Schools

DfE bans former head of ‘holistic’ AP school after Ofsted safety concerns

Ofsted inspectors found pupils at the Devon school could access nearby train tracks and industrial units

Ofsted inspectors found pupils at the Devon school could access nearby train tracks and industrial units

The former head of a private alternative provision where Ofsted found pupils could access nearby train tracks and industrial units has been banned from running schools.

Victoria Poole-Birrell was proprietor and headteacher of Colours Academy in Ivybridge, Devon, which closed on the government’s orders in January 2022, two years after opening.

The school aimed to provide an “holistic, nurturing approach to learning” for pupils who struggled in mainstream settings.

The closure order followed a damning Ofsted inspection in September 2021, which warned pupils were able to access dangerous areas. It also said the school’s curriculum was “poor”.

Poole-Birrell has hit back, saying the inspection left her experiencing “panic attacks and physical illness” and contemplating suicide. She also said she had not been given a chance to prove the school had improved.

Ofsted raised safety concerns

Announcing the decision to bar her from managing independent schools last week, the Department for Education said her conduct “demonstrates that [she] poses a risk to children”.

It accused her of “failure to take reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of children and staff is adequately maintained” and to enforce mandatory safeguarding measures.

The DfE accused her of “a pattern…of behaviours that individually do not amount to serious misconduct, but when considered together, highlight [her] unsuitability” to manage independent schools”.

The 50-pupil Colours Academy “aim[ed] to provide unique, alternative education for children aged 11-18”.

But inspectors rated it ‘inadequate’ for leadership and management and quality of education, and ‘requires improvement’ for behaviour and attitudes and personal development. 

They found it did not meet the independent school standards.

“Leaders have failed to create an effective culture of safeguarding,” said the 2021 report. “As a result, some pupils do not disclose serious concerns about their safety to staff.”

‘Pupils can access the high-speed railway line’

It added that the school site was “unsafe”. 

“Pupils can gain access to the neighbouring industrial units through an unlocked door where electrical wiring is exposed…[they] can access the high-speed mainline railway line through a broken fence.”

“Scalding water” was also accessible, and “dangerous chemicals” were left unlocked in the staff kitchen, while fire prevention arrangements were “not fit for purpose”.

It rated the quality of education as “poor”, with a curriculum “not designed to meet the needs of all pupils”.

The report said some parents had a “positive view” of the school. But leaders did not provide staff with the training needed “to meet the social, emotional and academic needs of the pupils attending”.

Poole-Birrell is banned from managing an independent school, and from being a trustee or governor at a local authority-maintained school.

Head said school worked to meet recommendations

She defended her record, telling Schools Week “nobody came to harm at Colours Academy”. 

The school “worked tirelessly for four months” to meet Ofsted’s recommendations. It created a “detailed” action plan, but this was rejected.

Poole-Birrell said the school’s closure meant “50 families had lost the provision that was there for them when nobody else was”.

“I was stamped on for trying to make a difference in a system that is falling apart”

“Why was Colours not given the opportunity of a re-inspection? They were given all the evidence … showing anything that was disputed during the visit had been amended.

“I was stamped on for trying to make a difference in a system that is falling apart at the seams, my reputation and children’s welfare crippled in the process”.

Colours catered for children who struggled in the mainstream, but did not meet the criteria for specialist provision, Poole-Birrell said.

“We were their in-between place.”

Ofsted ‘rude’ and caused ‘panic attacks’

The school had begun as “a flexible provision offering small-group tuition for home-educated children”.

But when families “flocked” to the organisation “for its holistic, nurturing approach to learning”, wanting their children to attend full-time, Poole-Birrell registered it as an independent school.

“This would later become my greatest regret.”

Poole-Birrell also criticised the inspectors’ conduct, saying they “stormed in … with an agenda”. 

“They were rude, sarcastic, often refused to make eye contact, slammed doors, and spoke down to younger members of staff.”

She said the word Ofsted “has not only caused me panic attacks and physical illness, but pushed me to contemplate the need for me to be on this planet”.

She complained about the conduct of inspectors, but her concerns were “shrugged off”.

Ofsted said it did not comment on individual complaints, and that it stood by its report.

Samaritans are available 365 days a year. You can reach them on free call number 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find your nearest branch.

Education Support runs a confidential helpline for education staff and teachers – call 08000 562 561. 

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