Ampleforth College: Ofsted 'inadequate' rating over secret party

The Roman Catholic boarding school in North Yorkshire has 456 pupils and charges £38,000 a year

A secret end-of-year party at a Roman Catholic boarding school ended with one pupil in hospital and another passed out in an orchard, a report says.

Students at Ampleforth College disabled locks and dodged CCTV cameras to gather within the grounds, Ofsted said.

Inspectors said alcohol was smuggled on to the site near Helmsley, North Yorkshire and Class A drugs were found.

The college said the watchdog's "inadequate" rating was based on "incorrect assumptions".

Ofsted's inspection was prompted when whistleblowers raised safety concerns in the wake of the unofficial graduation bash last year.

It found 81 Year 13 pupils, "frustrated because they were unable to have a graduation party due to COVID-19 restrictions", had left their dormitories to gather at about 02:30 GMT.

"These unsupervised students consumed alcohol that had been brought onto site in secret," it said.

"One student was found unconscious and alone in an orchard, another student was hospitalised because of excess alcohol consumption."

During its inspection visit in late 2021, Ofsted noted arrangements to safeguard pupils remained ineffective.

It highlighted another report of two younger pupils with identified special educational needs and disabilities who took part in "sexual activity during the school day" and were witnessed by one of their peers.

They also expressed worries about the potential for monks, including those accused or convicted of child sexual abuse, to reside in the abbey adjoining the college site.

Ampleforth, which has 456 pupils and charges boarders £38,000 a year, was rated "good" for the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development and its sixth-form facilities.

It said pupils achieved well, with teachers having high expectations of all pupils academically, adding: "During the school day, there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere in classrooms, corridors and outdoors."

Ampleforth College response to Ofsted

• The college said a logged phone call with the student said to be "unconscious in an orchard" demonstrated they were absent for a total of 15 minutes "and were not unconscious"

• Students involved in the party "damaged or disabled" security systems to avoid detection, a "matter of great regret" which was punished in a manner reflecting the seriousness of the incident

• Ofsted's description of pupils engaged in sexual activity is "contrary to the statements of those involved and a witness", with a police report also differing to its account

• The college said it was incorrect to say monks found guilty of child sexual abuse could live in the abbey, with the school and the abbey now "separate institutions with delineated sites and marked boundaries" controlled by multiple security measures

• "All resident monks have enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service clearance", it added

Robin Dyer, head of Ampleforth College, said: "We are deeply disappointed that Ofsted should have produced a report based on a number of incorrect assumptions and factual inaccuracies regarding our safeguarding.

"We have made repeated attempts to correct the facts before the report was published, we do not lightly stand up to our regulator but in this instance the injustice cannot be allowed to stand."

He added: "Ampleforth is a safe school. Our students know it and our parents and staff know it too."