Pupils at closed Nottinghamshire special school 'left traumatised'

Parents Kerrie (left) and Lindsay say their families are still affected by what happened at Harlow Academy

Parents have said their children were scared to go to a special needs school which closed after a damning report.

Ofsted rated Harlow Academy in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire - then run by the Evolve Trust - inadequate following a visit in January.

Three women have now described how their children became more aggressive, were in tears at drop-offs and lost mobility due to being strapped down.

Authorities admitted serious failings and have pledged to make changes.

The school has been renamed and taken over by another trust

Harlow Academy catered for pupils aged three to 18 with severe or profound learning difficulties. Many also had additional physical disabilities.

Ofsted's report said: "Staff do their best to care and provide for the complex needs of pupils but there are not enough staff to make sure that all pupils are properly cared for.

"The lack of staff leaves pupils at imminent risk of harm."

In June a review by the Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (NSCP) spoke of a "shocking picture of the decline of the quality of care of children", which went "to a point where the school was not safe for the children".

It also acknowledged "considerable hurt and anger in the parent and carer community about what has happened".

'I worry all the time'

The school closed following the report but has since reopened as Fountaindale School, under a new trust.

But the legacy of what happened is still affecting three families, who spoke to the BBC.

Kerrie's son, Aaron, has congenital myotonic dystrophy, is non-verbal and a full-time wheelchair user.

She said: "He was crying when I dropped him off to school, did not want me to leave him.

"Physically he would hit me more because he can be aggressive when he can't express what's wrong with him, so he started getting more violent at home.

"He just didn't want to go to school. Dropping him off at school was horrendous."

She added: "The council need to take responsibility.

"Our children have an [Education, Health and Care Plan], they have a legal responsibility to our children and they did nothing.

"They did not stand up for us, they did not step in."

Another parent who asked to remain anonymous said: "In order to keep people safe my child had to stay strapped in their wheelchair all day, despite being capable to walk around the classroom.

"As a result their physical mobility deteriorated significantly and their muscles have all tightened to a point where they now find it much harder to walk and we need to have more equipment in place to stretch out their muscles."

She said parents went to several official organisations but concerns "fell on deaf ears".

"It's really affected us as a family. I don't trust anyone looking after my child. I worry all the time about their future and their behaviour," she said.

Lindsay's son Kye has the same condition as Aaron and also has ADHD and autism.

She said "There was no response from anyone. It was a brick wall constantly.

"No-one will take responsibility."

"Just because the children can't tell us what truly happened, it can't be ignored," she added.

Ofsted said the lack of staff had put pupils at imminent risk of harm

The NSCP said: "All of those who are involved in commissioning of services or providing care for young people with complex needs has a duty to provide good standards of care and keep children as safe as they can be.

"We would like to reassure families that the partnership is committed to making sure that children are kept safe.

"We are working together to ensure that all of the recommendations for the individual Nottinghamshire agencies and the partnership are swiftly actioned."

Warren Carratt, CEO of Nexus Multi Academy Trust, which took over the school said: "The factors that contributed to the circumstances and experience of pupils, families and staff at Harlow were simply unacceptable and it is imperative that the education sector works together to ensure a situation like this never occurs again, at any school."