Charity Commission Slams Ampleforth’s Safeguarding Failures
The Charity Commission has blasted two linked North Yorkshire charities – St. Laurence Educational Trust and Ampleforth Abbey Trust – over serious safeguarding failings at Ampleforth College. The inquiry targeted how the school, run by St. Laurence Educational Trust, and Ampleforth Abbey, managed by the Abbey Trust’s monks, looked after vulnerable pupils.
Major Safeguarding and Governance Blunders Uncovered
The damning investigation revealed huge cracks in safeguarding, governance, and management. Trustees repeatedly botched their legal duties, putting students at real risk. The report highlights a catalogue of botched safeguarding incidents and poor oversight that left pupils exposed.
- Communication Breakdown: Shocking gaps between the charities with weak safeguarding committees failed to meet basic safety standards.
- Persistent Safety Failures: St Laurence Educational Trust fell short of independent school rules time and again, dragging its feet on improvements and damaging the college’s reputation.
- Inexperienced Trustees: Ampleforth Abbey’s trustees lacked the know-how and oversight to properly manage safeguarding risks, leaving children vulnerable.
Some Progress Made – But Warning Bells Still Ring
Despite the grim findings, the Commission acknowledged recent efforts to clean up the act. Both charities have strengthened their governance, hired safeguarding experts, and undergone positive inspections. St Laurence snagged a ‘Good’ Ofsted rating and rejoined the Headmaster’s Conference, while Ampleforth Abbey passed a Catholic Safeguarding audit.
Amy Spiller, Head of Investigations at the Charity Commission, said:
“The inquiry found several weaknesses and failures in safeguarding that exposed pupils to risk. Trustees showed a lack of oversight and mismanagement. While progress has been made during the inquiry, maintaining high safeguarding standards and regaining public trust remains essential.”
Charity Commission Calls for Continued Vigilance
The Commission’s report warns both charities must keep safeguarding at the heart of everything they do. Failure to protect vulnerable youngsters risks further harm and the collapse of public confidence in these historic institutions.
