POLICE are looking into allegations of misconduct at Scotland's national deaf school following the suspension of a member of staff.
Officers are said to be assessing "a number of concerns" at Donaldson's School in Linlithgow, but no formal investigation has yet been launched.
The school had previously been at the centre of concerns over the handling of a sex attack by a member of staff, who was convicted earlier this year.
It is unclear what the fresh allegations involve, but an unannounced inspection of the school has led to calls for urgent improvements to be made.
Laura Battles, the new principal of Donaldson's School, said: "I received allegations against a member of staff within the school who was immediately suspended.
"As a result an unannounced inspection took place and Ministers have served a Preliminary Notice under Section 66C of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 on Donaldson's School, Linlithgow.
"Our first priority is always the safety and wellbeing of pupils and we are working with Education Scotland, the Care Inspectorate and others to ensure this.
"It would be inappropriate for us to make any further comment while this process, including Police Scotland's assessment of the concerns raised, is ongoing."
The notice requires the school to respond to the concerns within seven days and outline an action plan to address them.
A team of inspectors were at the school on Monday to work on improvements and a meeting was held with its board of governors and parents.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Police in West Lothian have received a report from partner agencies, which highlights a number of concerns relating to a school in Linlithgow.
"In consultation with relevant partners, officers are now undertaking an initial assessment to establish whether the issues raised within the report require a police response." The school has faced a string of controversies in recent years after employee William Docherty was convicted of sexually assaulting a boy following a party.
Docherty preyed on the 16-year-old as he waited for a taxi, groped him and asked him to go back to a hotel with him.
The school received a report from the victim's mother, but Docherty was not suspended until four years later. After his conviction, he was placed on the sex offenders' register and handed a probation order.
Staff were criticised by the sheriff in the case who said: "I am rather puzzled that Donaldson's School, which is well known as a school for children who are vulnerable, have taken so long to deal with the accusation."
Head teacher Mary O'Brien and chief executive Janice MacNeill were later removed from their posts as an investigation was carried out into procedures at the school.
Prior to Docherty's conviction, a 16-year-old girl at the school also claimed she had been sexually assaulted by a classmate.
The teenager claimed she was attacked in one of the toilets and a police investigation was launched.
A recent report by Education Scotland also called for the school to improve its child protection policies.
The report stated: "The school needs to continue to improve its child protection and safeguarding procedures by ensuring that there are clear lines of communication between the different parts of the service, and that the planned child protection coordinator's role is implemented."
The school, which is grant-maintained, was founded in Edinburgh in 1851 as Donaldson's Hospital, but moved to a purpose-built campus in Linlithgow in 2008.
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