Headteacher responds as Cheshire Police called to school over 'personal threat'

Police were called in and a high school locked down after a member of staff was threatened, leaders have revealed. And senior staff at Congleton High School say 'swift action' was taken following this morning's incident.

Cheshire Police had been called to the scene at around 10am while messages were sent out to families letting them know the Box Lane school was in lockdown. As reported by CheshireLive the force had said a parent had 'attended at the school and their behaviour concerned staff.'

Officers had 'advised them to leave' which the individual subsequently did. During the height of the incident the school rolled out its lockdown procedure with messages sent out to parents and carers letting them know during that time students would not have access to their phones.

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Now headteacher Heidi Thurland has said the incident unfolded due to a members of staff receiving 'a personal threat'. Meanwhile Heidi has moved to reassure families that 'at no point were any children at risk'.

The headteacher said: "The health, safety and wellbeing of our pupils and staff is our top priority. Following a situation in which a member of staff received a personal threat from an individual, the school took swift action and implemented appropriate precautionary measures on the advice of police before they arrived on site, and they have now confirmed the school is safe and secure. It has reopened as normal, and lessons will continue as normal.

“We want to reassure our community that at no point were any children at risk, and all actions were taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the continued health, safety and wellbeing of our school community.

“We wish to thank all our pupils and staff for their exemplary behaviour in closely following our robust safety protocols, and to parents and carers for their ongoing support and understanding.”

A spokeswoman for Cheshire Police said: "At 10am this morning (May 1) police were called to Congleton High School in Box Lane, Congleton.

"A parent had attended at the school whose behaviour concerned staff. Officers advised them to leave, to which they did.

"There was no threat to students, staff or the wider public."

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