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| Ipswich school triggers inquiry into 'pupil aged 30' | Ipswich school triggers inquiry into 'pupil aged 30' |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| An adult asylum seeker who posed as a 15-year-old student is being investigated by the government. | An adult asylum seeker who posed as a 15-year-old student is being investigated by the government. |
| The Home Office confirmed it will be looking into how the man, who could be as old as 30, was allowed to join Stoke High School in Ipswich. | The Home Office confirmed it will be looking into how the man, who could be as old as 30, was allowed to join Stoke High School in Ipswich. |
| An age assessment carried out by the local authority found the individual to be over 18, meaning he could now face deportation. | An age assessment carried out by the local authority found the individual to be over 18, meaning he could now face deportation. |
| The Home Office said age disputed cases "remain a challenging area of work". | The Home Office said age disputed cases "remain a challenging area of work". |
| A spokeswoman said: "We are fully committed to safeguarding children and are looking into the circumstances of this case to understand how it was handled. | A spokeswoman said: "We are fully committed to safeguarding children and are looking into the circumstances of this case to understand how it was handled. |
| "In the absence of clear and credible documentary evidence, Home Office staff must rely on physical appearance and demeanour to make an initial assessment on whether a person claiming to be a child is under 18. | "In the absence of clear and credible documentary evidence, Home Office staff must rely on physical appearance and demeanour to make an initial assessment on whether a person claiming to be a child is under 18. |
| "If an individual is assessed to be under 18 but subsequent concerns about their age are raised - for example, by a school - we will act quickly to reconsider the case." | "If an individual is assessed to be under 18 but subsequent concerns about their age are raised - for example, by a school - we will act quickly to reconsider the case." |
| Earlier this month, a pupil at Stoke High shared an image on social media with the message: "How's there a 30-year-old man in our maths class?" | Earlier this month, a pupil at Stoke High shared an image on social media with the message: "How's there a 30-year-old man in our maths class?" |
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| The school, which initially contacted the Home Office, previously said it had "followed government and local authority policies and guidance, as we do for any asylum admissions matter". | The school, which initially contacted the Home Office, previously said it had "followed government and local authority policies and guidance, as we do for any asylum admissions matter". |
| It added the pupil "was not attending the school at this time". | It added the pupil "was not attending the school at this time". |