A top English academy trust faces safeguarding review over abuse of pupils after an Observer investigation into London school has sparked an inquiry into allegations that teachers harmed mental wellbeing of children at Mossbourne Victoria Park academy in Hackney.
This reports suggest academies believe they are immune to normal education standards, especially, because they are ‘out of reach’ from local authorities. 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.
Top English academy trust faces safeguarding review
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.
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.
Allegations include teachers screaming at close range
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.
The academy has failed to protect its students and raises questions over the validity of the tests results over the past two decades.
The school in one of England’s leading academy trusts and now it will face an independent safeguarding review after the 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).
The government described last weekend as “deeply distressing”, centre on MVPA and the acclaimed Mossbourne community academy (MCA), after the rated top English academy trust faces safeguarding review.
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 .