Keeping Children Safe In Education: Three Devices to Boost Safeguarding

Parents and carers, not to mention communities and civil society at large, place a huge amount of trust in schools. First and foremost, of course, they have the critical responsibility of educating children, nurturing them as individuals and imparting the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life.

But on top of that, schools are also fundamentally responsible for the wellbeing of the children and young people in their care. The safeguarding of young people is woven deeply into the regulatory fabric that governs school administration. Statutory guidance places a long list of duties on schools designed to ensure that every child has access to a safe learning environment, and is sufficiently protected from harm both in and out of school, helping to boost safeguarding at every level.

What everyone who works in education knows is that children themselves don’t always make the safeguarding duties carried by schools easy to fulfil. Young people will always push boundaries, and perfect behaviour is an impossible standard. Nonetheless, part of the responsibility educators take on is addressing, managing and countering problematic behaviours as they occur, which involves both preventative measures and providing guidance to young people to help them make positive choices.

Over the past 50 years, Brentwood Communications has supplied two way radio systems to dozens of schools. One of the main reasons schools decide to use radios is because it helps them coordinate safeguarding so much better, helping with everything from dealing with incidents at break times to running fire drills.

In recent years, as technology has evolved at a rapid pace, the number of products marketed as safeguarding solutions for schools has increased dramatically. We’ve found a great deal of traction with two in particular – so-called ‘smart sensors’, which help schools monitor undesirable behaviour like smoking around school premises, and the use of body-worn security cameras.

Here’s what both of these can add to child protection in schools – as well as a reminder of why two-way radios are still a very useful addition for any school, and why Brentwood offers a funded radio scheme.

Halo Smart Sensors

Certain areas of school premises have always hotspots for safeguarding concerns associated with undesirable behaviour, particularly those where pupils feel they can escape observation from staff. Amongst these, pupil toilet blocks have long posed particular issues for behaviour management, such is the need to respect children’s privacy.

One innovative solution that has really started to take off in recent years is the HALO Smart Sensor. In appearance and in terms of its core functionality, HALO sensors closely resemble fire and smoke detectors. Yet these versatile devices are not just capable of detecting cigarette smoke inside a premises. They are also carefully calibrated to detect vaping, too. And, without recording any audio and therefore posing privacy concerns, they can also trigger alarms from loud shouts and even specific keywords like ‘help’, providing a safeguard against threatening and anti-social behaviour.

HALO Smart Sensors have been installed in schools across more than 1,500 school districts in the United States, and are now also growing in popularity in primary and secondary schools in the United Kingdom. One of the biggest drivers is the rapid increase in young people vaping in schools, including using illegal drug vapes, which pose a significant risk to pupil safety.

As per a report in Schools Week magazine, one school in Lancashire installed the technology in toilet blocks after three separate cases of students collapsing after using THC vapes on school premises. The sensors were triggered more than 100 times in a single day when first installed, but incidents tailed off significantly after that, demonstrating how effective the sensors are as a deterrent.

Body Worn Cameras

Bodycams have been a fixture of security and law enforcement in the UK since they were first trialled by police forces in 2005. As well as providing an effective and reliable means of gathering evidence during incidents, body cameras have also proven to be highly effective in deterring crime and threatening behaviour, and therefore boosting personal safety for wearers.

These latter attributes have seen the popularity of body cameras grow beyond law enforcement and security services. With retail crime rates on the rise, for example, more and more organisations are supplying them to shop workers.

Schools can enjoy similar benefits from body worn cameras. Undesirable pupil behaviour is far from limited to what happens in rest rooms. The biggest concern from many educators is that incidents of threatening, aggressive and seriously disruptive behaviour both in and out of classrooms have risen sharply since the re-opening of schools after the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a survey by the NASUWT teacher’s union, 89% of education workers believe pupil behaviour has deteriorated, and more than one in 10 (13%) reported being physically assaulted by pupils. A different BBC survey found closer to one in five teachers reported being hit by a student.

In education settings, it’s the ability of body cameras to act as a deterrent to abusive and anti-social behaviour that appears to be most effective. One school in London that took part in a trial to assess the impact of cameras on pupil beahviour had four members of staff wearing them around school premises. Incidents of confrontational behaviour between pupils and towards staff members were reduced to just one per month.

View all the bodycams we stock here.

Funded Radios for School Safeguarding

Tech-wise, schools have never had so much choice to support safeguarding. But there’s still one solution educators turn to above all others. Two way radios are proven, they are trusted, they are effective and familiar. The basic functionality has changed little over the decades, even as elements like audio quality and call range have evolved. You push a button to talk, and broadcast instantly to all other users within range. In its simplicity, it’s the ideal tool for school teams who need a means of staying in touch on the move around school premises, to report incidents and call for assistance. Good safeguarding starts with good communication.

In recognition of this, we’ve teamed up with Lugra Solutions to secure funding for two way radios for schools to make these crucial devices more accessible and affordable. To support safeguarding, schools, colleges and universities can get 30% off Lugra Evoke, LT5100, and LT6100 radios, providing a full selection of analogue and digital, licensed and unlicensed models to suit every size establishment and every budget.

This is a time-limited funding offer, so don’t delay. Fill out this form to start your application, or get in touch with our team to find out more.

FAQs

What training or professional development is necessary for school staff to effectively use advanced safety and communication tools?

Solutions like two way radios and body worn cameras are designed to be very user friendly and require very little training to use effectively. Most new users are able to operate these devices out of the box within a few minutes. The only training necessary is to follow the guidance on safe and responsible use in line with communication and privacy standards for schools and colleges.

Once installed, HALO Smart Sensors require very little hands-on interaction or maintenance to keep children and young people safe.

What challenges might schools face when integrating new safety devices, and how can they overcome them?

The main challenge of integrating new safety devices in schools is ensuring they effectively support and improve safeguarding measures. This is largely a question of being clear about roles and responsibilities – who uses the devices, when and what they are used for, and what constitutes appropriate use in line with the school’s safeguarding policies. Managing this should be allocated to the designated safeguarding lead. They should also take responsibility for ensuring systems are working at all times.

How do these safety tools align with current trends in school security, and are they future-proof?

Two ways radios, body worn cameras and HALO smart sensors align directly with current trends in school security as well as safeguarding and child protection. Technology plays an increasingly prominent role in safeguarding children across the whole school, whether it be advanced digital access and security systems or online safety protocols for appropriate filtering and monitoring of harmful content. Modern digital devices are also easy to integrate with other systems, including safeguarding software, ensuring schools can keep their safeguarding practices up to date as risks evolve.

Do HALO Smart Sensor devices need to sit on my cable network?

In order to use the standalone version of the dashboard, yes, they would have to be cabled in using POE. If you have the cloud subscription and you have access to Wi-Fi in the installed area, they can be used over Wi-Fi, but they would still need power, so that would be mains to a POE injector.

Any good practice to identify pupils that used vapes that are in a crowd? e.g. if there are 5/6 pupils in the toilet? How can you pinpoint exactly which pupil used the vape?

The HALO smart sensor is a privacy-first solution and operates without audio or visual recording. It cannot identify individuals. However, the Halo Smart Sensor 3C PC (People Counting) can be programmed to detect both vaping and crowds within an area, and send these alerts to key staff. These alerts are effective when used in conjunction with CCTV monitoring placed outside the privacy restricted area, to identify individuals entering. Generally, vapes will be found on the individuals using vapes.

I have a Single Site Licence, can Lugra Two-Way Radios be programmed to existing frequencies?

Yes – Lugra radios can be programmed to work with any other licenced radio, to discuss your specific requirements, please reach out to us directly by calling 01245 200 806 or emailing web.enquiry@brentwoodradios.co.uk.

What radius do the sensors cover? If we have toilets that are not floor to ceiling how many sensors would we need?

When mounted, a single device covers approximately 2.4 meters, so standard height of most ceilings, they’ll cover a room of approximately 20 square meters. The further you are from the sensor, the longer it’s going to take for the trigger to be actioned in terms of vaping smoke. For specific requirements such as cubicles that are not floor to ceiling, we would recommend contacting us for a no-obligation site survey to assess and advise, you can request a survey by calling 01245 200 806.

How sensitive is the vape detection? If the unit is mounted on the ceiling above sinks in a toilet area, would it detect vape use in a cubicle?

The sensitivity of each sensor is defined by pre-set thresholds that can be adjusted to better suit its surroundings. After installation, you will be able to manage these thresholds via the dashboard (standard or cloud) to optimise detection and reduce false alarms. Should you require support, we can talk you through how to adjust these thresholds for you. A single unit covers 20m², but detection speed depends on distance. For optima placement, we would recommend a free site survey to assess your specific needs. Call 01245 200 806 or request online today.

Can you program the the Lugra radios to work with a repeater?

Yes – The Lugra is a licensed radio, so it can operate over a repeater itself. The Lugra device has its own repeater which would need to be installed along with an Ofcom Technically Assigned Licence being applied for. If you would like more information you can get in touch by calling 01245 200 806 or emailing web.enquiry@brentwoodradios.co.uk.

What capacity battery is in the Lugra LT radio?

The Lugra LT5100 digital radio, a popular choice in the education sector, has a 2100mAh battery. We also have an advanced radio, the Lugra LT6100, with a battery of 2600mAh.

Are the Lugra Radios 2w or 4w? Do they need a Repeater? 90 acre site?

Lugra radios operate over UHF Frequencies these are a market leader in the sector well-branded and designed for reliable communication. The power output on these Licenced radios is 4 watts. Whether a repeater is needed depends on the site’s size, terrain, and potential obstructions. For a 90-acre site, a coverage assessment is recommended to determine if a repeater is necessary. Each application is evaluated on its own merits, and we can arrange a free trial followed by an on-site survey to assess your communication needs at no cost to you. You can request a trial by calling 01245 200 806.

What is the backbone of Lugra? Who makes them—are they generally unknown, new, or rebranded?

With over one million radios sold worldwide, Lugra has established itself as a trusted provider of tough, durable two-way radios. Designed for resilience, their handsets perform reliably across diverse industries, from hazardous heavy-duty environments to outdoor work in extreme weather conditions.
Offering exceptional value without compromise, Lugra radios are built to deliver clear and consistent communication when it matters most.

Any chance of a vape detection demo device?

If you’re interested in finding out more about using HALO Smart Sensors for vape detection, you can get in touch by calling 01245 200 806 or emailing web.enquiry@brentwoodradios.co.uk.

How is video from the VT100 bodycam stored and accessed?

The Motorola VT100 stores footage securely on the device and using Video Manager, available as a cloud-based or on-premise system. To download the video footage from the camera, it needs to be docked into a docking station – either single or multi-unit.
That then connects to your server, be that laptop or PC or an integrated server into your IT network. Then using the Video Manager software with your login credentials, you can log in, review footage, create any incidents, and perform any redactions required.
Through Video Manager, you can control access, ensuring only authorised staff can review footage. All videos are encrypted, time-stamped, and GDPR-compliant, maintaining privacy while providing reliable safeguarding evidence.

How is the HALO powered?

The HALO Smart Sensor operates via Power over Ethernet (PoE) or standard AC power using a PoE injector, making installation flexible for different school environments.

How does the funding work, and what costs does it cover?

The Lugra Funded Radios initiative helps schools reduce the cost of essential licensed two-way radios. The funding can cover a portion of the radio cost (up to 30%), making safeguarding solutions more accessible. Schools will still need to cover licensing fees and additional accessories, but the overall expense is significantly reduced. Funding is awarded after an application is made.

How can my school access funding for two-way radios?

Schools can apply for funding support to help reduce the cost of licensed two-way radios directly through Brentwood Communications, ensuring staff have reliable communication for safeguarding, emergency response, and daily coordination. Simply complete the application form and we’ll be in touch if your school is eligible.

Can the HALO integrate into my fire system?

No, HALO can only work alongside fire alarm systems, independently detecting air quality risks such as smoke, chemicals, and air quality changes, and alerting staff via mobile, email or cloud-dashboard notifications.

Can the HALO work outside?

No, the HALO is designed for indoor environments and is not weatherproof for outdoor use.

Can you manage the sensitivity of the sensors?

Yes, sensitivity levels can be adjusted to fine-tune alerts and reduce false alarms.

Can you create your own monitoring?

Yes, schools can customize alerts and monitoring preferences to focus on specific safeguarding concerns.

How can you see what’s being triggered?

Real-time alerts are sent to designated staff via email, mobile notifications, or dashboard alerts, allowing instant response.

Is there a dashboard? Or App?

Yes, HALO has a Cloud-based dashboard for live monitoring, alert history, and device management.

How long does initial set-up take?

Setup time varies, but most installations can be completed in under an hour.

Do you need a cloud subscription?

A Cloud subscription is required for full access to monitoring, alerts, and analytics features.

What is the point of the HALO?

Unlike basic vape detectors, HALO is an intelligent, all-in-one device—detecting vaping, aggression, air quality issues, and noise disturbances—with real-time alerts and privacy-first monitoring

What’s the difference between licensed and non-licensed two-way radios?

Licensed radios operate on a dedicated, secure frequency regulated by Ofcom, ensuring clearer communication and no interference—ideal for schools needing reliable coverage across large areas.
Non-licensed radios, while more affordable, work on open frequencies, making them more prone to interference and limited in range.

Are body-worn cameras legal in schools?

Yes. Schools can use bodycams as part of their safeguarding strategy, provided they follow GDPR guidelines. Cameras should only be activated when needed, with clear policies on usage and data storage.

How do body-worn cameras deter aggression and bullying?

The visible presence of a bodycam can de-escalate confrontations and reduce aggressive behaviour. Knowing an incident is being recorded encourages accountability and provides clear evidence for safeguarding teams.

Do body-worn cameras invade student privacy?

No. Unlike CCTV, bodycams only record when activated, ensuring privacy in daily school life while still capturing incidents when necessary.

How do body-worn cameras support staff safety?

Teachers and support staff can activate the camera if they feel at risk, providing instant evidence of aggressive behaviour. This helps with incident reporting, conflict resolution, and staff wellbeing.