An investigation into child sexual abuse revealed that board schools are the “ideal setting for grooming”. Children rely more on staff at boarding schools than they do in non-residential facilities.
According to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, “for some children their residential school may in fact be their home”.
The inquiry focused on residential specialist music schools as well as residential special schools. Children were found to be more at risk for sexual abuse in these schools.
According to the report: “In the special music schools that were surveyed, the power of highly respected and influential music teachers made certain pupils more susceptible to being sexually assaulted by them.”
“When allegations were made or concerns raised, both the musicians as well as the schools were often viewed as more important than the victims and potential victims.
“The response was similar when concerns about well-liked, generally respected members of school staff were raised in both the state and independent sectors.”
The inquiry also examined day schools in which staff were convicted of abusing students or where there were serious safeguarding concerns.
“I didn’t tell anyone because I was so ashamed”
Patrick Sandford was nine years old when he was abused by his school teacher.
Now, he’s a theatre director, who created an award winning production that revealed the horrors of his childhood, which was recently made into a film.
He wrote the play when he was almost 60 because he was ashamed of his past.
“I didn’t tell anyone for 25 years.” Patrick said, “I didn’t tell anyone because I was so ashamed.”
He claimed he knew that the abuse he had suffered was “dirty,” bad, and painful, but didn’t know what to do. He was also afraid to tell teachers.
“For the first year it happened, I endured it, and I got through it. Then, I denied it and pretend that it never happened,” he said.
Patrick says he’s fortunate. He was able escape through the theatre using his imagination and creativity. However, he claims that it would have been just the same to escape into drugs and liquor as those who have suffered from child sexual trauma.
He said, “It’s harmful, because it damages some in the core of a child.”
Patrick said that the teacher who did “terrible thing” to him as an infant, also made him “top in the class”, brought him things, and told my mother that I was brilliant.
He said that he was afraid of people because he couldn’t trust them. I was afraid.”
Patrick, who was involved in the inquiry, wants all young people experiencing abuse to know that they are not alone and to find the strength for them to speak up.
He says that research is needed to prevent future crimes, and not rely on punishment.
“Where is a young adolescent who believes their main attraction to young children? He stated that it is not enough to simply say that police will be given more powers and the sentences will be longer.
“That’s closing down the jail door after the abuse has been done to the child.”
The first phase of the inquiry was about residential music schools. It included Chetham’s School Manchester, Yehudi Menuhin School Surrey, and Purcell School Hertfordshire. Public hearings were held during 2019.
The Royal School Manchester, Southlands School Hampshire, and Appletree School in Cumbria were all examined as residential special schools.
Prioritization of school reputations over victims
The second phase was focused on mainstream schools where allegations of sexual abuse were raised, including a private boarding school and a state school.
These allegations relate to incidents that were alleged to have occurred between the 1960s and 2014.
“In the specialist schools of music, the influence and power of highly respected and influential music teachers made some pupils more susceptible to being sexually abused,” the report stated.
“When allegations were made or concerns raised, both the musicians as well as the schools were often viewed as more important than the victims and potential victims.
“The response was similar when concerns about well-liked, generally respected members of school staff were raised in both the state and independent sectors.”
Twelve schools, including eight that are no longer operational, found that staff and pupils were reluctant to report any sexual abuse.
Ineffective safeguarding of schools
Ineffective safeguarding at schools over the past 20 years was a topic of inquiry. Some testimony suggested that some children still suffer from sexual abuse and harassment by peers.
It was heard that Michael Brewer, Chetham’s School’s former director of music, was “a powerful figure” and had complete control over all matters relating music.
Frances Andrade, a former pupil, took her own life in 2013 after she gave evidence about how Brewer had sexually abused and groomed her.
It was also learned that Christopher Ling (a Chetham violin teacher) abused a number o Chetham pupils between nine and fifteen years old in the 1980s.
The report included several recommendations for improving school safety, 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
•Reintroducing a duty for boarding schools and residential special schools to inform relevant inspectorates of allegations of child sexual abuse and other serious incidents
Professor Alexis Jay, chair of the inquiry, stated that the findings “represent everything that a school should not be.”
She stated, “This must change. These seven recommendations must be implemented to improve the schools’ child protection systems.
