Edinburgh schools: TikTok influencer Caz Milligan and rapper Jaad turn up uninvited at Portobello High

Influencer Caz Milligan and rapper Jaad arrived by car at the school at noon on Friday April 4, just 15 minutes before the school closed for the Easter holidays, and handed out free pizza to pupils.

Video was later posted on social media showing children surrounding the car and taking pictures on their mobile phones, then eating the pizza and cheering and rapping with the pair.

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Parents who learned of the visit were initially concerned that the school seemed to have allowed the two men onto the premises, but it was later made clear the pair had not been invited, the visit was not planned and they were only allowed into the school grounds to avoid the safety risk of a crowd of children gathering around them on the busy road outside the school.

It is understood some members of staff at Portobello High knew that Caz Milligan and Jaad had turned up at another school in Edinburgh the day before and became aware from social media that they planned to come to Portobello High, so they were ready for their arrival.

The council confirmed that the pair had visited two city schools last week, but emphasised they were not invited and the visits were not planned.

The council said teachers at the schools followed relevant protocol and procedures, prioritising the safety and wellbeing of young people at each school. It added that Police Scotland had been made aware of the visits and guidance was sought but it wasn’t necessary for police to attend.

Portobello Conservative councillor Tim Jones said the council may now need to develop a policy on how to deal with similar incidents in future. And he pointed to the safety risk of a crowd of children in the road outside the school and potential safeguarding concerns about free pizza being given to pupils.

He said: “The visit by the influencer Caz Milligan and rapper Jaad to Portobello High School highlights just how disruptive the use of mobile phones in schools can be.

“I have spoken to the head teacher, the chair of the parent council and the director of education and am assured that the correct protocol was followed. The school was put in an impossible situation and the head teacher and staff did all the right things to ensure that pupils were kept safe.

“However, we live in a very different culture which is ruled by social media and it's important that events such as these are limited and kept under control.

“It may be that guidance for such events will need to be issued by the council to all schools as I fear that unplanned visits such as these could result in a very different outcome.”