Inverness Courier investigation reveals cost of vandalism in our schools
“Creative” yet “offensive” graffiti on a stairwell was among the mindless acts of vandalism contributing to a significant repair bill for some schools in the Inverness area over a three-year period.
Data on the costs of vandalism, weather-related and other damage obtained through a Freedom of Information request reveals the financial burden - just under £635,000 from mid-September 2021 to mid-September 2024 for more than 50 schools.
This figure includes repairs to Highland Council buildings and facilities.
It highlights the wide-ranging impact of storms as well as vandalism including blocking toilets with food, clothing and even a nappy.
Around half the cost is due to the weather, while the rest is caused by individuals and so-called “other damage”. Some of the schools are also available to the public outwith teaching times.
Without going into detail on more than 1000 incidents, perhaps the most eye-catching entry was at Millburn Academy with: “Remove animal parts on stairwell. Team removed offensive body parts.”
Further investigation led a council spokeswoman to explain: “The job was referring to some graffiti of anatomy - with a somewhat creative flair of turning an elephant’s trunk into something else.”
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The incidents of vandalism vary from graffiti, broken windows and damaged bike sheds to a hole in a football pitch, damaged goals and glass on a playing field.
There was also food-related damage with sardines having to be cleaned from a stairwell and yoghurt also found on stairs and a wall in separate incidents.
Other cases include “blue powdered dye or paint all over the playground”, orange paint on sinks and mirrors, “toilet roll covering the entire room” and broken Christmas decorations “due to malicious act by kid”.
Further examples include damage to CCTV systems, smoke detectors, school bells and fire exit doors.
The highest vandal and other damage costs for secondaries were at Millburn Academy (£64,675.89), Culloden Academy (£27,500.44) and Inverness Royal Academy (£25,093.77); and primaries were at Inshes (£11,525.96), Beauly (£11,097.32) and Dalneigh (£10,653.61).
This is in contrast to the lowest vandal and other damage cost for secondaries being Glen Urquhart High School (£5590.88) and primaries being Resolis (£16.52) on the Black Isle.
A council spokesperson said: “Vandalism, while not only a criminal offence, can be extremely dangerous.
“The damage caused is a total waste of taxpayers’ money. Repairing the damage diverts much-needed resources from school works and services.
“We urge anyone with information on any acts of vandalism to contact the police on 101 or to phone Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
The following interactive table shows the three-year totals for vandalism and ‘other damage’ at each school in the Inverness Courier coverage area. It does not include weather damage costs.
(If viewing on a mobile phone, for best results, hold device so screen is horizontal)
What can be done to stop it?
The data raises questions about the underlying causes of vandalism and the measures that can be taken to prevent future incidents.
Councillor Sarah Atkin, one of Highland Council's children and young people champions, said: “Firstly, we should all be shocked by vandalism in our schools.
“It should never be ‘normalised’. The consequences are felt by the majority of pupils and, obviously, by the public purse.
“Parents and the wider community would hope that there are consequences/sanctions for those who commit these offences. However, addressing the causes - the ‘why?’ - is a complex business but prevention can only happen if the wider context is looked at. Not to excuse, but to understand. To prevent.
“I believe it is possible to be concurrently tough and compassionate. For that, though, we have to trust and empower our head teachers to deploy their own behaviour policies and address issues before they escalate to the point of criminal damage.
“They know their context and their pupils. Where data and other information suggest a school is struggling - for example with repeat incidents - then that’s a ‘red flag’ for the education authority to proactively step in with support.”
Another of the council's children and young people champions, Councillor Lyndsey Johnston, said: “I think, and it’s just my own thought, that children and young people respond to the environment they are taught in - when you go into the likes of Dingwall Academy, Culbokie Primary, Resolis Primary, these schools still look in as great shape as when they opened in 2006/7.
“I think this is because if you give children a nice school, they tend to respect the building and take care of it. When the environment is tired, there is less to love and respect - what difference does one more bit of graffiti make to a bathroom covered in it?
“This is why the council’s Highland Improvement Plan is instrumental in bringing all Highland schools up to a standard that all our children and staff deserve and can be proud of.”
This investigation looked at the cost of repairs to schools, which includes weather-related incidents. The top three for weather damage were Dalneigh Primary (£136,650.11 - including work following wind blowing off part of its roof in December 2021), Fortrose Academy (£75,853.89) and Culloden Academy (£31,765.06).
Cllr Johnston added: “I think it is important to note that sometimes accidents happen, wind can catch a door or window and break the glass, the difference is if there was a deliberate act behind the damage?
“It does ‘take a village’ to raise a child and parents have an important role in ensuring their children are not deliberately destructive and can help young people understand that rights come with responsibilities.
“Most of our young people are well behaved, kind and respectful. It’s important not to tar them all with the same brush as those who chose to vandalise school property.
“Parents have a very important role in working with school staff to help young people understand that malicious damage can’t be tolerated and affects everyone’s wellbeing and means the school has less money to spend on pupils.”
Who pays the price?
The majority of primary and secondary schools are owned by the council, but some including Millburn Academy and Inshes Primary are PPP (Public-Private Partnership) schools, which record incidents differently.
The council’s property and estates officers explained: “The PPP schools are a separate contract to the Highland Council owned and maintained schools. PPP procurement delivery model feature a long-term contractual relationship between the public sector - whether at national, municipal, or utility level - and a private-sector entity whereby the latter delivers and finances a public service using a capital asset, sharing the associated risks with the public sector while also developing value for money versus a traditional procurement approach.
“When it comes to fixing damage in PPP schools, the damage is covered by an annual budget the contractors have as part of the contract.
“As for the other schools, the repairs are funded from council budgets, though which budget pays depends on the damage and the circumstances by which it occurred.
“Some repairs are funded from budgets that are devolved to each school under the devolved school management scheme. Most of the remaining repairs are paid for with budgets held by the property and housing service.
“The insurance fund also covers some reinstatement work where the incident that caused the damage meets the requirements and the damage itself is significant enough in cost, eg on this FOI the roof reinstatement at Dalneigh Primary School was covered by the insurance fund.”
