Safeguarding warning issued to trust after death of Sheffield pupil Harvey Willgoose
A formal warning has been placed on St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Trust, by The Department for Education after a review found serious weaknesses in safeguarding
The Department for Education has issued a formal “Notice to Improve” to St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Trust after an independent review found serious safeguarding failures.
The warning comes more than a year after Sheffield pupil Harvey Willgoose was murdered by fellow student Mohammed Umar Khan at All Saints Catholic High School.
The government said that academy trusts have a duty to protect children, follow statutory safeguarding guidance, and ensure that all staff, volunteers, contractors and leaders are suitable to work with children.
The review found that St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Trust had failed to meet these responsibilities.
Harvey’s mother, Caroline Willgoose, welcomed the government’s intervention.
“It means a lot,” she told The Star. “We have felt like we’re banging our head against a wall. They weren’t going to release the report, so this seems to be why the government have stepped in.
“This is the first time the government have issued a notice to improve for safeguarding. I’m so pleased with the news, and that Harvey has not been forgotten.
“He is making a change for children who have a right to feel safe in school.”
The Notice to Improve sets out detailed actions the trust must take to ensure children are safe.
These include reviewing and updating safeguarding policies and making sure there is a clear process to regularly check that policies are followed.
Staff must be trained on safeguarding rules, and the trust must have a designated director or trustee responsible for safeguarding with proper oversight of the leadership team.
The trust must also commission an external review to identify gaps in safeguarding and create a plan to fix any weaknesses.
All recommendations from this review must be considered and either implemented or explained with a written justification to the Department for Education.
Other requirements include making sure systems for moving pupils between schools or reintegrating suspended pupils follow safeguarding rules, and that staff are trained to manage these processes safely.
Evidence of progress must be submitted to the government on strict timescales, and the notice will only be lifted once all conditions are met.
Progress will be closely monitored, and failure to comply could result in further government action, including a revised notice, contractual intervention or termination of the trust’s funding agreement.
Continued non-compliance may also be referred to the Charity Commission.
The department said it will support the trust while improvements are made, maintaining regular contact and providing guidance.
Staff wellbeing is also a priority, and the trust has been encouraged to ensure that support is in place for all staff during this process.
A spokesperson for St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Trust said: “Harvey’s death was a profound tragedy and his loss is remembered every day by our community. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with Harvey’s family.
The Trust is working closely with the DfE in relation to the notice. The DfE has requested that the Trust undertake a number of actions.
“The Trust has confirmed to the DfE that each of the seven requested actions for the Trust to carry out are already underway in line with the various processes that the Trust has been involved in over the last year. The Trust has provided information on these actions and confirmed that we will continue to work closely with the DfE on this process.
“The Board of the Trust will be collaborating with the DfE and other key partners over the coming months to finalise the actions and ensure that the notice is another step in this process as we continuously strengthen and improve best practice. From the outset, we have proactively engaged with the statutory safeguarding agencies and will continue to do so with a clear focus on providing the best possible environment for students.
“Safeguarding will always be our highest priority, and we remain fully committed to supporting our whole community as we move forward together.”
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