Critical incident and emergency closures

School Emergency Closures

All schools must inform the LA of any school closures as soon as possible by emailing education@hillingdon.gov.uk

Critical Incidents

LBH Critical Incident Policy

Reporting a Critical Incident

Dial 999 and request the relevant emergency service, making sure to provide the exact nature of the incident and the location as a priority (if appropriate). 

Please inform education@hillingdon.gov.uk and the Stronger Families Hub as soon as possible.

You must let the council know, so they can provide you with support and liaise with other local agencies that may be involved. The Educational Psychology Service provide training on dealing with critical incidents.

Contacts:

Communications Support:

Critical Incident Rapid Check List for Headteachers:

(action will depend on the nature of the incident) 

*Ensure that a full log is kept of all actions taken as they happen as well as all information received* 

• Ensure that all staff and pupils are in a place of safety and security. 
• Have emergency services been called? 
  • fire 
  • police 
  • ambulance 
• Inform the LA using the contact list. 
• Ensure that all staff and pupils are accounted for. 
• Inform the Chair of Governors and other governors as soon as possible. 
• Set up a CRITICAL INCIDENT SUPPORT TEAM 
• Seek urgent advice from Hillingdon Council Communications unit and arrange who will deal with the media, give interviews and prepare press statements. 
• Arrange how parents will be contacted. 
• Ensure that there are suitable phones available for outgoing calls e.g. ex- directory or mobile. 
• Decide if there is a need to contact community or religious leaders. 
• Decide if counselling support is needed. 
• Consider, as soon as possible, a schedule for recovery. 
• Ensure that there is constant and consistent communication with staff. 
• Consider if information is already out on social media. 
• Consider arrangements for school meals. 
• Consider whether transport arrangements need to be altered. 
• If appropriate, determine the funeral arrangements and decide which staff and pupils will attend. 

Signposting for Schools:

• Safehaven - Chargeable service for critical incident counselling https://safehaven.co.uk - 0161 635 1010 
• School Resources on Traumatic Death of a Child: For schools | Cruse Bereavement Care 
• Cruse - support for grief - 0808 8081677 
• Kooth Website: kooth.com Free, safe and anonymous online counselling support for young people aged between 10 and 25. Available Monday to Friday 12pm-10pm and Saturday to Sunday 6pm-10pm.  
• Young Minds Crisis Messenger Text: Text SHOUT to 85258 24-hour text support for young people experiencing a mental health crisis

Business Continuity Planning

Hillingdon Council advises all schools to maintain a robust Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to ensure they can continue operating during and after major incidents, such as flooding, fire, IT system failures, cyber attacks or the loss of key facilities. The BCP should identify critical functions, systems, resources, and dependencies, assess the risks that could affect them, and set out clear procedures for incident response, business continuity, and recovery. Schools must be prepared not only to respond effectively to emergencies but also to maintain essential operations and restore normal services as quickly as possible.

The primary focus of business continuity planning should be to safeguard pupils, protect staff wellbeing, maintain the delivery of education, and ensure operational resilience during periods of disruption. A well-developed and regularly reviewed BCP helps schools minimise the impact of incidents and supports a timely and effective recovery.

Hillingdon's BCP Checklist - Good Practice Guideline

The DfE's emergency planning guidance provides further guidance and support. The guidance emphasises prioritising essential services, balancing potential disruption against the ability to function, and using practical templates and checklists to support effective planning, regular review, and staff preparedness. 

Please also see: School and college security for guidance to help schools and colleges manage their security effectively so they can meet their obligations.