Lowestoft special school criticised for "high use" of physical restraint

"Trustees, governors and leaders have been too slow to take action" an Ofsted report found

A special school has been criticised in an Ofsted report for its "high use" of physical restraint on pupils.

Warren School, in Lowestoft, Suffolk, has been rated "inadequate" and put in special measures by inspectors.

The report found that leaders and governors were "fire-fighting day-to-day issues, rather than bringing about sustained improvements".

The use of restraint "does not create a safe and calm learning environment for pupils and staff", it added.

The school, which is run by the Believe Succeed Engage Trust, caters for pupils, aged three to 19, who have profound and multiple learning difficulties, with a high proportion on the autistic spectrum.

It was inspected over two days in June, when it had 124 pupils on its roll.

Warren School in Lowestoft, Suffolk, opened in 2019 and currently teaches 124 pupils

Since the mixed school opened in February 2019, it has had four head teachers.

The inspection found there was "chronic staffing turbulence" and shortages and that children were sent home when "staffing falls too low" leaving pupils "very distressed".

'Tired and unwelcoming'

It found that pupils became aggressive and violent to each other and staff when they did not get the right support.

A "very high use of physical restraint" was used on pupils with "the most complex needs", it said.

The poor quality of risk assessment and behaviour management had not helped reduce the use physical restraint.

Staff told inspectors they had a "high workload and little time or guidance to undertake this work", did not get breaks and did not feel like they could report their concerns.

"They feel that there is a culture where staff are penalised or rebuked if they do this," the report said.

The condition of the site was found to be "poor" with unsafe areas, such as the swimming pool. Most of the classrooms and outdoor areas were "tired and unwelcoming".

The parent-teacher association was fundraising for an outdoor playground and leaders were bidding for additional funding to improve the quality of the school site.

Ofsted did find that the "day-to-day curriculum planning and provision for older pupils are of a better quality" and parents were "positive" about the work of the current head teacher.