A school has issued a warning letter after a student needed “medical attention” as a result of vaping.
Agnes Hart, head teacher at Rainham Mark Grammar School, is asking parents to speak to their children about the dangers of underage e-cigarette use following the incident.
In a letter sent yesterday (October 7), Mrs Hart said: “I am writing to inform you of an incident that has impacted on our school community.
“As a leadership team, we have made the decision to share this with you as we believe it is important that we work in partnership in order to support and safeguard our students.
“Following an incident that resulted in one of our students requiring medical attention, we feel it is important that we remind parents and students of our expectations and the consequence of using vapes or any prohibited items.
“This is a national as well as a local issue and we are working with external agencies as well as Medway Council to continue to raise a deeper understanding of the dangers of vaping.”
Teachers will be searching children at the school if they believe they have prohibited items and will be confiscating them.
Students found vaping or smoking at the school with also be disciplined.
Mrs Hart said: “If following a search, we still have reasonable grounds to believe the young person has a prohibited item on the school site we will contact parents and ask them to collect their child.
“We will continue to remind our students about the dangers of underage smoking and vapes.”
The school works with Kent and Medway school nurses to provide a drop-in service for its students.
It will be refurbishing its toilets and is also reviewing how they are being accessed throughout the day.
“Our school community has been impacted by this and we want to work together to raise awareness…”
Some schools have Triton Sensors in toilets, which are able to detect if students are vaping or smoking.
It is not known if these are being installed at Rainham Mark as part of the refurbishment.
Students will be given a pass if they need to access the toilet during lesson time, which will enable teachers to monitor who is out of lessons.
Mrs Hart added: “The vast majority of our students adhere to our school polices and expectations and I am extremely proud of how our students supported the young person who fell ill due to vaping.
“Our school community has been impacted by this and we want to work together to raise awareness and understanding about the dangers of underage smoking and the impact that vaping has on young people.
“We have chosen to share this experience with you as it is only through working with parents, students and staff will we educate young people to make informed and healthy decisions.
“If you know a young person who may be impacted by smoking or vaping, and you feel they require additional support please contact the following members of staff via the school office 01634 364151.”
Elsewhere in Kent, dozens of people have signed a petition urging a school to remove a gate installed to stop pupils from using a toilet block during lesson time.
It has reportedly made children at Herne Bay High feel like they are in a “prison”.
But, the principal has doubled down on the policy which was introduced last month and has been dubbed a “human rights violation” by one critic.
The head of school there says the gate has only been installed in one set of toilets and is part of measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of pupils.
