Ampleforth College is a £36,000-a-year Catholic boarding school. It claims to be "the world's foremost co-educational Catholic boarding and day school for students aged 11 to 18".

Scandal has surrounded the private school in recent years.

An independent inquiry into child sexual abuse published a highly critical report in August 2018. The report said: "appalling sexual abuse [was] inflicted over decades on children as young as seven".

The school was found to have "prioritised the monks and their own reputation over the protection of children".

Cuthbert Madden, the abbot of Ampleforth Abbey (which is attached to the school), stepped down from his post in 2016. His resignation followed allegations he indecently assaulted pupils. Madden has denied the claims.

In February 2020, former Ampleforth College monk Peter Turner, 80 was jailed for more than 20 years. He was found guilty of sexually abusing a number of students in the 1980′ and 90's.

The Department for Education (DfE) sent a letter to the North Yorkshire school's proprietor on Nov 27 as part of an enforcement action. In the letter Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told the school to stop accepting new pupils to "safeguard the education and well-being of children".

"The SoS [Secretary of State] also had regard to the fact that that the school is failing to meet the ISS [Independent School Standards], including standards relating to safeguarding and leadership and management, and in his view, these failings are considered to be very serious."

The letter did say the school had "some willingness" to improve since 2018 - including adding new leadership. But, Mr Williamson ruled the college's progress had been "too slow" and "insufficient".

Ampleforth has said it will appeal against the ruling because the order is "unjustified and based on incorrect information".

A spokesperson for the college said, "We will be appealing this on the basis that we believe it is unjustified and based on incorrect information."

"As far as we are concerned, we will continue to educate our students to the very high standards they are used to in a safe and supportive environment. We have lodged a complaint to Ofsted and await the outcome of that complaint."

In February 2020, former Ampleforth College monk Peter Turner, 80 - who continued to abuse young boys after confessing to having sexual contact with a pupil - was jailed for more than 20 years.

Sources

The Tablet

The Guardian

Sky

Ampleforth's trustees say the leadership of the independent boarding school should revert to a lay-person.

It said Ms Rowe, who takes over from current Headmaster, Fr Wulstan Peterburs, will balance academic standards with pastoral care and will focus on ensuring that the pupils are educated and empowered so that they know how to safeguard themselves. Read more

The UK Charities Commission said the Abbey had lost its pupil welfare responsibilities "as a result of continued concerns about the extent to which current safeguarding risks to pupils at the schools run by the [Ampleforth] charities are being adequately managed".

The Charities Commission is particularly concerned about the boarding school's management of sex-abuse allegations.

The allegations were made against 40 monks and teachers who had previously lived or worked at Ampleforth's secondary and preparatory schools and adjacent religious community.

The Commission says Ampleforth has not improved its policies enough since an inquiry into the Abbey and the St Laurence Education Trust (which runs the schools) was launched in 2016.

Harvey Grenville, head of investigations and enforcement at the Charity Commission, said: "It is of paramount importance that beneficiaries and others who come into contact with charities are protected from harm.

"We are not satisfied that the trustees of these charities have made enough progress in improving the safeguarding environment for pupils in the schools connected to the charities".

A specialist charity lawyer has been appointed as interim manager of both charities.

In a statement, the Abbey said the move would ensure "all our beneficiaries are able to flourish and thrive, reaching their full potential in a safe environment and protected from harm".

The Ampleforth preparatory school announced its closure earlier this year.

Source

• The Guardian
• The Telegraph
• Image: Flickr