Echo Coverage Spurs LIPA School Closure After Credible Threat on Monday
Monday at 9: 00 a. m. ET LIPA School was forced to close after the institution received a bomb threat and a separate threat to cause harm, headteacher Claire McKendrick told parents; the letter said heightened scrutiny created an echo that made the messages a credible risk and instructed families to stay away.
This morning, March 9, came after news that the school would be closing permanently this year after the government agreed with the school’s trustees that it should be shut down, a development the headteacher cited as increasing media attention and the need for extra caution.
LIPA School closure and parent instructions, Claire McKendrick letter
The school’s headteacher, Claire McKendrick, said in a letter to parents that the decision to close for the day followed receipt of a bomb threat and a threat to cause harm; families and children were told to stay away from the site while checks were carried out.
Merseyside Police were working with the school and officers were seen inside the building as the school treated the messages as a serious and credible risk despite police believing similar threats are often hoaxes.
The letter apologised for the disruption and emphasised that the safety and wellbeing of pupils, families and staff must come first; families were advised not to enter the school building until the school could confirm it was safe to return.
Echo of coverage and the government decision to close the school this year
School leaders said the heightened media attention following the recent decision to close the school permanently this year influenced their response; headteachers explained that the publicity meant ordinary hoax-style messages had to be treated with extra caution.
Last year the school received an inadequate Ofsted rating that placed it into special measures and safety concerns forced the school to close days before the end of the summer term; those events factored into the trustees’ and government’s agreement that the school should close this year.
Parents had already been notified last month that the school will close down this summer, with official communications listing a significant historical financial deficit caused by overspend, a substantial fall in pupil numbers, inappropriate educational facilities and the lack of viable alternatives.
Merseyside Police support, on-site presence and next confirmed court date
Merseyside Police told parents and the school they were supporting the response, providing officers on site while enquiries continued and advising the school on safety measures for pupils and staff.
The school said it would email parents regarding the reopening as soon as it could confirm it was safe to return, and that it appreciated the community’s patience while officers carried out checks.
The next confirmed event related to the local policing and school-safety cases is a sentencing hearing set for June 1 at Liverpool Crown Court; that hearing is scheduled for June 1 at 10: 00 a. m. ET, and if it proceeds the court will issue a sentence in the related matter.
For now, the LIPA School remains closed for Monday, March 9, while authorities and school leaders assess safety and coordinate communications with families.
