School is a safe space for millions of children in the UK. However, with increasing awareness of bullying, mental health issues and even rare but serious emergencies such as school lockdowns, some students may not always feel secure. School security is vital to every child’s success.
Feeling safe is very important for a child’s wellbeing and their ability to learn. When pupils are distracted by worries about threats to themselves or their environment, it can have a major impact on concentration and motivation. In this blog, we’ll explore what can make school feel unsafe, what support families can access, and what alternative options are available when school doesn’t feel like the right environment.
Common reasons schools may not feel safe
Every child’s experience is different, and not feeling safe can mean many things. For some, it could mean worries about others’ behaviour, for others it could be fear of external events. Common causes include:
- Bullying and peer pressure: Verbal teasing, exclusion, or intimidating behaviour can make the classroom and playground feel uncomfortable, even for confident pupils. Bullying is well talked about but still regularly happens and can destroy a child’s self-esteem.
- Anxiety and stress: Exams and busy environments alongside high expectations will often overwhelm children, spurring on underlying anxiety. This can lead to children not feeling safe in their own bodies as mental health issues develop.
- Violence or threats: While violence in schools is extremely rare, media reports or local incidents can heighten concern about security incidents in schools.
- Family or social issues: Children may feel unsettled due to troubles that are taking place outside of the classroom. These ongoings in a child’s personal life can impact their presence in school.
- Social media and rumours: Digital platforms can amplify worries when misinformation about an event is spread quickly among students. Whether it’s rumours regarding school mates, news, illnesses or families, rumours can be distressing.
It’s important to remember that feeling unsafe doesn’t always mean there is an immediate danger, sometimes perception and anxiety can be equally powerful factors.
What is a school lockdown?
A school lockdown is a planned safety measure used if there is a possible threat nearby, for instance, police activity near school grounds. It ensures pupils are kept safely indoors while authorities manage the situation. Generally, an alarm is sounded and pupils and staff will lock doors and undertake relevant security procedures, practicing in case of a real emergency.
Lockdowns are rare in the UK and typically precautionary. They form part of broader school security planning, giving staff and students clear procedures to follow calmly and efficiently. While these may seem scary to practice, it is really important that children do so and understand the severity of the situation they may face.
Knowing that these systems exist can help reassure families that schools take pupil safety extremely seriously.
Emotional safety matters too and schools work hard to creative supportive environments that protect pupils from bullying and peer pressure. If you’re concerned, always ensure the school is looped into conversations.
What to do if you have concerns about your child’s safety
If your child tells you they don’t feel safe at school, the most important step is to listen carefully and take their feelings seriously. Reassure them they have done the right thing by speaking up and try to gather as much detail as possible about what’s worrying them. You can read our blog on what to do if you feel concerned about your child in school.
Once you have a clearer picture:
- Contact the school’s safeguarding team or head of year: they are trained to manage school’s security and can investigate issues such as bullying or threats.
- Document concerns: keeping notes of what’s been discussed helps build a clear record if the situation continues or you need to escalate it.
- Request a meeting: working collaboratively with teachers is usually the most effective way to resolve problems. Schools genuinely want to understand and support pupils.
- Seek external advice: if you’re worried about mental health or safeguarding, your GP or local authority can recommend additional help. Additionally, there are charities such as YoungMinds that can support both parents and children.
In situations where there is potential harm, schools and local authorities are required to act. Ensure you get in touch with them if there are serious concerns. Safeguarding isn’t only about physical safety in school; it also protects children who may be at risk at home.
For this reason, if there are wellbeing or safety concerns in a child’s home environment, parents might not be allowed to remove them from school for home education. Decisions about homeschooling are always made with the child’s best interests at heart and with their safety as the priority.
When school still doesn’t feel right – alternative options to school
If you’ve worked closely with the school but your child continues to struggle, you might consider flexible education options. These alternatives to school can maintain academic progress while reducing stress or anxiety.
- Flexischooling: This blends in‑school attendance with home learning, allowing pupils to stay connected with peers and teachers while benefiting from a calmer environment for part of the week.
- Online school providers: Modern online schools deliver live, interactive lessons with qualified teachers in a secure virtual classroom. At TLC LIVE, our online school supports learners who thrive best outside a physical school setting or need temporary respite from in‑person learning.
- Private tutoring: Tailored one‑to‑one lessons can rebuild confidence in specific subjects and help anxious learners prepare for reintegration into the classroom. If it’s mental health that’s making them feel unsafe, building up their confidence in subjects can be one easy way of working on this.
- Home education: Some families choose to educate entirely at home. This requires significant commitment, and local authorities will check that it meets safeguarding and curriculum standards. Families may decide to help their child with extra lessons or may choose to go for an alternative curriculum suited specifically to their child’s interest or needs.
Whichever path you consider, professional advice is key. The goal is always to ensure your child feels safe and supported, and thus, able to learn.
Final thoughts
While physical threats and security incidents in schools remain rare, it’s understandable for parents to worry when their child says they don’t feel safe. The best way forward is to listen and to communicate with school staff; always seek help early.
Schools and local authorities share the same goal as parents which is to keep children safe and supported. For some young people, however, learning outside the traditional classroom provide the reassurance and flexibility they need to thrive.
With the right communication and care, every child can find a way to learn, grow, and feel safe again.
If you’d like to discuss private tuition or online schooling, get in touch with TLC LIVE today to discuss your options.
By Ryan Lockett, Headteacher of TLC LIVE’s Online School