Recognising and Reporting Suspicious Activity

Video Script

Hello and welcome to Module 4 of our Martyn’s Law course. I’m going to walk you through one of the most important aspects of keeping your school safe – recognising and reporting suspicious activity.

[SHOW SLIDE: Module 4 Title]

Now, I want to start by being very clear about something. When we talk about suspicious activity, we’re not asking you to profile people or make assumptions based on appearance, background, or beliefs. That’s not what this is about. We’re talking about recognising behaviours and activities that genuinely don’t fit the normal pattern of school life.

[SHOW SLIDE: What Makes Activity Suspicious?]

So what should you look out for? Think about unusual behaviour patterns. Someone taking excessive interest in your security arrangements – photographing entrances, asking detailed questions about routines, or trying to gain access to areas they shouldn’t be in. Items left unattended in unusual places, or people carrying bags or packages that seem out of place for the school environment.

[CUT TO EXAMPLE]

For example, a visitor asking lots of questions about when the school is busiest, or someone repeatedly walking past the school perimeter taking photos. These might have innocent explanations, but they’re worth noting.

[SHOW SLIDE: Proportionate Response]

The key word here is proportionate. We’re not asking you to be suspicious of everyone. Most unusual activity will have a perfectly reasonable explanation. But if something feels wrong, trust that instinct while remaining professional and fair.

[SHOW SLIDE: Reporting Procedures]

So what do you do if you spot something concerning? Your school will have clear reporting procedures. Usually, this means immediately informing your designated safeguarding lead or head teacher. They’ll assess the situation and decide on next steps.

For immediate threats – if you believe there’s imminent danger – call 999 straight away. Don’t wait. For less urgent concerns, use your school’s internal reporting system first.

[SHOW SLIDE: Documentation]

Remember to document what you’ve observed. Write down the facts – what you saw, when, and where. Avoid assumptions or interpretations. Stick to the observable facts. This information might be vital later.

[CUT TO SUMMARY]

To summarise: stay alert but proportionate, report through proper channels, and document the facts. You’re not expected to be security experts, but you are the eyes and ears of your school community.

In our next module, we’ll look at lockdown procedures and how to respond if a serious incident does occur.

Reading

Recognising Suspicious Activity in Schools

Under Martyn’s Law, all school staff play a crucial role in maintaining security awareness. This doesn’t mean being suspicious of everyone, but rather developing an understanding of what normal looks like in your school environment and recognising when something doesn’t fit that pattern.

Types of Suspicious Activity to Monitor

Unusual Interest in Security Arrangements:

• People photographing or filming school entrances, exits, or security features
• Visitors asking detailed questions about security procedures, building layouts, or daily routines
• Attempts to gain unauthorised access to restricted areas
• Excessive interest in when the school is at its busiest or most vulnerable

Behavioural Indicators:

• Individuals conducting apparent surveillance of the school premises
• People loitering near school boundaries without clear purpose
• Attempts to engage staff or pupils in conversations about security arrangements
• Unusual or nervous behaviour when questioned about their presence

Physical Items of Concern:

• Unattended bags, packages, or items left in unusual locations
• Objects that appear out of place for the school environment
• Items that seem deliberately concealed or positioned

> Important Note: Research from Northumbria University (2025) shows that counter-terrorism training demonstrates positive effects with widespread notions of suspect bias being unfounded. However, any training encouraging action based solely on ‘gut feeling’ raises concerns about unintended consequences for minority groups.

Maintaining Proportionate Response

The key to effective security awareness is maintaining a proportionate response that doesn’t create a climate of fear or discrimination. Most unusual activity will have innocent explanations. Your role is to:

• Observe objectively – focus on behaviours and actions, not assumptions about people
• Report factually – stick to what you actually witnessed
• Remain professional – treat all individuals with respect while maintaining vigilance
• Consider context – evaluate whether the activity is genuinely unusual for your school environment

Clear Reporting Procedures

For Immediate Threats:

• Call 999 if you believe there is imminent danger to life
• Provide clear, factual information about what you’ve observed
• Follow any immediate instructions from emergency services

For Non-Emergency Concerns:

1. Report immediately to your designated safeguarding lead or head teacher
2. Provide a clear, factual account of what you observed
3. Document the incident in writing as soon as possible
4. Follow any additional instructions from senior leadership

Escalation Pathways: Your school’s senior leadership team will assess the information and determine appropriate next steps, which may include:

• Contacting local police for advice
• Implementing additional security measures
• Sharing information with relevant authorities
• Reviewing and updating security procedures

Documentation Requirements

Accurate documentation is essential for effective incident management and potential investigations. When recording suspicious activity:

Include:

• Date, time, and exact location of the incident
• Detailed description of what you observed
• Description of individuals involved (factual physical descriptions only)
• Any conversations or interactions that occurred
• Actions you took in response

Avoid:

• Personal opinions or interpretations
• Assumptions about motivations or intentions
• Discriminatory language or profiling
• Sharing information with unauthorised individuals

> Legal Requirement: The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 requires those responsible for education settings to consider how they would respond to a terrorist attack, making staff awareness and reporting procedures a legal obligation.

Information Sharing Protocols

Information about suspicious activity should only be shared through authorised channels:

• Internal sharing – only with designated staff members who need to know
• External sharing – only through senior leadership to appropriate authorities
• Confidentiality – maintain strict confidentiality to protect investigations and individual privacy
• Data protection – ensure all documentation complies with GDPR requirements

Remember: You are not expected to investigate or confront suspicious activity yourself. Your role is to observe, report, and document through proper channels while maintaining the normal, welcoming environment that schools should provide.

Activity

Scenario Assessment Exercise

Time Required: 8 minutes

Objective: Practice identifying suspicious activity and determining appropriate responses using realistic school scenarios.

Instructions:

Read each scenario below and decide:

1. Is this activity suspicious enough to report?
2. What would be your immediate action?
3. How would you document this incident?

Scenario 1: During lunch break, you notice an unfamiliar adult taking multiple photographs of the school’s main entrance and fire exits from the pavement outside. When you observe them for a few minutes, they seem to be focusing particularly on the security camera positions and door mechanisms. They’re not interacting with any pupils or staff.

Scenario 2: A parent you don’t recognise approaches you in the playground and asks detailed questions about what time the school day ends, which exit most children use, and whether there are always staff supervising the departure. They seem friendly but are asking more questions than typical parent conversations.

Scenario 3: You find a small backpack left behind a bike shed after school hours. It’s in an area where pupils don’t usually go, and it wasn’t there during your morning checks. The bag appears to have something inside but you can’t see what.

Scenario 4: A delivery driver seems lost and asks you for directions to the school office. They’re carrying a package and appear genuinely confused about the building layout. They show you a delivery note with the school’s address.

Your Task: For each scenario, write brief notes covering:

• Whether you would report this activity (Yes/No and why)
• Your immediate action (what you would do right now)
• Key facts you would document

Expected Outcome: By completing this exercise, you should be able to distinguish between genuinely suspicious activity and normal situations that might initially seem unusual. You should also have practiced the thought process for appropriate reporting and documentation.

Sample Answers for Self-Check:

Scenario 1: Report – Yes. This shows unusual interest in security arrangements. Immediate action: Observe from safe distance, report to senior staff. Document: Time, location, specific behaviour observed, appearance.

Scenario 2: Report – Yes. Excessive questions about routines and security could be suspicious. Immediate action: Answer politely but briefly, report to designated safeguarding lead. Document: Questions asked, responses given, person’s behaviour.

Scenario 3: Report – Yes. Unattended item in unusual location. Immediate action: Do not touch, secure area, report immediately. Document: Exact location, time found, bag description, who else was informed.

Scenario 4: Report – No. This appears to be a legitimate delivery situation. Immediate action: Provide directions or escort to office. Document: Not necessary unless behaviour changes or seems deceptive.