“Unacceptable” security risks uncovered at local schools

Wednesday 22 August 2018

£150,000 is being poured into improving three schools this summer, after Police reviews uncovered “unacceptable” security gaps that could put students and teachers at risk.

Primary school St. Luke’s, which is based just outside of town, and secondary schools Haute Vallée and Le Rocquier will all undergo a security upgrade following the investment by the Education Department.

The decision came following a number of reviews and safety audits carried out by the Police, Education Department and other third parties.

Their reports concluded that each of the school sites had “poor site security”, posing a safeguarding issue and exposing students, teachers and other staff members to an “unacceptable level of risk.”

Pictured: St. Luke's School, a primary school in St. Saviour, is due to receive a security upgrade.

Additional controls on who can access and leave the site were subsequently recommended in order to discourage “criminal activity”, as well as providing “peace of mind” for teachers and allow them to “concentrate on their core business.”

This, they hoped, would help encourage the “recruitment and retention of good teaching staff.”

Pictured: Le Rocquier, in St. Clement, will also undergo improvements.

The investment was signed off by Treasury Minister Deputy Susie Pinel last week.

A report accompanying her decision said that the security improvements, which will be overseen by a project group of representatives from the Education Department, the three schools, and Jersey Property Holdings, are expected to be completed by the end of the summer holidays this year.