A planned ‘lockdown drill’ taking place at St Ninian’s High School later this week is part of ‘routine safety preparations’, the Department of Education, Sport and Culture has confirmed.

Parents and guardians at St Ninian’s and Bemahague received a letter informing them that the drill will take place during school hours on Friday, November 28, with staff and students asked to practise securing classrooms and buildings in the event of an emergency.

In the letter, St Ninian’s said the safety and wellbeing of students was ‘paramount’, adding that the exercise would help ensure both pupils and staff were familiar with the procedures should they ever be needed.

The school wrote: ‘A lockdown drill is an exercise that helps students and staff know what to do in the unlikely event of an emergency that requires us to secure the school building.

‘Just as we practise fire drills so we can quickly evacuate the building, we practise lockdown drills [to] be able to quickly secure the building and keep people safe inside.

‘During the drill, teachers will follow established safety procedures to secure their classrooms and keep students safe.’

The letter emphasised that the drill would be carried out ‘in an age-appropriate manner, with staff explaining the procedures to students in a calm and reassuring way.’

School leaders acknowledged some families may feel uneasy about the idea of a lockdown scenario but stressed the exercise formed a necessary part of modern school safety.

The letter continued: ‘We understand that the idea of a lockdown drill can be concerning for some parents and students.

‘Please be assured that these drills are now an important part of our safety protocol, supported by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture, and are designed to help everyone to know what to do to stay safe in an emergency. These drills will become custom and practice, in the same way that fire drills are in all secondary schools in the island.’

Parents with concerns or children who may need additional support were encouraged to contact the school office or the Progress Zone Team.

In a statement, the Department of Education, Sport and Culture (DESC) confirmed its support for the drill, describing it as part of wider emergency planning.

A spokesperson said: ‘This is a routine exercise designed to ensure that both staff and students know what to do and are prepared in the event of an emergency.

‘While this particular drill is specific to St Ninian’s at this time, similar exercises are carried out periodically at other schools.

‘The timing and scope of drills are determined by each school, but the principle of conducting lockdown drills is supported by the Department as part of its wider emergency planning procedures.’

This is not the first time an Isle of Man school has carried out such a drill.

In May last year, Ramsey Grammar School conducted its own drill, with head teacher Sonia Taylor reassuring families at the time that the school was not responding to any threat.