Birmingham school Arena Academy evacuated over 'bomb threat' as message sent to parents

Pupils have been evacuated from a UK school after a bomb threat was reportedly made with police with sniffer dogs at the scene.

Parents at Arena Academy, formerly known as the Perry Beeches Academy, in Birmingham said teachers and children at the school were told to leave after the worrying message is understood to have been received. A push alert sent to parents and carers from the Beeches Road school read: "We have received a message from Priestley Smith School this morning informing us there has been a bomb threat.

"We are not sure if this is a credible threat but we're following our protocols and currently evacuating to Turnbury Park. Police are also supporting us. We will keep you fully informed."

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One parent told BirminghamLive at 10.30am: "School is still evacuated. Police are still there with sniffer dogs. Most children have now been collected from school." The school is on Arena Academy Beeches Road, in the Great Barr area of Birmingham.

Arena Academy has confirmed that children will not be returning to the school today after they were evacuated from the building this morning.

West Midlands Police are at the school but have said that they do not believe there is "any credible threat". A force spokesperson said: "We were called after a bomb threat was received by the school via an email. Officers have attended and at this stage we don’t believe there is any credible threat."

On its website, headmaster Raj Mann wrote of the school: "Our Arena is a school of opportunity, where students develop, succeed and thrive. In Our Arena, we work as a team to open the doors to our students’ future aspiration and success.

"Through excellent teaching and learning, opportunities and enrichment, and a community founded on compassion, we instil in our students the strength, determination, and courage they need to succeed and become the champions we believe they are."

The Arena Academy was rated ‘Good’ at the end of last year. Part of CORE Education Trust, it was praised for being a school where there is a “family feel”, with an “ambitious and inclusive vision”.

Ofsted also highlighted that the Arena Academy “has high expectations of achievement for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)” and that the school has improved in areas of behaviour and attendance since its last Ofsted inspection in 2022.

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