Whitefield Schools is a special school in Walthamstow in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, offering support for children with a wide range of special physical, educational and behavioural needs and difficulties.

Whitefield Schools
Address
Map
Macdonald Road

, ,
E17 4AZ

Coordinates51°35′42″N 0°00′07″W / 51.5949°N 0.0019°W / 51.5949; -0.0019
Information
TypeSpecial school;
Academy
Established1903
Department for Education URN140795 Tables
OfstedReports
PrincipalElaine Colquhoun
GenderBoys/girls
Age3 to 19
Enrolment+300
Websitehttp://www.whitefield.org.uk/

The school became part of the Whitefield Academy Trust multi-academy trust in April 2014.[1] The same site also contains the Whitefield's Research and Development Centre, home of the academy's training functions, an outreach service and a specialist library.

There are three 'sub-schools' within Whitefield schools:

  • Peter Turner Primary School – For pupils aged 3–11 years old with autism or speech and communication difficulties.
  • Niels Chapman Secondary School – For pupils aged 11–19 years old.
  • Margaret Brearley School – For pupils aged 3–19 years old with more complex needs including learning difficulties, physical impairment and sensory impairment.

Joseph Clarke School is also part of Whitefield Academy Trust.

In 2017, Ofsted rated the school as inadequate due to the misuse of these rooms, which the school claim to have since been discontinued. Parents were largely unaware of these rooms and their usage.[2]

Child abuse incidents

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In 2021, an inquiry into alleged systematic abuse at the school has been initiated following the discovery of CCTV footage showing students being assaulted and neglected in seclusion rooms from 2014 to 2017. The rooms were bare, unventilated, and locked from the outside. Staff were seen assaulting students and leaving them in unsanitary conditions. Despite the evidence, some staff members remain employed.[2]

The abuse was discovered through CCTV footage found on 44 memory sticks, showing 39 non-verbal pupils subjected to neglect and abuse. A whistleblower equated the conditions to "torture" and criticized the school’s internal investigations. The Children’s Commissioner for England has called for stricter regulations on seclusion rooms.[3]

The school, which - at the time - catered to over 300 pupils with severe or complex needs, is cooperating with the police and local authorities.[2]

In 2024, despite proven abuse, some staff - who were filmed abusing the students - are still employed at the school and have not been barred from working with children.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Whitefield Schools". Whitefield Academy Trust. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Pupil abuse in special school secure rooms filmed on CCTV". BBC News. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Special school pupils 'tortured' in calming rooms, BBC investigation finds". BBC News. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 30 April 2024.