Angry parents speak out again over controversial CCTV cameras installed in toilets at a school near Northampton

Parent of students at Sponne School have spoken out accusing the school of “glossing over” survey results and putting the “brand above welfare”.

The renewed backlash comes after the school issued a letter to parents last week, which cited a student survey on toilet safety as a key reason for moving forward with modifications. The letter claimed 10 percent of students reported feeling unsafe in toilets, while 90 percent felt safe – a statistic parents say is being used to “retrofit” an agenda that was already in motion.

Some parents have criticised the way the survey was conducted and interpreted, saying the results and the decision to install CCTV had not been shared transparently until now – despite toilets already being modified earlier this year.

In one of several emails sent to this newspaper, a parent-led group said: “The survey was worded to suit an agenda. Every parent we’ve spoken to is against the cameras. The school has plucked out stats to justify a decision that had already been made. It's PR, not safeguarding.”

Parents say they are also preparing to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) over concerns related to subject access requests, which they fear could place an unnecessary burden on school staff.

The Chronicle & Echo asked the school for comment earlier this week but has not received a response, at time of publication.

The story first emerged in January 2025 after students returned from the Christmas holidays to discover CCTV cameras had been installed in toilet areas.

It prompted widespread outrage among the school community, with parents contacting this newspaper to raise concerns about privacy and communication.

In response, the school’s headteacher Graham Forbes issued a letter on January 7 explaining the decision. He wrote: “Recently, we have observed an increase in incidents of anti-social behaviour and vandalism within the school toilets, which poses a threat to the health, safety, and welfare of our students.

“This is also in response to student surveys where students have highlighted the toilets as an area of concern for them.

“To address these issues effectively, we are installing some Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) in the toilet areas.”

He added: “The school’s intention is to ensure the safety of students however, despite many parents being in full support, we acknowledge there is a feeling of concern within the community and would like to work with all our stakeholders to come to an amicable resolution.”

The cameras were fitted with privacy masks to block views of urinals and cubicles, and Mr Forbes said the move was compliant with UK GDPR law. Vape detectors were also added, which he said had led to a noticeable improvement in student behaviour and safety.

Despite this, the school paused the CCTV recordings pending a safeguarding review. Now, months later, many parents claim there is still a lack of transparency over the outcome of that review, or the current status of the CCTV system.

According to letters, the school cited a student survey as evidence that further action was needed. But parents have taken issue with how the results are being presented, saying the headline figure – that 10 percent of students reported feeling unsafe – is being used to justify decisions that had already been made.

The parents said: “90 percent of students said they feel safe – that’s a huge number. If the survey was genuine, why weren’t the results shared at the time? Why have toilets already been changed? It feels like they’re working backwards to justify a decision."

Another said: “We now want to see the full, unredacted survey results and a timeline of when the school got them, and when builders were contacted. This letter only came after the school was approached by the press. It’s reactive, not proactive.”

An Ofsted inspection in January 2025 rated the school "good" overall.

Some families say they are now keeping children off school in protest over the ongoing CCTV row.

Mr Forbes joined the school in September 2024 after 20 years at Icknield High School, including 13 years as a senior leader.