School Deemed 'Inadequate' Following Safety Concerns

Seaforth Special School Criticised for Safety Failings and Unlawful Suspensions

A special needs school in Merseyside has been rated “inadequate” by Ofsted following serious concerns over pupil safety, educational standards, and improper behaviour management practices.

Educ8 Liverpool, an independent special school located on Elm Road in Seaforth, received the lowest possible rating from inspectors, who concluded that despite some students feeling safe, the school does not adequately protect them.

“Even though pupils may feel safe at this school, they are not,” the inspection report stated.

The review highlighted multiple safeguarding failures, most notably the school’s inability to accurately track attendance, making it “impossible” to know which students were on site at any given time.

In response to the findings, a spokesperson for the school said that “immediate action” was underway and staff were working to address the issues raised.

Educ8 Liverpool supports young people who have experienced prolonged absence from formal education, many of whom have special educational needs. The school was previously rated as “requires improvement” in July 2023, but its performance has since declined.

Among the most serious issues identified were the use of what inspectors described as “unlawful suspensions,” where pupils were sent home to “cool off” without the appropriate disciplinary procedures. Ofsted said this posed a “significant risk” to children’s safety.

While the report did recognise some positive outcomes – including a number of students achieving qualifications in English and maths – it noted that expectations for pupils were too low and outcomes were inconsistent.'

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, inspectors were particularly concerned that pupils were sometimes removed from class due to behavioural issues, causing them to miss valuable learning time.

“Added to this, weaknesses in the culture and practice of safeguarding mean that the school does not fulfil its duties to protect pupils from harm,” Ofsted concluded.

Despite the concerns, inspectors did acknowledge that students who attended regularly benefited from supportive relationships with staff and were often able to overcome academic challenges in a nurturing environment.