Your questions, answered

Some of you might be wondering: what benefit does this bring me as a school leader? Why do I need SchoolProof? How will it make my job easier? Why should we purchase it? The frequently asked questions below should help to answer these important questions. If you have any further questions, or want any clarification about the benefit of using SchoolProof, please don't hesitate to contact us at hello@schoolproof.co.uk: a real person will reply.

What benefit does SchoolProof actually bring us?

Three things: time, proof, and staying current. Preparing for Martyn's Law without help means potentially writing four procedures from scratch, briefing staff and somehow recording that you did, logging drills, and assembling evidence a regulator or governor can read. SchoolProof turns that into about 20 minutes of plain-English questions: your answers become a scored, governor-ready report, procedures drafted for your specific site, staff sign-offs tracked per person and per version, a drill log with debriefs, and a one-click evidence pack. Because we track SIA, Home Office and DfE publications, your audit updates when the guidance changes: your answers carry forward and you re-check only what changed. A policy pack goes out of date the day it's printed; SchoolProof keeps up so you don't have to.

Does Martyn's Law apply to our school?

Almost certainly. The Act applies where it is reasonable to expect 200 or more people at the same time, counting staff and occasional events (a whole-school assembly counts). Schools in scope sit in the standard tier whatever their size, even above 800 people: a special consideration in the Act for education settings. Under 200? You're likely out of scope, but the DfE still encourages preparedness plans; our free checker has a good-practice mode that says so honestly.

We already have a lockdown plan. Isn't that enough?

It's one of the four required procedures, so you're a quarter of the way there on paper. The Act also expects evacuation adapted for hostile threats (which differs from your fire plan), invacuation (what many LA plans call "shelter"), a communication procedure, staff who demonstrably know their roles, and records you can show. The free ten-minute checker will tell you exactly which pieces you already have.

Do we have to buy equipment, cameras, or training?

No. The statutory guidance is explicit that there is no requirement to buy equipment or pay for training, and it warns against expensive courses that claim to "make you compliant". The duty is good procedures, informed staff, and evidence on request. SchoolProof is software that organises exactly that job, priced accordingly.

Will the guidance change again?

Yes, and it keeps moving: the Home Office published its final statutory guidance in April 2026, added corrections in August, and the regulator's own guidance is expected this autumn. SchoolProof's questions were reviewed line by line against the final guidance and updated in September 2026, adding four new checks. We track SIA, Home Office and DfE publications; when guidance moves, the audit updates, your existing answers carry forward, and you re-check only what changed, included in the price you locked.

Is SchoolProof endorsed by the DfE or the SIA?

No, and neither is anything else: the DfE states it does not endorse any third-party product, and regulators don't endorse suppliers. What we can honestly say is that SchoolProof is built with serving school leaders, written in plain English, and checked line by line against the statutory guidance.

Does it make us compliant?

No software can, and you should be wary of any that claims to. Your school's responsible person, normally the governing body, remains responsible under the Act. SchoolProof supports your compliance and makes it demonstrable. Guidance, not legal advice.

When does the law come into force? Can't we wait?

Commencement is expected in spring 2027, with a notification window once the regulator's system opens. You could wait, but everything worth doing (procedures, trained staff, drills, records) is needed under any version of the remaining detail, and evidence only becomes convincing with age: "we've been drilling and recording since 2026" reads very differently from "we started last month". Schools that wait will do the same work later, in a hurry, alongside everyone else who waited.

What does it cost?

Every school starts with a free 30-day trial of everything: no card details, nothing to cancel, no commitment.

Founding-school pricing starts at £295 a year for primary and smaller settings (£445 for secondary and larger), locked for as long as you subscribe. After the founding places are gone, standard prices are £395 and £595.

Prices exclude VAT. We invoice your school like any other supplier, and subscriptions never auto-renew, so you are never caught out by a repeat payment you didn't expect.

Is SchoolProof only for Martyn's Law?

This is where we have started, because it's the deadline schools face first. But the platform is built with, and driven by, serving school leaders, as one place for a school's compliance evidence, and it's growing already: modules for allergy safety (Benedict's Law, with duties commencing September 2026) and staff training records are on our roadmap, sharing one login, one audit trail, and one evidence home. Improvements to the Martyn's Law module are added continuously and are included in your subscription, whose founding price stays locked as it grows: what you buy this year is the smallest it will ever be. New modules will be announced with their own details when they launch, and founding schools will hear first. Want an email when that happens? Tell us at hello@schoolproof.co.uk.

Where does our data live?

In the UK. Each school's data is isolated to that school, everything you create is yours, and if you leave, nothing is deleted without you. The details are in our privacy notice and terms, both in plain English.

We're a trust with several schools

Talk to us about an estate plan; multi-school oversight is on our roadmap and we're working with early trusts to shape it.

Start the free ten-minute readiness check No account needed. Your score, colour ratings and governor-ready PDF report are emailed to you.