Queensland students have been forced to urgently find shelter more than 250 times in the past two years, as schools grapple with threats coming from inside their communities.

Key points: Queensland schools reported 267 lockdown incidents since the start of 2018

Queensland schools reported 267 lockdown incidents since the start of 2018 Threats that came from students and parents are often of most concern

Threats that came from students and parents are often of most concern Drills are essential for staff and children

During these school lockdowns, students are told to hide under desks, avoid windows, and stay quiet until the danger has passed.

New figures released to the ABC by the Queensland Department of Education show 267 incidents reported by schools since the start of 2018.

It is the equivalent of three lockdowns for every week of the school year.

But the numbers are likely much higher, as the Department concedes it has "only recently begun" collecting data centrally on lockdowns, despite them being part of every school's emergency response plan in Queensland.

Lockdowns by region and number: South-east Queensland: 60

South-east Queensland: 60 Metropolitan: 49

Metropolitan: 49 Darling Downs/south-west: 21

Darling Downs/south-west: 21 North coast: 41

North coast: 41 Central Queensland: 35

Central Queensland: 35 North Queensland: 28

North Queensland: 28 Far North Queensland: 33



TOTAL: 267 From start of 2018 until October 29, 2019

What is a lockdown?

Every school handles lockdowns differently.

Some may play a specific song throughout the schoolyard to alert students and teachers, others use a siren or bell.

It must be different from other warning sounds, so the school population knows not to evacuate.

They can be triggered by dangerous weather events or volatile situations near the school, for example, a police stand-off in the area, or even the sighting of a venomous snake.

Queensland Teachers Union president Kevin Bates says schools can become targets with teachers and principals dealing with threats from parents and students. ( ABC News: Owen Jacques )

But Queensland Teachers Union President Kevin Bates said the threat from students and parents were the most concerning for educators.

He said those can include people entering school grounds with an intention to attack someone else, and the school may simply be a backdrop to their personal feud.

"That may involve people with weapons," he said.

"It may involve circumstances where there are altercations between individuals in the school grounds that relate not to the school, but nonetheless presented threat to students and staff."

But the threat can also come from inside the school.

Mr Bates said it was not unusual for schools to lockdown classrooms or a block of rooms after a threat from a student.

Earlier this year an 11-year-old Townsville girl was charged after allegedly stabbing her 56-year-old teacher in the back.

In 2015, police rushed to a school in the Gold Coast suburb of Miami wearing bulletproof vests after a 13-year-old allegedly threatened to "shoot up" the school.

Do we really need lockdowns?

Clinical psychologist Shona Innes said schools and parents appreciate the need for lockdowns and practice drills, particularly in light of domestic violence threats.

She said schools become targets because they may be the one thing someone knows about their partner or child.

"It might be enough to get a glimpse of the child or have a conversation with the child," Ms Innes said.

"Sometimes, sadly, it's something more sinister than that."

Sunshine Coast clinical psychologist Shona Innes says school lockdowns and practice drills are now critical for student safety. ( ABC News: Owen Jacques )

She said lockdowns and drills can be done in a thoughtful way that ensures students feel as safe as possible.

"I think we would love to live in a world where we didn't need to have any kind of lockdown drills, but that might be a little too optimistic and not realistic as well," Ms Innes said.

She said students need to feel supported, and teachers need to recognise if a student is unsettled by the drills or alarms.

What lockdowns mean

Sunshine Coast private school principal Colin Minke said he had not triggered a lockdown since taking the role five years ago, but drills were critical.

Immanuel Lutheran College encourages older students to guide younger students when the signal for a lockdown is played.

Immanuel Lutheran College Principal Colin Minke pushes the red button in the school's office to trigger a whole-of-school lockdown. ( Supplied: Colin Minke )

The campus includes an early learning centre with children as young as two, up to seniors preparing to graduate.

He said every age group's lockdown drills are done differently, but all of them are necessary.

Mr Minke said schools now even consider what to do if a lockdown lasts for hours, as has happened overseas, where would students and staff find toilets, water and food?

"We're human beings so we need to continue function, so it's making sure there is access to water in various parts of the school," he said.

"We hope that we don't ever have the real situation, but we do need to make sure that we're very well drilled."

High school student Hayden Morris says lockdown drills are 'routine' for him but he understands that newer students might find them alarming. ( ABC News: Owen Jacques )

Year 11 student Hayden Morris said the drills had become routine since he joined the school.

"I'm used to the whole drills and all that — I've done a few in my time," he said.

"For new students it might be a bit alarming at first, but they warm to them."