Stanbridge Earls School
 The main Stanbridge Earls School building | |
| Motto | Building confidence - Achieving success |
|---|---|
| Established | 15 September 1952 |
| Closed | 2013 |
| Type | Independent school |
| Headmistress | Maggie McMurray (Interim) |
| Location |
Romsey Hampshire UK Coordinates: 51°00′26″N 1°31′12″W / 51.007133°N 1.520027°W |
| Gender | mixed |
| Ages | 10–19 |
| Houses |
|
| Website | www.stanbridgeearls.co.uk |
Stanbridge Earls School was a coeducational independent school located near Romsey, Hampshire, England. Students ranged in age from 10–19.[1] The school catered for both boarding and day pupils.[2]
The main building of the former school is a Tudor manor house which contained the reception and maths department.[3] It is a Grade II* listed building.[4] Facilities at the school included a sports hall, an indoor swimming pool, a theatre and tennis courts.[5] The school was set in grounds covering 54 acres (220,000 m2).[6]
The school specialized in teaching and helping pupils with dyslexia, dyscalculia, developmental coordination disorder and mild Asperger syndrome.[7][8][9]
Controversy and closure
The school was investigated by the Department for Education (DfE) following a tribunal which had raised safety concerns after examining the way Stanbridge Earls had dealt with historic claims that a 15-year old girl pupil had been allegedly raped twice by other pupils and a 12-year old girl pupil had been sexually assaulted. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) found the school to be "unsystematic, unprofessional, ad hoc and completely inadequate" when it came to protecting the youngsters.[10] An Ofsted inspection report, published in February 2013, said the school had failed to identify how it cared for the needs of individual students and did not make individual risk assessments "even in cases where the risk of harm that a child poses to others or themselves is known to be high".[11]
A follow-up inspection took place in May 2013. It found that "As a consequence of continuing weaknesses with leadership and governance, children remain unsafe at this residential special school" and that "urgent improvements called for by Ofsted have not been made due to a lack of 'clear and incisive' leadership."[12] A nurse at the school, Angela O'Neill, has been summoned to appear before the Nursing and Midwifery Council at a fitness to practise interim order hearing on 22 July 2013, where an independent panel will look at whether there is an “immediate risk to public protection”.[13]
On 19 June the same year it was announced that Ofsted had taken disciplinary action against some of its own staff after admitting mistakes were made while investigating the school previously. An Ofsted spokesperson said: “We have carried out a review of the inspection history of the school from 2011. It is clear that our inspections could have got underneath what was happening sooner."[14]
Operation Flamborough, an internal Hampshire Constabulary inquiry, was launched to determine whether police involved in previous investigations into sex abuse claims at the school in 2011 should be disciplined. Hampshire Constabulary said they wanted to find out whether any "criminal offences" have been committed against the known victims or other children attending the £39,000-a-year school.[15]
In late-2013 the school was informed by the DfE "that they do not wish the School to continue trading with the existing governance."[16] Two proposals to take over the running of the school fell away and on 2 September 2013 the school announced that insolvency administrators had been called in. In a letter to parents on behalf of the board of trustees, David Du Croz, the chairman, called the move a "very sad outcome". He added that it was a "tragic end to a once great school."[17]
Notable former pupils
References
- ↑ Averre-Beeson, Trevor (13 June 2008). "The Conversation: Specific learning difficulties". Times Educational Supplement (4792) (London). p. 23. ProQuest document ID 763436558.
- ↑ Midgley, Simon (21 March 2012). "From army training to first-name terms with the head: If you want a self-reliant child, the log cabins are waiting, reveals Simon Midgley". The Times (London). p. 4. ProQuest document ID 929387170.
- ↑ Clare, John (20 February 1998). "The Best Schools Guide: Now for somewhere special". The Daily Telegraph (London). p. 24. ProQuest document ID 316959211.
- ↑ "Stanbridge Earls". English Heritage. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
- ↑ Bracchi, Paul (30 March 2013). "An elite boarding school, a girl 'raped' at 15 and the head accused of a cover-up". Daily Mail (London). p. 12. ProQuest document ID 1321598841.
- ↑ "Boarding school at centre of sex abuse claims to close". The Daily Telegraph (London). 28 June 2013. ProQuest document ID 1372238140.
- ↑ Averre-Beeson, Trevor (11 January 2008). "Can you spot the difference?". Times Educational Supplement (4770) (London). ProQuest document ID 209494227.
- ↑ Donovan, Patrick; Murphy, Paul; Barrie, Chris; Atkinson, Dan (24 January 1996). "The golden touch of Copperfingers: At £15 million a year, 35-year-old Charles Vincent is probably Britain's highest paid director. But how has he got there?". The Guardian (Manchester). ProQuest document ID 294908465.
- ↑ "Noticeboard: People". Times Educational Supplement (4871) (London). 1 January 2010. p. 10. ProQuest document ID 762762849.
- ↑ "Another staff member quits sex scandal school". Southern Daily Echo (Southampton). 22 April 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
- ↑ "Charity Commission launches inquiry into school trust at centre of sex abuse allegations". Third Sector. 4 April 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
- ↑ "Stanbridge Earls School inspection finds pupils 'remain unsafe'". BBC News. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
- ↑ "Stanbridge Earls School nurse under investigation (From Daily Echo)". Dailyecho.co.uk. 2013-07-18. Retrieved 2013-07-22.
- ↑ Knox, Patrick (19 June 2013). "Ofsted disciplines its staff over bungled inspection at Hampshire school". Southern Daily Echo (Southampton). Retrieved 2013-06-21.
- ↑ "Inquiry launched into police handling of school case". Southern Daily Echo (Southampton). 8 April 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
- ↑ DuCroz, David (12 July 2013). "Chair of the Governors: Letter". Stanbridge Earls School. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
- ↑ "Stanbridge Earls School calls in administrators". BBC News. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ↑ Sale, Jonathan (20 April 2006). "PASSED/FAILED: 'I kept going to see the orchids'". The Independent (London). p. 8. ProQuest document ID 310976604.
- ↑ Miller, Compton (29 September 2002). "Keeping it in the family". The Mail on Sunday (London). p. 38. ProQuest document ID 328785428.
- ↑ Teeman, Tim (11 March 2002). "The voice of Posh Lib". The Times (London). ProQuest document ID 318637329.