The Gallaugher Bequest Churchill Fellowship to investigate effective strategies to minimise casualties during school attacks

My Churchill Fellowship looked to explore how schools can minimise casualties during major attacks. I visited schools and safety experts to learn from communities that had experienced serious incidents, examining five key areas: school design and features, safety culture, training and drills, reunification of students with families, and partnerships with police. My goal was to identify practical strategies that could help Australian schools strengthen preparedness and response.

I found that reducing harm requires a coordinated approach combining physical security, strong leadership, staff training and close collaboration with emergency services. Schools that respond most effectively embed safety into everyday culture and ensure staff understand their roles in a crisis. Preparation must also extend beyond the immediate incident to include clear reunification plans so students can be safely and quickly returned to their families.

A major insight was that preparation must extend beyond immediate response to include reunification and recovery planning. Successfully reuniting students with families after an incident significantly reduces trauma for communities and requires detailed planning and coordination with police and other agencies. Dobson also found that strong cross-agency partnerships, including familiarisation of first responders with school sites and joint training exercises, are critical to effective crisis response.

My recommendations emphasise placing safety at the centre of school leadership, investing in regular drills and training, strengthening site security and communication systems, and building strong partnerships with police and emergency services. Together, these measures can significantly improve a school’s ability to prevent incidents and minimise harm if one occurs.

Key recommendations

• Place school safety at the centre of leadership and planning decisions.
• Invest in regular training, drills and scenario-based exercises for staff.
• Strengthen physical security and emergency communication systems.
• Develop clear reunification and recovery plans for students and families.
• Build strong cross-agency partnerships with police, emergency services and safety organisations.
• Implement threat assessment processes to identify risks early and prevent attacks.