Heart of the Forest: parents call for answers from school

The allegations have been made about Heart of the Forest school in Coleford

Former staff and parents at a SEND school say they "don't know where to turn" over safety concerns.

Among those calling for answers from Heart of the Forest in Coleford, Gloucestershire, are parents of an autistic boy who went missing from the school.

Richard and Kathleen say they haven't been told the whole truth about how Seb, 7, ended up on a main road.

The county council said any issues are to be dealt with by school governors.

Heart of the Forest has come under scrutiny for what some say is a "toxic culture of bullying and intimidation".

The issue was raised at a council meeting last month where the authority said it has worked with the school and responded to all parents who've raised concerns.

The chair of governors has also said keeping children safe is the school's priority.

Seb went missing from the school in late 2018

Richard and Kathleen moved their son, now 12, from the school after the incident in 2018.

Seb, who is non-verbal, was found by members of the public walking along a main road being overtaken by heavy traffic.

His parents claim they weren't told until the end of the school day and those in charge played down the seriousness of the incident - a response they are not satisfied with.

Despite numerous meetings with the council and school since, they believe they haven't been told the whole truth of what happened that day.

"The Biffa van had to come out of its lane to avoid my son," Kathleen said.

"It's my worst nightmare that he could get out on his own."

The school produced a report, but Seb's parents believe those in charge should leave their posts.

The family took him out of the school claiming they were never given the right support, information or help and now believe that the senior leadership team should be replaced.

Ian Scott left at the end of 2020 and said he had people knocking on his door, asking for help.

A new headteacher took over in 2018 - and since then, the BBC has seen a letter sent to the council alleging more than 80 staff have left - which is more than the total number of staff at the school.

Ian Scott worked at the school as a teacher for more than 30 years and says he had a "wonderful" career at the school.

"It was hard to get a job there because people stayed, it was a very very happy environment," he said.

"Suddenly we go from that to people either leaving en masse or being forced out."

The former teacher was also the National Education Union (NEU) rep and feels there is currently "no accountability" for senior figures in the school.

'Closed loop'

"All the power is in the hands of the governing body, so the local authorities default setting is we've spoken to the governors, [unless] Ofsted point out a glaring error, there's nothing [they] can do," he said.

"There's this closed loop."

A recent Ofsted report in May 2023 saw the school retain its 'good' rating and found that safeguarding was "effective".

However, GMB Union reps allege a recent staff survey revealed members feel "unsafe" and "under pressure" due to a lack of staffing.

"We do believe that we need to identify somebody who is prepared to take some form of responsibility for what's been going on," said regional GMB organiser Katja Laug.

"This kind of staff turnover has now created a situation at the school where staff feel under a lot of pressure to cover.

"There is understaffing which my members tell me makes them feel unsafe, it puts them under enormous pressure and it creates safeguarding issues everybody is very worried about."

A spokesperson for Gloucestershire County Council said it "takes complaints seriously", investigates each and every complaint separately and has "worked with The Heart of the Forest" to investigate.

They added that council staff "met with parents to hear their concerns."

Chair of the Board of Governors, Miles Johansen, said: "Safeguarding students is always the school's top priority so any and all concerns raised with the school are looked into."

Speaking on behalf of the authority, Councillor Philip Robinson said there was very little the council could do legally regarding the issues raised at the September meeting.

All staffing enquiries, of any nature, are not something the county council can get involved with, he added.