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Gate Safe, the Kent-based charity dedicated to improving gate safety is ramping up its Safe School Gates campaign, kicking off 2026 with a Westminster Roundtable hosted by Sojan Joseph MP for Ashford, Hawkinge and the Villages. The meeting held at Portcullis House, London brought together key stakeholders to identify solutions to put a stop to serious gate accidents in schools, following Gate Safe survey activity which indicates that there could be as many as over 24,000 schools with unsafe gates in England. When compared to the 232 schools affected by RAAC this highlights the severity of the issue since many of these gates are automated – and as such classed as machines – capable of inflicting serious injury or worse if they are not installed or maintained correctly. The meeting, chaired by Gate Safe founder Richard Jackson OBE, was attended by delegates representing the following organisations: HSE (Health and Safety Executive) Secured by Design (official police security initiative) Zurich Insurance (trusted insurance partner to thousands of schools) SAFed (Safety Assessment Federation) ECA (Electrical Contractors’ Association In addition, senior personnel from companies responsible for manufacturing and installing automated and manual gates were present. Key points for discussion included: • A move towards ensuring all new installations comply with the law which states that all gates / machines should be safe – and to bring historic installations up to the required safety standards • The supply of all manual and automated swing gates with three hinges as is required by the British Standards to avoid the growing number of falling gate accidents. A third hinge or tether should be retrofitted to any existing installations which are not compliant • Recognition of the legal requirement to have all automated gates maintained a minimum of every six months by a suitably trained and competent professional • Improved policing of school gates which could extend to the need for building regulations to be applied to automated gates and Ofsted inspections to incorporate more detailed requirements for automated (and manual) gates • Better understanding amongst schools, insurance and inspection industry of the requirements for a safe and legally compliant gate Delegates attending the roundtable were united in their commitment to collaborate with Gate Safe to implement a sustained campaign of activity. Sojan Joseph will be making a formal approach to the Department for Education to enlist further support from the government on the matter of gate safety. Richard Jackson OBE commented, “Today’s meeting has been a resounding success, providing the opportunity for Gate Safe to bring the issue of gate safety in schools to the top of the agenda. We are confident that with the support of the delegates who attended the roundtable, we can move forward to ensure a better standard of safety for gates and barriers installed in the school environment – an environment which parents send their children to in the belief that they will be safeguarded and not exposed to unnecessary risks.”

Safe School Gates Campaigners Attend Westminster Roundtable

January 28, 2026

Gate Safe, the Kent-based charity dedicated to improving gate safety is ramping up its Safe School Gates campaign, kicking off 2026 with a Westminster Roundtable hosted by Sojan Joseph MP for Ashford, Hawkinge and the

Gate Safe OBE

December 9, 2025

The founder of the charity Gate Safe, Richard Jackson, pictured, received his OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) from Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. Jackson, who started the charity in 2010,

Gate Safe Delivers CPD On Gate Safety To Police

October 14, 2025

Gate Safe recently delivered a webinar-based CPD on automated and manual gate safety to over 120 police Designing Out Crime Officers (DOCOs) and police crime prevention specialists, as part of the National Police Chiefs’ Council

Gate Safe Celebrates 15th Anniversary – But What Has Changed?

September 25, 2025

15 years ago this week, a Gate Safety Summit was hosted in London at the Institute of Directors, designed to tackle the serious issue of automated gate and barrier safety following the deaths of two

Gate Safe Audit Reveal Alarming Numbers of Unsafe Automated School Gates

August 6, 2025

The security of pupils, staff and visitors is of paramount importance to any learning setting which is why automated gates – an effective means of access control – regularly feature on a school site. However,

Launch of Gate Safe Australia Campaign

August 5, 2025

Gate Safe has established a licensing agreement with industry professionals in Australia to address the growing need for the rollout of specialist automated gate and barrier training in Australia. The organisation will trade under the

Gate Safe at Allianz' National Engineer Surveyor Roadshow

Gate Safe onstage at Insurance Engineer Surveyor Roadshow

August 5, 2024

Gate Safe, the original charity to campaign for improved safety standards for automated gates, was delighted to be invited to speak on the subject of automated gate safety at a recent event for engineer surveyors

School Gates that Kill…

May 14, 2024

News that the family of a nine-year old girl killed by a school gate in the US have filed a $15 million claim against the organisation responsible for the school where the accident took place,

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