Latest news with #LydiardParkAcademy
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Daily Mail
School is evacuated over 'bomb threat' sent to staff with police warning parents to stay away
A school has been evacuated over a 'bomb threat' sent to staff with police warning parents to stay away. Officers were called to Lydiard Park Academy, Swindon, at around 9am this morning following a concerning email. The entire school was evacuated as emergency services rushed to the scene. Children were reportedly told to flee to the back of the school field to get as far away from the building as possible. In a statement, Wiltshire Police confirmed that staff and children were evacuated following 'a message sent to the school'. They said that nobody has been injured in the incident and asked people to 'stay away from the area to allow emergency service to attend'. At 9.40am, around a dozen parents gathered outside the school gates - before police pushed everyone back and cordoned off the area. One man demanded officers allow him in to collect his child, and became increasingly frustrated as he was told he could not enter. In a letter to parents, a spokesperson for the school wrote: 'I am writing to inform you of an incident that occurred today at Lydiard Park Academy. 'Earlier this morning, we received an email claiming that there was a suspicious package on the school site. 'As a precautionary measure, and in accordance with our safety protocols, the decision was made to evacuate all students and staff to the designated assembly area at the back of the field. 'We immediately contacted the relevant authorities, who are currently managing the situation and conducting a thorough assessment of the premises. 'The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority, and I want to assure you that all necessary steps are being taken to ensure their protection.' Wiltshire Police said in a statement: 'Please be aware of an ongoing incident at Lydiard Park Academy. 'Children and staff have been evacuated from the school as a precaution following a message sent to the school. 'There are no reported injuries. Please stay away from the area to allow emergency service to attend. 'We will keep you updated with any further developments.'
Daily Record
14-05-2025
- Daily Record
Lydiard Park Academy evacuated amid bomb threat as pupils flee
Police are on scene carrying out a "thorough assessment" of the school premises as pupils were rushed out of the building. A secondary school has evacuated all of its pupils and staff after it received a threat that a "suspicious package" was on the premises. Lydiard Park Academy in Swindon, Wiltshire, received the chilling warning by email on Wednesday morning. Children were immediately told to run as far away from the building as possible, to the back of the school playing field. Police were called at around 9am, with the area cordoned off as officers swarmed the scene carrying out their enquiries. The school has over 1,200 pupils, with some worried parents gathered at the gates by 9.40am. Authorities are said to be currently managing a "safe exit" of everybody on site, with the school updating parents and carers of collection arrangements, the Mirror reports. However, parents were initially turned away from attempting to pick up their children as a search of the premises was carried out. The latest update from the school came from a spokesperson for The Park Academies Trust, who said: "This morning, a precautionary evacuation took place at Lydiard Park Academy after the school received an email threat. "In consultation with the police and local authorities, we are now managing the safe exit of the site for all pupils and staff, and we are updating parents and carers on collection arrangements as required. "Despite the obvious disruption caused by this situation, everyone on site has remained calm and has been kept informed of developments. The safety of our pupils and staff is our top priority, and we appreciate co-operation and understanding during this time.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. A previous letter to parents advised that everybody in the building had been evacuated to the field as a precaution, and that a "thorough assessment" was being conducted on site. A spokesperson for Wiltshire Police said: "Please be aware of an ongoing incident at Lydiard Park Academy School. Children and staff have been evacuated from the school as a precaution following a message sent to the school. "There are no reported injuries. Please stay away from the area to allow emergency service to attend. We will keep you updated with any further developments."
The Sun
14-05-2025
- The Sun
School evacuated over ‘bomb threat' with parents urged to stay away as cops swoop
A SCHOOL in Swindon has been evacuated by police following a concerning email. Lydiard Park Academy in Swindon was evacuated by Wiltshire police at around 9am this morning following an alleged bomb threat. 1 A Wiltshire Police spokesperson said: "Please be aware of an ongoing incident at Lydiard Park Academy School. "Children and staff have been evacuated from the school as a precaution following a message sent to the school. "There are no reported injuries. "Please stay away from the area to allow emergency service to attend. "We will keep you updated with any further developments." Children were reportedly told to run to the back of the school field to get as far away from the building as possible. The area was cordoned off at around 9:40am as parents gathered outside the gates. In a letter to parents, a spokesperson for the school wrote: 'I am writing to inform you of an incident that occurred today at Lydiard Park Academy. 'Earlier this morning, we received an email claiming that there was a suspicious package on the school site. 'As a precautionary measure, and in accordance with our safety protocols, the decision was made to evacuate all students and staff to the designated assembly area at the back of the field. 'We immediately contacted the relevant authorities, who are currently managing the situation and conducting a thorough assessment of the premises. 'The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority, and I want to assure you that all necessary steps are being taken to ensure their protection.' The Sun has reached out to Lydiard Park Academy for comment.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
How one local academy trust convinced absent pupils to come back into lessons
An academy trust that manages several schools in Swindon explained how it has improved attendance as pupil absences increase nationally. The Department for Education recently revealed that 2.3 per cent of pupils in England missed at least half of all possible school sessions in 2023/24, the highest number recorded since 2006. In Swindon, the unauthorised absence rate at state-funded primary, secondary, and special educational needs schools rose slightly from 2.1 per cent in 2022/23 to 2.2 per cent in the latest completed academic year, accounting for roughly 784 pupils. The Park Academies Trust, which manages Lydiard Park Academy, Abbey Park School, Highworth Warneford School, Orchid Vale Primary School, and The Deanery Academy in Wichelstowe, says it has bucked the national trend. Its unique School of Solutions support programme has been developed to help return struggling students to the classroom, and has helped 400 young people since the pandemic. Apprentice fired for threatening prankster who messed with his lunch How might the council's 'Heart of Swindon' town centre transformation work? Judgement made on whether yoga studio can stay in protected mansion It provides a blend of therapeutic and project-based learning to help students develop essential life and learning skills. Students in the programme spend two days a week at the School of Solutions for a limited period of two terms while attending their mainstream school for the remaining three days, ensuring they continue to follow a broad and balanced curriculum while benefiting from additional support. The programme focuses on emotional and social development, emphasising skills such as integrity, active listening, negotiation, and respect, and aims to create a safe and inclusive environment which addresses barriers to learning and improves pupils' sense of self-worth. The curriculum is enriched with activities that build emotional resilience, problem-solving abilities, and collaboration skills, and aims to help students reintegrate into mainstream education. As a case study, the trust highlighted how attendance rates of 10 pupils at the Deanery have improved since that educational facility joined the trust last September. A focused programme was put into place for year 11 students, some of whom were struggling to get into school, and this group's overall attendance has moved from 26 per cent to 61 per cent, significantly improving their confidence and chances of passing GCSEs. One pupil's attendance rate rose from two per cent to 48 per cent, while another's increased from three per cent to 33 per cent, and several others now attend lessons twice as much as before the trust took charge, with two of the 10 Year 11s attending nearly 100 per cent of their lessons after getting involved with the School of Solutions scheme. The Park Academies Trust's director of inclusion, David Williams, said: 'The Park Academies Trust is bucking the national attendance trend in Swindon with its primary and secondary schools consistently outperforming both regional and national attendance figures. 'To help students who have been struggling with their attendance, it's vital that schools feel safe and calm, and that's why we put great focus on those key factors at TPAT. 'We have also developed a unique programme called School of Solutions, or SoS, to support students, and we are seeing some amazing results with that initiative.' As for the wider causes of these regular absences and truancy, the trust suggests that the aftereffects of the pandemic - including mental health challenges, financial difficulties, and disrupted routines - continue to have an impact. Before the pandemic, two-thirds of children in the UK attended school more than 95 per cent of the time, but this figure has now dropped to just 47 per cent. A trust spokesperson added: "Improving attendance is crucial for ensuring that children receive the education they need to succeed. "Efforts to tackle this issue must focus on understanding the root causes and providing targeted support to those most affected."
