The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has published a report into child sexual abuse in residential schools in England and Wales based on evidence about incidents at 13 schools and a further eight schools which are no longer operating. The report finds that: schools responded inadequately to allegations against their staff and in some cases there was a culture which discouraged reporting; and some headteachers who were unaware of current statutory guidance or did not understand their role in responding to allegations against staff. Recommendations include: setting nationally accredited standards and levels of safeguarding training in schools; making the highest level of safeguarding training mandatory for headteachers, designated safeguarding leads and designated safeguarding governors; and reintroducing a duty on boarding schools and residential special schools to inform the relevant inspectorate of allegations of child sexual abuse and other serious incidents.
Read the news story: Schools reluctant to report child sexual abuse by staff and pupils, report finds
Read the report: The residential schools investigation (PDF)
Source: IICSA
Date: 01 March 2022
