The Whitney Institute Middle School was the scene of a bomb scare this morning.

According to a police statement, first responders attended a report of a burglary at 8.04am at the school, when someone made a threat that a bomb was on the premises.

The spokesman said the students and faculty were in a safe area and the Emergency Ordnance Disposal Unit would process the scene.

There was a strong police presence at the Middle Road, Smith’s school by 9.15am when The Royal Gazette arrived at the school, with multiple emergency vehicles and police officers on hand, but the atmosphere on the campus was calm, with the staff and student body gathered in the gymnasium.

Freddie Evans, the acting education commissioner, and Pastor Terence Stovell, the chairman of Whitney’s board of trustees, were also on the scene.

Dr Evans, who was a former principal at the school, said: “The school received a few notes describing a bomb to blow up in one of the classrooms, so as a precaution the principal, Reeshemah Swan, called the Ministry of Education and 911, and the Police Service responded.”

He explained the police first cleared the gymnasium of threat, allowing the students to assemble there, while police searched the campus for explosive devices.

Whitney has a student body of 270 and 53 staff members.

“It is a big campus, so there are a lot of areas to clear through,” Dr Evans said.

He praised the students, saying they had been orderly and attentive to the adults who were giving instructions. “It’s just disappointing in the middle of exams that we’ve had this type of disruption,” he said.

Ms Swan said: “Everything is under control. We took precautions and notified the police, who came promptly.

“We have evacuation procedures and these are practised, so once it went over the loudspeaker, the students knew what to do.”

The students had been calm, she said. “We are thankful to the children for their co-operation,” said Ms Swan, who explained that the gym was hot and humid because it was a warm, damp day.

By 9.40am, the emergency was largely over, with most of the school checked by police and pronounced clear of explosive devices.