School takes legal advice over covert filming for TV programme on bullying

A school in South Wales is taking legal advice from its local authority after pupils were secretly filmed as part of a TV programme about bullying.

The South Wales Evening Post reported that Corpus Christi RC High School only learned about the filming ­– carried out by an unnamed schoolgirl – when shown footage of bullying.

The programme is being produced by Fresh One Productions, which was founded by Jamie Oliver in 2000.

In a joint statement head teacher Angela Thomas and Chair of Governors Kath Brown said: "All the school staff and governors condemn bullying in the strongest terms and we have a robust anti-bullying policy in place.

“Pastoral staff are always available to speak to pupils and parents on all matters, including bullying, and we always aim to create an environment at Corpus Christi in which our pupils can feel safe and secure. The school takes swift action to resolve any problems as soon as they come to light.

“The school community is shocked and upset that hidden cameras were brought into our school without our knowledge or permission and used to covertly film our pupils. The school is receiving legal advice from the City of Cardiff Council and we are monitoring the ongoing situation very carefully.”

The South Wales Evening Post report said Fresh One had written a letter to parents to say that every child would have their faces blurred and voices scrambled to protect their identities.

The company claimed that it was following the same rules as a similar programme originally aired in Holland, and that nothing else had worked.

It said: "The school is appalled, but so is this child's family and having seen the covert footage, showing what their child experiences every day, they are devastated that this has been allowed to continue."