A school in one of England’s leading academy trusts is to face an independent safeguarding review after an Observer investigation exposed allegations of emotional abuse of children over two decades.
After an emergency multi-agency meeting on Tuesday, Jim Gamble, the independent child safeguarding commissioner for Hackney in east London, confirmed on Friday that he had launched a local child safeguarding practice review – normally reserved for serious individual cases of child abuse or neglect – into Mossbourne Victoria Park academy (MVPA).
Since the first Observer story three weeks ago about the treatment of children at MVPA – based on accounts from nearly 30 parents – more than 200 parents, pupils, former teachers, and local GPs and child psychologists have now come forward with evidence in relation to this school and another in the trust, Mossbourne Community Academy.
The allegations, which the government described last weekend as “deeply distressing”, centre on MVPA and the acclaimed Mossbourne community academy (MCA), also in Hackney. It was originally run by Sir Michael Wilshaw, who went on to be Ofsted’s chief inspector of schools for England from 2012 to 2016.
Both academies have been rated outstanding by Ofsted – with MVPA netting the top rating only last year – and are known for high grades and super-strict discipline.
Allegations include teachers screaming at close range in children’s faces, pupils with special educational needs being punished or pushed out to other schools, and more than 15 accounts of secondary-age children wetting or soiling themselves or menstruating through their clothes because they were not allowed to go to the toilet or were too scared to ask.
Andy Leary-May, the parent who started the Mossbourne campaign, said: “So many people have told us they have been waiting for this moment. It takes courage to speak out. Young people are being heard, which can only be a good thing.”
In a letter informing parents about the review on Friday, Matthew Toothe, MVPA’s principal, said: “The wellbeing of your children and keeping them safe is at the heart of everything we do, and we take our responsibilities in this area incredibly seriously.”
He said he did not “recognise the portrayal of the academy” and stressed that Ofsted had highlighted the effectiveness of the school’s safeguarding in its last inspection. “The decision and timing … of this review, following media coverage, raises questions about why established statutory processes are now being dismissed or bypassed,” he wrote.
Another group of parents from MCA wrote to the Observer last weekend, describing the academy as a “successful school with brilliant and committed teachers”. Built on the site of a “previously failed school”, the academy, they said, “aspired to the success of every one” of its children from a “very mixed demographic”.
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They added: “While the rules can be draconian … the vast majority of children are well-adjusted, happy and well cared for.” Colin Diamond, professor of educational leadership at Birmingham University and a former adviser on academies in the Department for Education, praised Hackney for making this highly unusual intervention. He added: “The last Conservative government condoned zero tolerance behaviour regimes in schools, but [the education secretary] Bridget Phillipson is passionate about children’s welfare. I imagine her team were horrified by these disturbing stories.”
Academies are not funded by local authorities and many councils privately voice frustration about their lack of powers to step in when they have concerns.
The independent safeguarding review will be led by Sir Alan Wood, who was director of children’s services in Hackney for nearly a decade until 2015 . Gamble said it would seek first to “determine if concerns can be substantiated”. He added: “It will seek to identify any lessons concerning the application of behaviour policies and their impact on students, families, staff and the wider school community.”
The Mossbourne Federation was approached for further comment.
