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A schoolgirl was locked inside her primary school for hours after class and had to dial 999 before being freed by firefighters through a toilet window.
The Year 6 pupil, who had fallen asleep, had taken herself to a spot not visible to staff inside the school in Manchester to rest, it is understood.
She managed to find a landline phone inside the building and called the police after around five hours, Manchester Evening News first reported.
She was freed 20 minutes later after police called in the fire service, which hurried a fire engine to the scene.
The primary school – Briscoe Lane Academy in Newton Heath – confirmed it was taking the incident ‘extremely seriously’ and had reported what happened to the council.
The school, rated as ‘good’ by Ofsted in its last inspection, is part of the Wise Owl Trust based in east Manchester and runs four other schools.
As a Year 6 pupil, it is understood the 11-year-old girl had permission to walk home after school. It is unclear whether she had been reported as missing at the time. The incident happened on July 8.
A parent of another pupil at the school claimed families have been left ‘shaken’ by the news.
A schoolgirl was locked inside her primary school, Briscoe Lane Academy (pictured), for hours until firefighters freed her from a toilet window
They said: ‘We send our children to school trusting they’ll be safe, accounted for and cared for. That trust has been broken.’ The parent said a ‘full and independent’ investigation should be launched, adding: ‘The school’s end-of-day procedures clearly require an immediate overhaul.
‘This isn’t about finger-pointing, it’s about ensuring something like this can never happen again.’
Greater Manchester Police confirmed officers attended the school after the call from the girl at around 9pm on July 8. She was brought out safely and unhurt around 20 minutes later.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed a fire engine from Philips Park station was sent to Briscoe Lane at around 9pm on request of the police.
The fire service said it assisted ‘a child out of a locked building through a window’ before they were handed into the care of police.
The Year 6 pupil, who had fallen asleep, had taken herself to a spot not visible to staff inside the school in Manchester to rest, it is understood
The school said it reported the incident to Manchester council via its local authority designated officer. It said no Ofsted referral was required and no further action resulted.
A spokesperson for the school said: ‘Out of respect for the privacy of all involved, we are unable to comment on the individual circumstances of this very sensitive matter which we are treating extremely seriously.
‘However, we want to reassure everyone that we work very closely with families, safeguarding partners and other relevant agencies to ensure every child has the support they need, both in and out of the classroom. Our priority remains the welfare, safety and well-being of all pupils.’
MailOnline has contacted the school for further comment.
