The Valley Leadership Academy, in Bacup near Manchester, has started randomly scanning children on their way into school looking for ‘harmful items such as vapes,’ to the fury of some parents
Outraged parents have blasted a school for using scanners to search their children on their way into classes.
The Valley Leadership Academy, in Bacup near Manchester, has started randomly scanning children on their way into school with staff looking for ‘harmful items such as vapes’. The scan also looks for phones, pupils have been told, but the Lancashire school denies that’s the case, saying ‘phones are a separate matter’.
One mum described how her 11-year-old son, who had just started Year 7, came home from school upset after he was singled out when the keys in his bag activated the machine. The mum-of-three, who did not want to be named, said: “I was shocked when he came home and told me that all the kids had been scanned.
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“When we went to the open evening before starting they told us the kids would have chance to hand their phones in to be locked away and given back at the end of the day. They never mentioned anything about scanning them.
“The scanner went off on my son because he had his keys in his bag. He’s a shy quiet boy anyway, so being singled out like that made him really embarrassed and upset. Still now the school haven’t mentioned this to parents. I have tried to call the office but nobody picks up the phone. Not a great start to a new school.”
The Rossendale mum said she would understand if the school was searching for weapons but if that were the case, she would expect parents to be informed, the Manchester Evening News reports. “I feel like its an invasion of privacy and quite invasive,” she said.
“I believe that even if they do have a phone or vape for that matter in their bags, and don’t take it out, it isn’t really an issue. We all know teenagers and what they get up to.
“If it was genuinely looking for weapons or knives I would be all for it, but I don’t know as they haven’t contacted parents to tell them what is happening. I would rather as a parent know what is going on. I and other parents have been really shocked by it.”
Another parent said they were also concerned about the policy, saying: “This all seems a bit extreme. It’s not very nice for the younger ones who are only just starting at the school and already nervous.”
A spokesperson for the school, run by Star Academies multi-academy trust, said: “The safety and wellbeing of our pupils is our highest priority. The school uses hand-held screening wands at the entrance to help identify harmful items such as vapes, which are increasingly prevalent and pose serious health risks to young people.
“These checks have been in place since last year and are carried out in a compassionate and respectful manner by trained staff. The checks are random and not every pupil is scanned every day. We understand that some pupils may feel anxious, and we are committed to supporting them. We will be writing to all parents shortly to explain the process and reassure families.
“Mobile phones are a separate matter. The school has invested in lockers to support a device-free learning environment, helping pupils to focus and thrive without distraction. We know that mobile phones can be a safeguarding concern, and our approach reflects our commitment to creating a calm and safe school environment for all.”
