Carpe Diem Preschool entrance canopy and parking
School security and the safety of children, parents, teachers and administrators is top of mind for most of us these days. And rightly so. For early education environments specifically, it’s important to take a balanced approach to security that prioritizes safety while also weighing the impacts of systems and strategies on the social and emotional well-being of children.
Let’s start at the campus entry. When designing new schools, we focus on approachable and identifiable building entrances to ease pick-up and drop-off transitions. Highly visible, well-lit entrances should be easily monitored by school staff and administrators.
Stepping Stone School campus with staff visibility to the primary entrance
Access to your school should be controlled in some way. Whether you’re using a managed access control system, unique key-fobs or even a keypad with dedicated codes for families, make sure you test the integrity of your system regularly and actively manage who has access to your school.
Bollards are traffic devices that restrict the flow of cars and provide protection for pedestrians and walk spaces. We like to deploy bollards in creative and sometimes hidden ways. An example of creative bollards include reinforced planters, shown here at the Endeavor Montessori School main entrance. We have also installed bollards integrated into the walls of classroom spaces that are adjacent to busy roads or parking lots – out of sight, but just as effective!
Entrance bollards at the Endeavor Montessori School primarily act as traffic barriers but also provide for seating and plantings.
Some other security strategies to consider for your school facility include upgrading existing windows and doors with impact resistant glass or applying an anti-shatter security film. This is another example of a “hidden” security enhancement that’s out-of-sight for children. You may also choose to outfit your classroom view windows with curtains or window treatments that may be drawn closed in an emergency and obscure the view into the room. Take care to avoid window treatments with hanging cords or controls which may become a choking hazard.
C Vivian Stringer Early Childhood Center – Preschool classroom with decorative window treatments that may be drawn in the event of an emergency
One final component to a healthy, out-of-sight security infrastructure is communication. Have protocols in place ahead of time to communicate in the event of an emergency. By being thoughtful in our planning process, we can build buildings which are more resilient to evolving security challenges. Our goal here is to create safer spaces and places that nurture learning, curiosity and discovery.