Shock as school evacuated and pupils sent home after 'threat' made

Parents have spoken of their concern after a school was evacuated and pupils sent home following a 'threat'.

Police were called to Holy Family RC & CE College, in Heywood. at about 10am today (Monday). Officers said they had received a report of a 'threat made towards the school'.

Some pupils are reported to have been sitting their GCSE exams at the time. The nature of the threat has not been revealed.

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A letter sent to parents from the school, seen by the Manchester Evening News, said the building had been evacuated due to an 'ongoing incident'.

The letter, which was sent at about 10.45am, read: "Urgent communication to parents and carers. We are dealing with an ongoing incident at Holy Family College and have been asked to evacuate the building.

"The students are on the muga pitch, with staff and are safe. We will update as soon as we have more information."

However, one parent said pupils sitting their exams were 'left on site' to complete them.

"They didn't sound any alarms in the school and evacuated everyone other than the year 11 pupils who were sitting their GCSEs," they said. "They left them on site completing their exams.

"Once they had completed them they then evacuated and sounded the alarms. Children from all years were evacuated to the muga courts directly behind the school and left in the heat for over an hour with no explanation what was going on.

"Parents were arriving to collect children to be told they weren't allowed to let them leave the premises, but held them on a court less than 5 meters away from the school. Parents stood outside reception with no explanations."

Karina Coles, whose children attend the school in Wilton