Credit: This story was first seen on The Telegraph
A headteacher kept a seven-foot-long boa constrictor and tarantulas in his office without checking if they posed a risk to children, an Ofsted report revealed.
Chris Oakley, head of the fee-paying Luton Pentecostal Church Christian Academy, was slapped down by the school inspector for keeping the exotic animals in his office, The Telegraph reports.
An Ofsted report published this week noted under the ‘safeguarding’ category that: ‘The proprietor has not ensured that all necessary risk assessments are carried out and that they are updated regularly.
‘For example, a seven-foot-long boa constrictor and a number of tarantulas are kept in the principal’s office. No risk assessment has been made to ensure that keeping such animals in school does not pose a risk to children.’
The report noted that the school kept a number of other pets which, while they ‘enhanced the work of the school’, had not been assessed for their risk to children.
According to advice issued by Public Health England on animals in schools, ‘Reptiles are not suitable as pets in schools and nurseries, as all species carry salmonella.’
Chris McGovern, chair of Campaign for Real Education, said: “A dangerous snake had a big part to play in the Garden of Eden but is best kept out of school. Dangerous animals and young children do not mix.
“Schools should stick to mice, tadpoles and goldfish. One wonders why it has taken so long for the issues of real concern at the school to be finally spotted by Ofsted. Schools should not be operating beyond the boundaries of common sense and balance in the education they provide.”
The school, which charges tuition fees of £3,300 a year, had its quality of teaching rated by Ofsted as ‘inadequate’ on the grounds that it taught creationism as ‘scientific fact’.