nuisance on the school site

Dealing with unwelcome visitors has become an unfortunate but common problem on schools sites. Whether it be pupils of other schools who have no business at the school or disgruntled parents staff and pupils can be intimidated and upset by aggressive and abusive behaviour.

What can you do about it?

 

school has a number of options:

• call the police: this is certainly worth doing if anyone is on the school site and is acting in aggressive manner.
• write a letter to the offender. You have 2 options: an outright ban from coming on the site, or a letter saying that if they do not conduct themselves appropriately then they will be banned from the site next time. If they are a parent you will need to explain the arrangements for collecting and dropping off kids, and give them a right of appeal to the Governors. Here is a sample letter you can use.  dear-parent.doc
• encourage the police to visit the offender. This sometimes works. The local community police officer, or sometimes officers attached to the anti-social behaviour team of the local Council can visit. They can also propose an ‘Anti-Social Behaviour Contract’ (ABC) which sets out various conditions (and can include not coming on the school site). If they breach the terms of the ABC then consideration can be given to an ASBO.
• prosecute. The local authority, under s547 Education Act 1996 has a power to prosecute anyone causing a nuisance and disturbance on a school site. In preparation for such a prosecution you should keep a log of all the incidents – times, dates, what was said, by whom, who witnessed it etc.
• injunct. These are civil remedies and can be temporary or for a longer duration. They are not so effective against children because a court is reluctant to impose them – because the breach of one is contempt of court which could attract a custodial sentence which the court is reluctant to do for kids. If the activities of the intruder are focused on one particular member of staff then the most effective are under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997.  Such an injuction has the additonal weight of attracting a criminal penalty if it is breached.