‘Rotten to the core’ flagship Steiner school to close
Academy’s new leadership decides shutting down is only option after criticism from Ofsted and parents
A FLAGSHIP Steiner school is to close amid fears over child safety, after it emerged that parents who tried to raise the alarm about safeguarding lapses had been sent gagging letters. The Rudolf Steiner School Kings Langley (RSSKL) has told parents it will close at the end of term following a string of damning Ofsted reports.
Steiner schools, often favoured by liberal-minded middle-class parents, focus on creativity and imagination and the “spiritual philosophy” of Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian social reformer.
Parents alleged the school tried to cover up its failings by intimidating those who voiced unease about some of its activities. When they raised concerns about the behaviour of one of the teachers, Denis Mccarthy, they were sent threatening legal letters.
In one letter from solicitors in 2014, they were told to sign a series of conditions and warned that failure to do so would result in their child being removed from the school. They were warned not to continue “unfounded allegations” about Mr Mccarthy and later some were sent anonymous letters stating: “We know where you live. We know your children and where they go.”
One parent told The Daily Telegraph that the school’s management presided over a “culture of secrecy” that was “rotten to the core”. They said: “The school just tried to cover up and defend the previous cover up. They narrowed, delayed and then stopped an investigation that they needed to have. There is a misguided culture of protecting the institution rather than the children.”
Another parent added: “The failures of the school have put children at risk and made our lives hell.”
The school’s most recent Ofsted report noted that “the culture for safeguarding pupils at the school was not strong enough” and that leaders had “underestimated and downplayed these inadequacies”.
Mr Mccarthy was dismissed for gross misconduct in January 2017, but the school did not tell parents until August. Mr Mccarthy denied any wrongdoing and told The Daily Telegraph the complaints “had no basis in reality”, adding the school had settled his claim for unfair and wrongful dismissal.
Ordered by the Department for Education to close, RSSKL said last year it would fight this at a tribunal. However, this week trustees wrote to parents to say the school would close.
A spokesman acknowledged that the legal letters had been “inappropriate”.
“This letter was sent four years ago under former leadership, none of whom have been involved with the school for years,” the spokesman said.
“It is a matter of record that the recent leadership apologised to children and families who were let down by the school for a range of past failings. The school’s current leadership has always sought to be open with parents.”