Eldon Primary: heightened police presence around Preston school after staff sent "threatening messages"

It comes days after teaching unions revealed concerns over high staff turnover at Eldon Primary in Plungington and claims – denied by the school – from parents that they were prevented from entering the grounds on Monday.

A spokesperson for Lancashire Police said: "We were called by Eldon Primary School, Preston, on January 14, to a report of malicious communication. This is an ongoing investigation and our enquiries are continuing. There will be an increased police presence in the area around the school as part of our enquiries."

Parents at the school have told the Post officers were seen at the school on Monday speaking at length to members of the senior leadership team. Later that day, the school’s headteacher Azra Butt issued messages to parents urging them to use the school’s “communication tools” to raise concerns and not to air grievances on social media – a seeming reference to the furore caused by the union’s concerns about staff turnover.

She wrote: "We want to remind parents that where they have an issue they want to raise with the school, they should use one of the school's communication tools. These include messaging, ringing the school to make an appointment to try and get these addressed. Can I take this opportunity to remind all parents of the expectations for behaviour towards other members of the school community."

In relation to parents claiming they were unable to enter the school on Monday, the letter further added that no such restrictions were in place.

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However, parent Scarlet Willock, 36, from Preston, whose children nine-year-old Arianna and five-year-old Tristan both attend the school said that when she went to drop them off on Monday morning a teacher was at the gates waiting and would not allow parents to pass through.

She said: "A teacher stopped us at the gate and said we could not enter due to the bad weather conditions. I have seen much worse weather than this and we have been allowed through. Some parents were also told that teachers felt threatened by some of the Facebook comments from a previous story on teachers leaving. I have seen the posts and they are not threatening at all. The school is run like a business and this is why so many amazing teachers never stay."

Scarlet who is a bar supervisor added that parents want the school to be inspected by Ofsted. "Police were there yesterday afternoon during the day when the school put out the letter on a school app. This morning and this afternoon they were patrolling outside again so I asked what they were doing and they just said they have been asked to provide a police presence at the school.”

The Post previously reported that Union representatives had raised concerns over what they claim is an “unusually high” turnover of staff. The school declined to comment on all of the matters.