New Ofsted report finds Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire ‘inadequate’ in safeguarding pupils
A North Yorkshire school, which was at the centre of a historic child abuse inquiry, has been rated as “inadequate.”
Ampleforth College has been heavily criticised in an Ofsted report from their latest inspection published today.
Inspectors who visited the Roman Catholic boarding school in Ryedale found arrangements to safeguard pupils, including the most vulnerable children, remain ineffective.
The report read: "Inspectors became aware of serious safeguarding incidents before, during and after the inspection.
"Leaders do not accept responsibility readily for the harm experienced by pupils in their care."
Some of the concerning incidents included:
The lack of headteacher's veto over "monks of concern" living in neighbouring Ampleforth Abbey. Monks of concern included those who have been accused, and any found guilty of, child sexual abuse in the past and any who are under investigation currently.
Sexual activity between unsupervised vulnerable pupils.
Alcohol consumption and class A drugs found on the school’s site following a party by a group of sixth formers in the early hours of the night - with one person being found unconscious in an orchard and another hospitalised.
While inspectors rated the safeguarding category as "inadequate" - all the other areas were branded as "good."
The report did note some improvements had been made at the £36,000-a-year boarding school since the last inspection in March 2021.
Robin Dyer, Head of Ampleforth said “We are deeply disappointed that Ofsted should have produced a report based on a number of incorrect assumptions and factual inaccuracies regarding our safeguarding.
"We have made repeated attempts to correct the facts before the report was published.
"We do not lightly stand up to our regulator but in this instance the injustice cannot be allowed to stand.
"Ampleforth is a safe school. Our students know it and our parents and staff know it too."
In November 2020 the school had been ordered by the Government to stop admitting new pupils following "serious" failings - though this was later lifted after management agreed to implement changes.
They faced criticism again in 2018 in a report by an independent inquiry into child sexual abuse which found they hid appalling abuse to pupils as young as seven, to protect the church's reputation.
The inquiry said that leaders at Ampleforth and Downside in Somerset were linked to Benedictine monasteries which were run at times by "secretive, evasive and suspicious" church officials who avoided reporting misconduct to police and social services.