School fails safeguarding inspection

A TOP London private school where parents pay £20,000 a year has failed a safeguarding inspection.

Francis Holland girls’ school, in Sloane Square, is one of London’s most prestigious schools, and its headmistress was even named Best Public Head by Tatler magazine in 2021.

However, the school failed to report safeguarding allegations and failed to train staff on peeron-peer abuse, The Times reported.

Accusations were made about students’ behaviour on the website Everyone’s Invited, where people who have suffered sexual abuse can share their stories.

Several allegations from or against pupils were posted to the website before the website removed school names from public display.

Francis Holland Schools has three girls’ schools in total, including other sites in Regent’s Park.

The three schools were also named by Everyone’s Invited as part of an Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. All of the allegations on the website were submitted anonymously.

In December, an inspector found the Sloane Square school had not kept up with safeguarding guidance, although it had updated its safeguarding policy.

The Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) report said: “Staff have not yet received training in identifying and reporting low-level concerns and school procedures for dealing with peer-on-peer abuse.

“The new practices outlined in the revised policy have yet to be embedded.”

The report also found the school failed to promptly raise allegations with a designated council officer when claims were made against school staff.

The ISI keeps an eye on independent schools in the same way Ofsted covers state schools.

The ISI report checked whether the school met key standards set out by the Department for Education and was not a full inspection. The watchdog told the school to refer safeguarding concerns to the right agency promptly and to fully train staff on safeguarding.

The school was also asked to review its policy and practice.

The report also criticised the school’s leadership.

It said: “The proprietor does not ensure that the leadership and management demonstrate good skills and knowledge and fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the other standards are consistently met and they actively promote the wellbeing of the pupils.”

Francis Holland Schools has been contacted for comment.