Ofsted and police investigate new controversy at Stanbridge Earls School

Government inspectors and police are investigating claims that three male teenagers on a school trip took partin a rock climbing activity naked while two female staff members watched.

The fresh allegation has emerged just days after the Daily Echo revealed how Stanbridge Earls school near Romsey is to close towards the end of the year having been at the centre of sex abuse claims.

Ofsted inspectors have been told that on a half-term trip last month to the Rua Fiola Island Exploration Centre in Oban three teenage male pupils rock climbed naked.

It is claimed that the two female members of staff from the £39,000-a-year special school watched and it was alleged one had photographed it.

Both have now quit the school following an internal investigation.

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A Department of Education spokesman confirmed the allegation.

He said: “We have just received advice from Ofsted following an inspection that took place last week.

“Ministers are studying that advice and will announce their decisions about regulatory action very soon.

“It would be wrong to take any decisions until we have studied their findings.

“We are aware that Hampshire County Council and police have been investigating the situation.

“We have spoken to the school who have said that disciplinary action is in hand.”

This comes after a Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal earlier this year found that the school had discriminated against a girl and that staff members failed to tell the youngster's parents that she had complained of pain in an intimate part of her body.

The tribunal found that a vulnerable youngster had suffered “appalling abuse” at the hands of another student, while the school was slammed by panel members for being “unsystematic, unprofessional, ad hoc and completely inadequate” when it came to protecting the youngster, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Detectives from Hampshire police's public protection department are examining whether “further criminal offences” have been committed against other youngsters who have attended the school.

Previous head teacher Peter Trythall stood down in April and the school has announced it will be taken over by another school in December after a drop in pupil numbers led to financial concerns Ofsted inspectors have made several visits, one just last week, but a school spokesman said Ofsted had been made aware of the alleged incident before this visit.

He said there was no allegation that staff facilitated the alleged incident but there were questions about why they failed to report it.

The school confirmed police in Scotland are making inquiries.

The two female staff concerned in the alleged incident both resigned following an internal inquiry, the spokesman said.

He added that headteacher Maggie McMurray had informed the relevant authorities and made a formal complaint to the activities centre.

A spokesman for the centre stressed the alleged incident should be looked at in context.

He said: “Considering the special needs nature of the school, our on-site instructor was looking for a lead from the two female members of the teaching staff who were present throughout this incident.

“While neither intervened, he saw his primary concern as being for the boys' health and safety during the climb.

“This was an awkward and very regrettable incident but there was certainly no harm done to the children.”

He said the centre was clarifying further existing guidelines to staff to prevent future incidents.

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