What Should Schools Know About Access Points?

Who controls your school’s safety? Receptionists may play a bigger role than you think. Whoever controls who can get in or out of your school is making critical decisions about who has access to the kids you serve.

Reception Desks

In many schools, the reception desk is not treated like a safety checkpoint. It is often staffed by a friendly, multitasking administrator who is juggling phone calls, emails, and student needs, so when the buzzer rings, the receptionist glances up and hits the button to unlock the door without a second thought.

However, an attacker can look like anyone. They can look like a parent, a delivery driver, or other people a receptionist wouldn’t suspect. Because of this, your receptionist must be trained to stop, look, and verify. Eye contact is mandatory. If they don’t recognize the person, they should not open the door to the rest of the school.

How Do You Protect Your Entry Point?

The physical layout of your school’s entrance is your first line of defense. The goal is to funnel all traffic through a single, controlled point of entry, keeping all doors locked, requiring visual verification, and using a vestibule.

1. Locked Doors: All doors must remain locked at all times. Staff and students should not prop doors open for convenience. This helps your staff control who comes into the school and how.
2. Visual Verification: The receptionist should have a clear line of sight to the person at the door before they are granted access.
3. Use a Vestibule: Ideally, visitors should enter a vestibule where they are locked in a secure area before being buzzed into the main school hallway. This prevents someone from “tailgating” in behind a legitimate visitor. This can look like a reception room or a small area between doors.

What Procedures Should Your School Adopt?

To keep the entry points safer, schools can use visitor badges and sign-in/sign-out forms with strict verification, and they can start questioning strangers.

• Visitor Badges: Every visitor- even a familiar parent- must sign in and wear a visible badge. This allows staff to instantly identify someone who hasn’t been vetted.
• Sign-In/Sign-Out: No child leaves the premises without a strict verification process. This prevents kidnappings or unauthorized pickups.
• Challenging Strangers: Staff must be empowered to approach anyone without a badge and ask, “Can I help you?”

A common fear is that implementing strict security measures will make the school feel like a prison. However, kids today know that there is danger, and they’re accustomed to security drills and locked doors. They often feel safer knowing there is a process in place to protect them, especially if they understand what that process is. Parents, too, will appreciate that their children are safer.

Take these simple steps and make a safer environment where education and faith can flourish without fear.

Watch a video on how to keep your school safer here.