![\"Victoria](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0_DPP_SAH_ML200952_169JPG.jpg\")
Victoria & Albert Museum, London (Image: MyLondon \/ Darren Pepe)<\/p>\nThe V&A said it was taking what happened ‘seriously’ as a petition calls for a boycott of the museumVictoria & Albert Museum, London (Image: MyLondon \/ Darren Pepe)<\/p>\n
Parents and staff at a Bristol school have called for a boycott of a prestigious London museum after allegations that museum staff racially profiled a group of students on a school trip and demanded they be searched. The staff from City Academy in Easton<\/a> are understood to have cut short the visit and since then the headteacher has met with management at the Victoria and Albert Museum to discuss what happened.<\/p>\n One member of staff, who is the Bristol rep of the main teaching union the NEU, has set up a petition demanding an apology from the V&A and called for a boycott of the museum.<\/p>\n The V&A said it was taking \u2018feedback of this nature seriously\u2019 and a review is underway of what happened so the museum staff can take \u2018opportunities for any improvements\u2019.<\/p>\n Parents of the young people on the Year 10 school to London have spoken of their concerns, saying their children returned \u2018angry\u2019 after the experience. There is no suggestion the students were anything other than well-behaved during their visit to the V&A, but a number of pupils alerted their teachers when they realised they were being followed around the museum.<\/p>\n The trip involved all Year 10 students studying creative subjects like art and photography, and took in other venues after the V&A including Hyde Park and the Serpentine Gallery.<\/p>\n The V&A was first on the itinerary and a number of school trips were visiting at the same time. One teacher said: \u201cIt became apparent that they were being followed around by V&A staff. Other school groups present were not being followed.<\/p>\n \u201cThen staff were told that the entire group were to go downstairs to a basement room. Once there a member of staff told them that they were going to search everyone. Two members of staff were given different reasons,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n Bristol Live understands one teacher was told that two children had been \u2018overheard in a toilet\u2019, while another teacher was told a child was overhead \u2018saying the word \u2018shank\u2019\u2019 as they walked around.<\/p>\n Teachers decided to abandon the trip rather than have the children searched, and the school party left the V&A and moved on to the next destination on their itinerary.<\/p>\n One parent said the teachers on the trip did \u2018all the right things\u2019, in the way they dealt with what happened. \u201cWhen I picked him up at the end of the day, both him and his friend were really angry,\u201d they said. \u201cThey described the experience as: \u201cPeople seemed scared of us. I held the door open for one lady and she didn\u2019t want to walk through. All the posh kids were able to walk around and no one was following them. It was like being in the shops – the security just watched you the whole time,\u201d the parent recounted.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Parts of Bristol rank among worst in England for opportunities for working class kids<\/a>READ MORE: Black children in Bristol\u2019s primary schools feel \u2018scared, shamed, powerless and frustrated\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n The school trip happened back in mid-June, and since then, City Academy has formally complained to the V&A about what happened, and staff have met with the museum bosses.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for City Academy said: \u201cA Year 10 group from City Academy attended the Victoria & Albert Museum in London on June 11 as part of their art studies. The V&A was the first of several scheduled stops, before the group also visited Hyde Park and the Serpentine Gallery.<\/p>\n \u201cSince the visit, leaders from City Academy have been in ongoing dialogue with V&A representatives to resolve school concerns about the way our group was treated during the trip.<\/p>\n \u201cCity Academy is proud of the diverse range of trips and enrichment opportunities on offer to students within our GCSE curriculum,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n A spokesperson from the Victoria and Albert Museum said they were taking the \u2018feedback\u2019 seriously. \u201cWe are in close and constructive dialogue with Bristol City Academy about a potential security incident that occurred during their school visit,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe work hard to ensure the V&A is a welcoming and inclusive place for everyone so do take feedback of this nature seriously. We are now reviewing what happened and the opportunity for any improvements to our procedures as a result,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Since that meeting, Michaela Wilde, the NEU executive member for Bristol who is a member of staff at City Academy, started a petition which has been signed by hundreds of people already.<\/p>\n It said those signing it were \u2018deeply troubled\u2019 by what had happened, describing it as the students being \u2018racially profiled and subject to adultification\u2019 by V&A staff.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Four in five teenagers in Bristol have witnessed racism, a new study shows<\/a>READ MORE: Amnesty International says Avon and Somerset police prediction software ‘supercharges racism’<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe also believe prejudice and bias led to students being subject to classism. We are disappointed to hear that V&A have now offered three different explanations of events and excuses as to why this happened,\u201d the petition added.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile they continue to shift blame and compound the negative stereotyping of children, we can have no confidence that other children would not experience similar traumatising experiences at the V&A,\u201d the petition said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe demand the V&A give a full written apology to all staff, students and families affected, undergo changes to policy including a commitment to adopting an anti-racist framework and a commitment to staff training as part of that.<\/p>\n \u201cWe commit to boycott the V&A and apply pressure for NEU to not partner with V&A in the Arts & Minds Campaign until the above demands are met,\u201d the petition added.<\/p>\n Join Bristol Live\u2019s WhatsApp community for top stories and breaking news sent directly to your phone<\/strong><\/p>\n Bristol Live<\/a> is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our community.<\/p>\n Through the app, we\u2019ll send the latest breaking news, top stories, exclusives and much more straight to your phone.<\/p>\n To join our community you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select \u2018Join Community\u2019.<\/a><\/p>\n No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Bristol Live<\/a> team.<\/p>\n We also treat community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. 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Victoria & Albert Museum, London(Image: MyLondon \/ Darren Pepe)<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/0_AD_BL_06-02-2025_bristoljanofstedJPG.jpg\")
The City Academy Bristol, in Redfield, maintained a ‘Good’ standard in an Ofsted report in February 2025(Image: Google Maps)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/1744476931_129_0_WhatsApp-Phone.jpg\")
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