cabling infrastructure, SchoolSafe runs over your school’s existing IT network. Every speaker and device connects via standard Ethernet and draws power through Power over Ethernet (PoE), which means no separate power supplies, no specialist cabling contractors and dramatically lower installation costs. If you have a network point in a room, you can have a SchoolSafe speaker in that room — it really is that straightforward. Think of it like adding a new printer to your network rather than rewiring the building.
Instant, Site-Wide Emergency Alerts
SchoolSafe allows authorised staff to broadcast live voice messages across the entire school — or to targeted zones — at the press of a button. You can store pre-recorded emergency messages and alarm tones on the system and trigger them instantly using break-glass call points, panic buttons or the central control panel. Critically, emergency alerts automatically override any scheduled activity — whether a lesson changeover tone or a background music playlist. When staff declare an emergency, every speaker on site delivers the alert immediately.
Lockdown and Panic Buttons
SchoolSafe supports classroom panic buttons that connect back to the front office over the school network, enabling staff to call for immediate assistance. For lockdown scenarios, break-glass triggers can initiate full or partial lockdown alerts across the site. Staff and students receive clear, audible instructions on what to do and where to go. This supports your lockdown and communication procedures from a single, integrated system. Tempus 360 supports your procedures, but it does not by itself make premises compliant with Martyn’s Law. Your plan, staff training and SIA notification remain the school’s responsibility.
Hybrid Flexibility
If your school already has a legacy bell or intercom system, SchoolSafe does not require you to rip it out and start from scratch. As a hybrid solution, it can integrate with existing equipment whilst extending coverage to areas that are currently unserved. This protects your previous investment and lets you upgrade incrementally. You can cover the main building first, then extend to new blocks, outdoor areas or temporary classrooms as budget allows.
Day-to-Day Value Beyond Compliance
Preparing for Martyn’s Law matters, but SchoolSafe PA earns its place every day, not just during emergencies. Tempus Manager, the system’s web-based control panel, lets you manage bell schedules, page staff or students, play announcements and run background music for events. It replaces outdated school bell systems with a modern, flexible platform that the office team will genuinely enjoy using.
Start Preparing Now
The statutory guidance is now published, and the Act sets out four public protection procedures: evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication. Schools that start reviewing their procedures and addressing infrastructure gaps now will be well ahead of the curve. The duties are expected to come into force in spring 2027.
For many schools, the missing piece is not a plan on paper. It is the ability to communicate that plan instantly to every person on site, when it matters most. That is what Tempus 360 is built to help with.
To find out how Tempus 360 can support your school’s procedures, visit our Tempus 360 lockdown system page. Contact SchoolCare today for a no-obligation consultation and site survey.