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| Ipswich school triggers inquiry into 'pupil aged 30' | Ipswich school triggers inquiry into 'pupil aged 30' |
| (35 minutes 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 Year 7 pupil has also left the school, though it is understood their status as a child is accepted. | |
| 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. |
| 'Threat or danger' | |
| "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?" |
| 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". |
| Ipswich MP Sandy Martin said: "I'm under the impression that both the school and the Home Office are not going to speak to anybody about this. | |
| "I also do respect the privacy of the family and I believe that the younger of the two young people left the school because of the threat or danger that they might be seriously bullied. | |
| "The whole thing is very unfortunate all round and the Home Office do have a duty to make sure people are the right age before people are sent to school." | |
| One concerned parent, Victoria Newby, previously told the BBC: "My girls will not be attending until I know for sure he's been removed." | |
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| But mother-of-three Victoria Thorpe said she would not be taking her 11-year-old son out of the school. | |
| She said: "It's not the school's fault, they are in a hard position. | |
| "I'm not going to take my son out because it would affect his education and because he's in Year 7 he's not going to be around him too much." |