AN INVESTIGATION is underway after a confidential school document wasn't properly disposed off at a prison.

The Young Offender Institution (YOI) on Portland had been providing the Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy (IPACA) with a confidential waste disposal service.

A letter was sent to parents of pupils last week informing them that a document hadn't been destroyed in the manner expected. 

The Young Offender Institution (YOI) had been shredding documents sent by the school and making them into fuel briquettes.

But this contract came to an end when a document, containing student information, wasn't destroyed properly.

Parents have told the Echo of their shock at the incident.

One said: "I have been told that the names and addresses of pupils ended up in the hands of a prisoner. This is unacceptable."

However, it has not been confirmed by the school or prison service that the documents ended up in the possession of a prisoner.

Another parent, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “It’s quite scary really. I’m upset about it.

“I don’t know who in their right mind would send confidential information such as this to the prison.

“All sorts of prisoners are in there, and they now have children’s name and address and it’s a real security concern. We were contacted by the school last week and the governors have assured us the prisoner has been removed, but how did they get hold of it in the first place?”

IPACA’s joint interim principals, Darren Marklew, Robert Russell and Stuart McLeod, issued a statement in response to the incident.

It read: “The Isle of Portland Aldridge Community Academy (IPACA) had an arrangement with the HMP Young Offenders Institute on Portland (YOI) for them to dispose of some of our confidential waste.

"All high grade confidential data including that regarding safeguarding, child protection, special educational needs and personnel files is shredded and disposed of on site at IPACA and this was not part of this arrangement.

"On Tuesday 24th February the Governor of the YOI informed the IPACA senior leadership team that a piece of paper that contained some secondary student information about a school trip had not been destroyed in the manner IPACA or the YOI would have expected.

"On learning this the Academy immediately spoke to the parents of students who went on the trip to explain the situation.

"In accordance with procedures and standard practice, the Academy informed all parents by letter, they informed the Information Commissioner, Ofsted and the Department for Education. The Academy has instigated a full independent enquiry - which will be concluded in 28 days.

"IPACA are no longer using the waste disposal service provided by the YOI."

Parents who have concerns about this incident have been advised to contact the school directly.

When asked for comment, a prison service spokesman for the YOI facility said: “We take the security of information very seriously and this incident is being investigated as a matter of urgency."