Bishop Barrington Academy
“Everybody followed the simple, straightforward message instantaneously as soon as the Audiebant system alerted them to a lockdown procedure.” Colin Smith, Headteacher
When a non-fire emergency occurred at Bishop Barrington Academy, the response depended on three members of staff physically touring the building with an air horn canister to raise the alarm.
In a genuine lockdown situation, that meant staff placing themselves directly in harm’s way, messages arriving at different parts of the school at different times, and no guarantee that everyone had heard or understood what was happening. The front of house was left almost entirely unprotected. It was, as Deputy Headteacher Anna Wass describes it, “beyond basic” and everyone knew it.
With three separate annexes, over 600 students, and a safeguarding responsibility that demanded better, the school needed a lockdown system that could reach everyone simultaneously, remove the human chain entirely, and give staff the confidence to act quickly without putting anyone at risk.
That is exactly what Audiebant delivered.
From the moment of installation, completed within three days, with no disruption to the school day, staff could trigger a full lockdown alert across every part of the building with a single action. One message, heard by everyone, at the same time. A recent lockdown drill confirmed it. Headteacher Colin Smith walked the school as it unfolded and watched every member of staff and every student respond instantly and correctly.
“Everybody followed the simple, straightforward message instantaneously as soon as the Audiebant system alerted them to a lockdown procedure.”
– Colin Smith, Headteacher
For Anna Wass, as the school’s designated safeguarding lead, the shift has been equally significant.
“I feel much more comfortable and happier that we have a system that is fit for purpose in the unforeseen circumstance of emergencies. I feel much more content that we’ve got something that works for us and that will keep staff and students safe.”
– Anna Wass, Deputy Headteacher
What the school didn’t fully anticipate was how much further the system would reach. Bishop Barrington now uses Audiebant as the backbone of its daily school culture. Students transition between lessons to music and motivational messages, Year 11s heading into exams hear encouragement from senior leaders, and awareness weeks are marked with music from relevant artists played across the whole site. The Enhanced Learning Provision, a specialist autism unit within the mainstream school, benefits from independent volume control, ensuring students who are more sensitive to sound are never overwhelmed while still feeling part of the school community.
“We changed the culture almost instantaneously.”
– Colin Smith, Headteacher
Since implementing the Audiebant system, Bishop Barrington has closed the gaps in its emergency response, given its safeguarding leads genuine peace of mind, and built a school environment that feels more settled and connected every day.
“It’s part of the fabric of the building. We use it all the time now. I don’t think we could imagine life without it now.”
– Anna Wass, Deputy Headteacher
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