Martyn's Law: ten questions your trust board should ask
Updated 30 September 2026 · Checked against the Act, the Home Office statutory guidance and the SIA
Under Martyn's Law, legal responsibility for each school in scope sits with the trust in most multi-academy trusts, not with individual headteachers. Trustees don't need to become security experts. They need to ask the right questions, and to recognise a good answer when they hear one.
The main duties are expected to start in spring 2027. These ten questions will help a board see where the trust stands now. For the background, read Martyn's Law in a multi-academy trust.
Which of our schools are in scope, and how did we count?
A school is in scope if it's reasonable to expect 200 or more people, including staff, to be on site at the same time from time to time. A good answer is a list of every site with its expected peak number and the method used to count it, with any schools close to 200 flagged.
Who is authorised to act for the trust?
Tasks can be delegated, but legal responsibility can't. A good answer names who can submit each school's notification to the SIA, shows that authorisation is recorded, and is clear that responsibility stays with the board.
Do we have one trust standard, and does each school have its own version?
The guidance warns against a one-size-fits-all approach across several sites. A good answer is a trust-wide standard for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication, plus a short annex for each school covering its own buildings and people.
Do staff know their role?
No specific training is legally required, but staff need to know the procedures and what they're expected to do. A good answer covers new starters, supply staff and anyone who works across more than one school.
Would a member of staff hear the same instruction at every school?
Staff move between schools, and in an emergency there's no time to translate. A good answer is shared wording for starting each procedure and for the all clear.
How quickly would the trust know if something happened at one of our schools?
A good answer names who at the trust is told, how, and how fast, and says when that route was last tested.
When did each school last practise, and what changed as a result?
Drills aren't a legal requirement, but the guidance asks how procedures will be tested and suggests regular review. A good answer is a dated record for each school, showing what was learned and what was fixed.
What happens when one of our sites is hired out?
The trust stays the responsible person when a site is let. A good answer shows that hire agreements set out what the hirer needs to do.
Where have we decided something isn't reasonably practicable?
The duty is to do what is reasonably practicable, weighed against cost, time and difficulty. A good answer records the reasoning, so the trust can explain its decisions later.
Are we ready to notify when the portal opens?
Each school must be notified within three months of the notification duty starting, or within 28 days for a school that joins the trust later. A good answer is site details gathered now, not in a rush later.
What the board doesn't need to do
There's no requirement to buy a particular system or commission a specific training course. The Home Office and the SIA have said they don't endorse any third-party products or services. What matters is that sensible procedures are in place, staff know them, and the trust can show it.
A framework to answer them
Our free trust-wide Martyn's Law procedures framework is a Word template built around these questions. It includes a trust standard, a one-page annex for each school, a tracker for notifications and practice, and a board sign-off page.
Download the trust frameworkteamSOS Lockdown helps trusts put a consistent emergency response in every school, record every drill and be alerted the moment one of their schools needs help. See teamSOS for academy trusts.
Sources: Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025; statutory guidance (Home Office, April 2026, corrected August 2026); notification requirement (Home Office, July 2026); the SIA on its role as regulator (July 2026).
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