Paedophile guidelines for school heads

Schools will no longer face dilemma of whether to inform parents about freed sex offenders

Head teachers are to receive guidance from the police on what action to take if a convicted paedophile is released into the community near their school.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) have reached agreement following a case in which heads were left to decide themselves what precautions to take, and whether to inform parents.

Announcing the details of a protocol drawn up by the two organisations, the NAHT's general secretary, David Hart, said the police would take the lead in such situations.

"They must make the decisions about whether information about a sex offender should be passed on."

The protection and safety of children was paramount, he said, but no head wanted to spread unnecessary alarm among local parents or spark vigilante-style violence.

"If police take a decision that an offender constitutes a risk either to an individual child or to children in general, that information will be passed to local head teachers," Mr Hart said.

David Hart: "Police must have the prime responsibility"

"The police will then tell the head how to deal with that information. For a head then to act otherwise would put them at risk of criticism if they were then to decide to act otherwise.

"But if they act within the guidance, if there were then to be unfortunate consequences, it would be the police who would take responsibility, not the head."

The protocol signed with ACPO would not only help NAHT members, said Mr Hart.

"It will help immeasurably the government's policy on how to deal with sex offenders and reduce public concern."

Mr Hart said he found it inconceivable that a head informed by police about a paedophile posing a danger to children would not pass that information on to parents.