A new report into child sexual abuse has found boarding schools - such as the former Stanbridge Earls near Romsey - are the "ideal environment for grooming".

The report from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, published on March 1, also said that pupils in residential special schools were are at "heightened risk of sexual abuse due to their disabilities".

The investigation looked at residential specialist music schools and residential special schools, and went on to examine various other types of school, including day schools, where staff had been convicted of the sexual abuse of pupils, or where serious safeguarding concerns had arisen.

The first phase of the inquiry, with public hearings held during September and October 2019, focused on residential music schools, including Chetham's School in Manchester, the Yehudi Menuhin School in Surrey, and the Purcell School in Hertfordshire.

It also examined five residential special schools; Stanbridge Earls School, near Romsey, Southlands School in Lymington, Appletree School in Cumbria, the Royal School in Manchester and the Stony Dean School, Buckinghamshire.

Stanbridge Earls School, a co-educational day and boarding secondary school, specialised in teaching pupils with specific learning difficulties before it closed on September 1, 2013.

The report said that it had closed following publicity from a tribunal which found that a female pupil with special educational needs had been discriminated against after she had complained of a serious sexual assault.

During the proceedings, the headteacher appeared not to accept that a child reporting non-consensual sexual intercourse was making an allegation of rape.

The tribunal found that staff and trustees had failed to recognise that the school had safeguarding responsibilities which were heightened by the potential vulnerabilities of their students, in particular the girls.

It also took into account, the 2015 case of former pupil Gareth Stephenson, who was convicted and given a suspended sentence for 11 sexual offences against younger boys between 2002 and 2006.

The report found that, across 12 schools, as well as eight schools which were no longer operating, there was a reluctance to report sexual abuse perpetrated by staff and pupils.

"Despite numerous changes and improvements to safeguarding since the complaints of child sexual abuse referenced in the closed residential schools account, children continue to face sexual abuse and sexual harassment in schools," it said.

The inquiry was told of ineffective safeguarding in schools over the past 20 years and that "the testimonies on the Everyone's Invited website demonstrate that currently, for children in some schools, sexual abuse and harassment between peers remain endemic".

Inquiry chairwoman Professor Alexis Jay said: "Schools play a central role in the lives of almost nine million children in England and half a million in Wales. They should be places of learning where children are nurtured by trusted teachers and are able to flourish in a safe environment.

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"This is in contrast to the many shocking instances of child sexual abuse detailed in this report. They represent the opposite of everything that a school should be.

"Poor leadership frequently left staff unaware of how to respond to concerns about sexual abuse or too afraid of potential consequences to act. In some cases it was clear that protecting the reputation of the school was prioritised over the protection of children from sexual abuse - this is a recurring theme in very many of our reports.

"Day and residential schools play a key role in keeping children safe from harm, but, despite 20 years of enhanced focus on safeguarding, they are not as safe for children as they should be. This must change. The seven recommendations in this report must be implemented to vitally improve the current systems of child protection in schools."

The report made a series of recommendations to improve safeguarding in schools, including setting nationally accredited standards and levels of safeguarding training in schools, making the highest level of safeguarding mandatory for headteachers and designated safeguarding leads in England and Wales, as well as reintroducing a duty for boarding schools and residential special schools to inform relevant inspectorates of allegations of child sexual abuse and other serious incidents.

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