Flagship UK Police initiative Secured by Design has today [03/12/ 2013] launched New Schools 2014 to aid those developers, architects and planners of schools and educational facilities. The guide sits alongside Secured by Design’s other guidance documents including New Homes and aims to promote best practice solutions to ‘design out crime’ in schools.
The design guide is free to download and is available on the Secured by Design website and includes guidance on; layout of communal spaces, use of lighting, access and landscaping, highlight planning decisions that reduce the risk of crime and anti-social behaviour. It also details the current standards required by ACPO Secured by Design and the Police services and complements the Secured by Design Principles and Design Guides, which can also be found on the site.
The requirements and recommendations within New Schools are based upon verified research and have been proven to achieve a reduction in crime risk of up to 60%. The document can be found here.