Plymouth school named among those with CCTV cameras in toilets

A PLYMOUTH school named by a national 'anti-surveillance' watchdog as one of a handful in the region with CCTV cameras in washrooms says it is happy with the effect of the cameras - but will review them in the light of new data.

Lipson Community College sparked controversy in 2008 when it installed cameras in some of its toilet areas.

The cameras cover 'public' parts of the washrooms such as handbasins, but not cubicles or urinals.

Some parents and young people complained at the time, but a vote at the school including parents, governors, staff and students came down in favour of keeping the cameras - and principal Steve Baker says they have contributed to an 'excellent ethos'.

Now Lipson Community College has been included in a list of 13 Westcountry schools which have CCTV in washrooms.

The report has been put together by campaign group Big Brother Watch.

In total, 825 cameras were located in the toilets or changing rooms of 207 schools across England, Scotland and Wales, figures provided by more than 2,000 schools showed.

Almost one in 10 of the schools which use CCTV said cameras were positioned in such places, while 54 have more than one camera for every 15 students.

Mr Baker said: "In 2008 this was a highly-emotive issue and we held a public forum and open vote, but since then - while people may still have views against the cameras and I'm sure some do - there have not been complaints."

Mr Baker said the cameras had an important role to play in creating an exemplary ethos in the school, a recent Ofsted report which highlights aspects of Lipson Community College as among the best in the UK says that students feel safe on campus.

He said the cameras were vital for ensuring the health and safety of those at the school and members of the public - especially during ongoing £2million construction work at the site due to finish at Christmas.

And he said cameras had a vital role to play in reducing criminality. He pointed out that while other schools in Plymouth surround themselves with large fences Lipson is “very open”, and protects people on site in other ways.

But Mr Baker said the issue would now be up for debate again at Lipson.

He said: "I would like to thank Big Brother Watch for raising this issue again, and it is right that they do so.

"We will be taking their data to our forums and the whole issue will be discussed again, to determine what staff, students and governors at Lipson Community College feel about the continued use of CCTV cameras."

Mr Baker said that, as well as cameras avoiding private areas, they are not routinely monitored.

Instead the footage is kept and can be referred to when necessary to resolve problems.

He said the last time this happened was three months ago to retrieve a lost phone.

In 2008 students, staff and parents at Lipson Community College were balloted on cameras in toilet areas. 516 voted for them, 445 against and 139 said they had no clear opinion.

Governors decided six CCTV cameras would be incorporated into some washbasin areas in addition to the existing £20,000 CCTV coverage of the rest of the college.

The college's toilets are used by nearly 2,000 people a day and such areas can suffer from vandalism, or attract truants and inappropriate behaviour including smoking.

Nick Pickles, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: “This research raises serious questions about the privacy of schoolchildren across Britain, with some schools having one camera for every five pupils and hundreds of schools using cameras in toilets and changing rooms. The full extent of school surveillance is far higher than we had expected and will come as a shock to many parents.

“Schools need to come clean about why they are using these cameras and what is happening to the footage.

“Local authorities also need to be doing far more to rein in excessive surveillance in their areas and ensuring resources are not being diverted from more effective alternatives.”

Big Brother Watch, which published the figures following a Freedom of Information Act request to more than 2,000 schools, also warned that the Home Office’s proposals for a new regulatory structure was “not fit for purpose”.

The new post of Surveillance Camera Commissioner “will have absolutely no powers to do anything”, Mr Pickles added.

“Parents will be right to say that such a woefully weak system is not good enough.”

Responses from 2,107 secondary schools and academies showed they used 47,806 cameras, including 26,887 inside school buildings.

With 1.8 million pupils being taught in these schools, there was an average of one camera for every 38 children.

In all, 90% of schools had CCTV cameras, with an average of 24 cameras in each of the 1,537 secondary schools that responded and 30 cameras in each of the 570 academies.

The estimated number of CCTV cameras in secondary schools and academies across England, Wales and Scotland was now 106,710.

Westcountry schools listed in the report included: Lipson Community College in Plymouth; Chilton Trinity Technology College, Chilton Street, Bridgwater, Somerset; Teignmouth Community School, Exeter Road, Teignmouth, Devon; Tiverton High School, North Brayton Road, Tiverton; Cullompton Community College, Exeter Road, Cullompton; Stanchester Community School, Stoke-sub-Hamdon, Somerset; Bishop Fox’s School, Bishop Fox Drive, Taunton; Exmouth Community College, Gipsy Lane Exmouth, Devon; Pilton Community College, Chaddiford Lane, Barnstaple; St Cuthbert Mayne School, Trumlands Road, Torquay; The Westlands School, Westlands Lane Torquay; The Blue School, Kennion Road, Wells, Somerset; Wadham School, Crewkerne, Somerset.

- but will review them in the light of new data.

Lipson Community College sparked controversy in 2008 when it installed cameras in some of its toilet areas.

The cameras cover 'public' parts of the washrooms such as handbasins, but not cubicles or urinals.

Some parents and young people complained at the time, but a vote at the school including parents, governors, staff and students came down in favour of keeping the cameras - and principal Steve Baker says they have contributed to an 'excellent ethos'.

Now Lipson Community College has been included in a list of 13 Westcountry schools which have CCTV in washrooms.

The report has been put together by campaign group Big Brother Watch.

In total, 825 cameras were located in the toilets or changing rooms of 207 schools across England, Scotland and Wales, figures provided by more than 2,000 schools showed.

Almost one in 10 of the schools which use CCTV said cameras were positioned in such places, while 54 have more than one camera for every 15 students.

Mr Baker said: "In 2008 this was a highly-emotive issue and we held a public forum and open vote, but since then - while people may still have views against the cameras and I'm sure they do - there have not been complaints."

Mr Baker said the cameras had an important role to play in creating an excellent ethos in the school, a recent Ofsted report which highlights aspects of Lipson Community College as among the best in the UK says that students feel safe on campus.

He said the cameras were vital for ensuring the health and safety of those at the school and members of the public - especially during ongoing £2million construction work at the site due to finish at Christmas.

And he said cameras had a vital role to play in reducing criminality. He pointed out that while other schools in Plymouth surround themselves with large fences Lipson is open, and protects people on site in other ways.

But Mr Baker said the issue would now be up for debate again at Lipson.

He said: "I would like to thank Big Brother Watch for raising this issue again, and it is right that they do so.

"We will be taking their data to our forums and the whole issue will be discussed again, to determine what staff, students and Governers at Lipson Community College feel about the continued use of CCTV cameras."

Mr Baker said that, as well as cameras avoiding private areas, they are not routinely monitored.

Onstead the footage is kept and can be referred to when necessary to resolve problems.

He said the last time this happened was three months ago to retrieve a lost phone.

In 2008 students, staff and parents at Lipson Community College were balloted on cameras in toilet areas. 516 voted for them, 445 against and 139 said they had no clear opinion.

Governors decided six CCTV cameras would be incorporated into some washbasin areas in addition to the existing £20,000 CCTV coverage of the rest of the college.

The college's toilets are used by nearly 2,000 people a day and such areas can suffer from vandalism, or attract truants and inappropriate behaviour including smoking.

Nick Pickles, director of campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: “This research raises serious questions about the privacy of schoolchildren across Britain, with some schools having one camera for every five pupils and hundreds of schools using cameras in toilets and changing rooms. The full extent of school surveillance is far higher than we had expected and will come as a shock to many parents.

“Schools need to come clean about why they are using these cameras and what is happening to the footage.

“Local authorities also need to be doing far more to rein in excessive surveillance in their areas and ensuring resources are not being diverted from more effective alternatives.”

Big Brother Watch, which published the figures following a Freedom of Information Act request to more than 2,000 schools, also warned that the Home Office’s proposals for a new regulatory structure was “not fit for purpose”.

The new post of Surveillance Camera Commissioner “will have absolutely no powers to do anything”, Mr Pickles added.

“Parents will be right to say that such a woefully weak system is not good enough.”

Responses from 2,107 secondary schools and academies showed they used 47,806 cameras, including 26,887 inside school buildings.

With 1.8 million pupils being taught in these schools, there was an average of one camera for every 38 children.

In all, 90% of schools had CCTV cameras, with an average of 24 cameras in each of the 1,537 secondary schools that responded and 30 cameras in each of the 570 academies.

The estimated number of CCTV cameras in secondary schools and academies across England, Wales and Scotland was now 106,710.

Westcountry schools listed in the report included: Lipson Community College in Plymouth; Chilton Trinity Technology College, Chilton Street, Bridgwater, Somerset; Teignmouth Community School, Exeter Road, Teignmouth, Devon; Tiverton High School, North Brayton Road, Tiverton; Cullompton Community College, Exeter Road, Cullompton; Stanchester Community School, Stoke-sub-Hamdon, Somerset; Bishop Fox’s School, Bishop Fox Drive, Taunton; Exmouth Community College, Gipsy Lane Exmouth, Devon; Pilton Community College, Chaddiford Lane, Barnstaple; St Cuthbert Mayne School, Trumlands Road, Torquay; The Westlands School, Westlands Lane Torquay; The Blue School, Kennion Road, Wells, Somerset; Wadham School, Crewkerne, Somerset.