ANOTHER school in Bolton has been attacked by vandals, leaving a massive repair bill. CLARISSA SATCHELL reports on the increasing number of schools being targeted by louts and what can be done to try to protect them

THE school corridors were scattered with shards of glass and in the staff room exam papers were strewn over the floor, blown by draughts from the smashed windows.

This was the scene which greeted teachers who arrived for work yesterday at George Tomlinson High School in Kearsley -- currently in the middle of its GCSE exams.

And for a worrying number of schools in Bolton the sense of shock and chaos which descended will be all too familiar.

Latest figures show that Bolton's schools were hit by more than 600 burglary, arson and vandal attacks in the last year, leaving repair bills estimated at £500,000.

The result is that nearly every school in Bolton has installed, or is in the process of getting, personalised security measures to protect property and pupils from attacks.

But will this really deter the vandals or will it simply mean our schools are turned into fortresses which will intimidate pupils and parents?

George Tomlinson School faces a repair bill of at least £5,000 for the 150 windows smashed over the weekend. As well as that bill, it also needs to replace computers stolen in recent weeks.

Next month it will spend £15,000 installing CCTV security system.

Headteacher Tony Buckley said: "Every time we have an attack, the money has to come out of the school budget which could be spent on valuable resources.

"The ridiculous thing is that while these vandals might think they are attacking the school building, it is actually the children who suffer.

"It is tragic that the system is not quite in place yet as we might have caught the culprits on camera.

"We are sending out a clear message that attacks on our school are not acceptable. Those responsible will be caught and prosecuted."

Another school left to count the cost of smashed windows during the last year includes Highfield County Primary, in Farnworth. £15,000 of damage was caused there in June.

Deputy headteacher Steve Jagusz said: "As well as the psychological impact on the children there was the cost of making the building safe.

"There was glass absolutely everywhere and the reception class was worst. We had to spend hours examining every single toy and book minutely to make sure they were safe. We had to teach children in the hall which was very disruptive. Many of the cleaners worked extra hours voluntarily to get the school restored."

Highfield installed steel security shutters and has so far escaped further attacks.

Other schools hit included Johnson Fold County Primary last August when louts hurled concrete boulders through 14 windows.

In October a concrete fence was uprooted at St Michael's Church of England Primary, the fifth attack in two months.

And in February children at Cherry Tree Primary, Farnworth, had to be taught in the hall after vandals set fire to reception class, causing £15,000 of damage.

Jeff Fletcher, asset management manager at the council, (left) helps to advise schools about the kind of security measures they should install. He said: "We have seen a big increase in the number of schools upgrading their security. Most schools in Bolton now have some form of security system.

"We believe this has resulted in a drop in the actual number of incidents but obviously if it happens to your school that is no comfort."

Mr Fletcher admitted that making schools safe without destroying their character could be a difficult task. "It is a hard balance to strike," he said.

"We don't want to make schools look like fortresses but we also don't want to be going back to the same school week after week because they've had another 20 windows broken.

"We have new guidelines for how fences should look to make them more visually amenable, and CCTV can act as both a deterrent and a tool in prosecution.

"It is always a two-way discussion with the school."

The council is keen to avoid the kind of high security measures favoured in some American schools such as high fences, swipe cards, and even security guards.

But Mr Fletcher said it was unlikely that Bolton's teachers and pupils would soon be able to approach the school gates completely free from any fear of discovering vandalism.

"It is not really possible to make a school totally secure. While we need to make sure there is a reasonable level of security, the children should never feel trapped in."