NZ schools urged to boost emergency communication plans

School communities across New Zealand are being urged to prepare for emergency events, as lockdowns are becoming a regular occurrence in the country's educational landscape.

Recent incidents in May, including a lockdown at Peninsula Primary in Te Atatū following the appearance of a naked intruder on school grounds and multiple Papakura schools reacting to a nearby serious assault, have underscored the prevalence of emergency situations facing schools.

The frequency of such events has prompted renewed calls for systematic preparation in the education sector. No longer limited to rare or exceptional circumstances, emergencies such as security threats and natural disasters now require ongoing readiness and robust communication strategies.

Sharlene Barnes, the Kaikoura-based Chief Executive and Founder of the school community communications platform Skool Loop, reflected on this shift. "What was once considered an extraordinary emergency is now a regular occurrence that schools, parents, and communities face," says Barnes.

Barnes emphasised the importance of prompt and clear messaging during emergencies. "When an emergency happens you don't want to be scrambling to get information out. It's a safety issue of course, but it's also a tremendous source of stress and anxiety for the entire community. Parents, grandparents, local businesses—everyone connected to that school—needs to know what's happening, and they need to know as soon as possible."

The scope of emergencies requiring rapid school-wide communication has noticeably broadened, incorporating not just traditional fire drills or severe weather but also security threats and other critical incidents. Each of these demands an instant and comprehensive reach to every community member.

"When crisis situations unfold, the priority is getting accurate information to everyone who needs it as quickly as possible," says Barnes. "So when an emergency happens, you want the ability to instantly push mobile notifications to their entire community, as well as to present up-to-the-minute information on the homepage of the school website, because that's where people will be looking to find out what's happening."

Barnes' perspective is shaped by personal experience: the Skool Loop app was developed after she struggled to reach her son's school during the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, due to the failure of communication systems. Her journey on foot through hazardous conditions to ensure her child's safety made her acutely aware of the need for reliable emergency channels.

This led to the creation of a platform designed to deliver information via multiple channels, including instant push notifications that reach users wherever they are. The platform also enables access to critical information without requiring users to use their own mobile data, and integrates emergency banners into school websites for centralised updates.

"We've designed our system so that both the app notifications and the school website work seamlessly together during emergencies," explains Barnes. "When a crisis hits, schools need technology that works instantly, without requiring technical expertise from stressed staff members."

The Skool Loop platform is currently seeking SST 4 accreditation, described as the highest available security certification, aiming to ensure that both school and family data remain secure under high-pressure conditions.

During Cyclone Gabrielle, more than 500 schools utilised Skool Loop to communicate urgent messages to hundreds of thousands of parents through push notifications over a week-long period. The platform is designed to remain operational even when phone systems are down, and allows access to vital updates from any internet-enabled device if a person's own phone is lost or damaged.

The usability of the Skool Loop platform is a core focus, ensuring that all school staff can activate emergency communications quickly and efficiently, without requiring advanced technical training.

This approach has been tested in a range of real-world emergencies, from security-related lockdowns—such as the 2022 Taupiri School incident—to major natural disasters, demonstrating the platform's functionality during crisis scenarios.

A key lesson from recent events is the necessity for communication strategies that extend beyond just parents or caregivers. Barnes highlights the changing dynamics of family and community in modern New Zealand. "Our app is open to the whole community, not just the small community of parents," explains Barnes. "This includes aunties, uncles, grandparents—everyone. It reflects the realities of modern families and communities."

Schools, especially those in rural areas with limited resources, face additional budgetary pressures, often forcing difficult choices regarding spending on essential services. "When every dollar counts in a school's budget, you shouldn't have to pay three or four thousand dollars for communication with your community," says Barnes. "That's why we provide Skool Loop free to all New Zealand schools."

She adds, "This is especially important for smaller rural schools, who still have the same emergency communication needs as larger urban institutions, but often significantly fewer resources available."

Barnes emphasises the importance of early preparation for emergencies, noting that having effective communication in place can help prevent further stress during an incident. "Setting up those systems doesn't have to be difficult or expensive," says Barnes. "It just means acknowledging that these situations will continue to occur, and taking steps to ensure that you have a communication system in place that you can activate instantly."

"We can't prevent every emergency, but we can absolutely control how well we communicate when they happen."

Skool Loop's platform is used by over 1,300 schools in New Zealand, providing a cost-free method for educational institutions to manage emergency communications effectively.