Mossbourne leaders defend approach to pupils’ wellbeing as safeguarding review looms

Peter Hughes: CEO of the Mossbourne Federation, a multi-academy trust

Leaders from a multi-academy trust in Hackney have defended their approach and commitment to the “safety and wellbeing” of school pupils amid allegations from parents of “serious harm” to their children.

Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy (MVPA) is facing an investigation by City and Hackney’s children’s safeguarding commissioner, Jim Gamble, after hundreds of reports emerged from families concerned over the impact of the school’s strict behaviour policy.

First revealed by the Observer last month, the allegations include accounts of first-year pupils being “screamed at” by senior leaders, along with five reports of secondary-school-age children “with no prior incontinence issues” soiling themselves.

Other claims include one parent who was “devastated” that concerns over their child’s suicidal thoughts were not taken seriously, and a pupil with an anxiety disorder, known to the school, being publicly berated about their hair by their teacher and sent home to have their fringe cut.

In light of the reports, letters were sent to parents by both Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy’s principal, Matthew Toothe, and Peter Hughes, the chief executive of Mossbourne Federation, the multi-academy trust to which the school belongs.

The Citizen previously asked the school to share the letter sent by Matthew Toothe ahead of the Observer‘s report. This was refused as it was claimed to be “private correspondence”.

Now, both the original letter and more recent correspondence from Toothe and the trust’s CEO Peter Hughes (dated 12 December) has been shared by parents with the Citizen.

Below are both letters in full:

Friday 22nd November 2024

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to inform you that the academy has been approached for a response to a newspaper piece that we understand is going to be published by the Observer this weekend.

We are led to believe that the piece will make allegations of emotionally abusive behaviour at the academy. I am writing to you ahead of the piece being published: firstly, because I simply believe this is the right thing to do as you are the community we serve and you deserve this courtesy; secondly, because I know you will not recognise the characterisation of our academy that the piece will likely seek to portray as, if you do, you would not be sending your child here; and thirdly, to reassure you of how seriously we take any concerns relating to the safety and wellbeing of our students.

From what we are led to believe, this piece may contain information that is factually incorrect, amongst other things regarding the diversity of the student body that we are proud to serve. Indeed – and as I have mentioned in the past – Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy is proud to serve a significantly above average number of students with SEND and EHCPs who achieve exceptionally well; outcomes are not only significantly above the national average for this group but well above the national average for all groups of students. It is not simply the academic outcomes of our students that we are proud of; it is the fact that they leave Year 11 with the skills and confidence to lead successful lives as articulate, happy, and independent young adults.

Allegations that we are led to believe will be included in this piece have already been shared with numerous public bodies including the Local Authority, the Department for Education, and Ofsted. We have also in recent months welcomed visits to the academy from local councillors, senior figures in both Hackney Education and Hackney Children’s Social Care, and leaders from a number of other schools. I would like to take this opportunity to reassure you that in none of the external reviews that have been conducted of the academy have concerns about safeguarding been found. In fact, the opposite, with Ofsted writing ‘Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Staff are vigilant in identifying and reporting concerns. There is a large and highly trained safeguarding team which ensures support is put in place for pupils in a timely manner’. We work proactively with a variety of external organisations to support our students’ mental health and wellbeing including A Space Counselling, Wellbeing and Mental Health in Schools (WAMHS) which is led by the City and Hackney CAMHS Alliance, and Young Hackney.

It goes without saying that we take any concerns raised by parents and carers seriously and we investigate them fully and so I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the ways in which you can get in touch with the leadership team should you ever have any concerns. Academy leaders are on the academy gate every morning and every evening; there is a weekly parent surgery that can be booked by telephoning our reception; and where necessary we have a robust complaints policy that is available on our website.

Indeed, it is vital that if you are concerned about your child – or any child – that you contact the academy. We can only help and support if we know there is a problem. We continuously remind students about the importance of communicating with an adult if they have any concerns. It is important to highlight that if you are ever concerned about raising an issue with the academy directly, you know who else you could seek to raise these with. These include: the CEO of the Mossbourne Federation, the Governing Body, and for a serious safeguarding concern, the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).

When the piece is published, should you have any specific questions that you wish to discuss, please do not hesitate to speak with any member of the leadership team.

We believe this piece has come about as a result of a vexatious campaign against the academy that has been going on for approaching a year now. The person leading this campaign has declined to engage with the academy’s complaints process or to meet with the academy on this matter, including offers of mediation with senior local authority figures. Despite the concerns this person has about the alleged behaviour of the academy, they chose to send their next child here.

Additionally, this person has repeatedly contacted some of my colleagues on their personal social media accounts which they have found both upsetting and distressing. Many staff at the academy are also upset by the apparent vexatious nature of the allegations that are distracting them from being able to do the job they love: educating, caring for, and serving the children.

Just as I wrote to you when I first became principal of this wonderful school, I am extremely proud and feel privileged to be able to work with a hugely dedicated group of colleagues – and to lead, guide and support our incredible students to achieve fantastic outcomes, both academic and social. I am therefore deeply saddened that it is likely that a piece is going to be published in a national newspaper that may not only fail to capture the huge achievements of the students who attend here but instead may seek to detract from them.

As a community, we must remain steadfast in our belief in the power of the Mossbourne ethos. I want to thank you for your continued support of the academy, our staff, and most importantly the students. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Academy Production of Grease this evening and wish you all a good weekend.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Toothe, Principal

—

Friday 12 December 2024

Dear Parents and Carers,

We write about a matter that you may see reported in the media in the coming days. The City & Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership (CHCSP) has informed us by phone and text that it will be conducting either a safeguarding review or an inquiry of Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy (MVPA). At this point in time, we have received limited communication. We want to keep you informed of what we know so far.

First and foremost, we remain fully committed to the safety and wellbeing of all our students. The wellbeing of your children and keeping them safe is at the heart of everything we do, and we take our responsibilities in this area incredibly seriously.

It is important to note that, like all schools, MVPA is regularly reviewed by all statutory safeguarding bodies. These bodies have consistently reported no concerns with our safeguarding practices. In fact, in our last Ofsted report, inspectors highlighted the effectiveness of our safeguarding stating that: “Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Staff are vigilant in identifying and reporting concerns. There is a large and highly trained safeguarding team…” The decision and timing of the CHCSP to conduct this review/inquiry, following media coverage, raises questions about why established statutory processes are now being dismissed or bypassed.

Despite making numerous requests to the CHSCP for information, we have not received any explanation of the need for a safeguarding review/inquiry. Furthermore, the CHCSP has not allowed us to attend meetings as an observer nor have they asked us for any information or evidence before deciding that a review/inquiry is necessary. This deeply concerns us as it limits the opportunity for transparency and constructive dialogue and prevents the CHCSP from making a fair assessment of the reality of the situation at our academy.

We do not recognise the portrayal of the academy and believe that this review/inquiry has been driven by a broader cultural debate about discipline in schools.

While we acknowledge that we are not perfect, that there are things we can do better and that some parents and carers may find our rules too strict, we pride ourselves on creating an environment that is calm, safe and focused on learning. It is this environment that ensures our students thrive. To create this environment, we have made no secret of the fact that we are unapologetically strict, we are firm, and we have high standards, and we are all these things because we care deeply about your children. We reward students when they do well, and they receive sanctions and are reprimanded when they break the rules. This is the culture of our academy.

We are hugely grateful for the overwhelming support from the large numbers of you who are angry and upset about the portrayal of the academy in the media. Many current and former parents and students have expressed their faith in the academy. A letter of support, signed by numerous members of our community, has been sent to the press, and we thank all members of our community, past and present, who continue to stand by the staff who work so hard to provide our students with an outstanding education that goes beyond the classroom.

We also want to remind everyone that the decision to entrust a child to a school reflects a belief in that school’s ability to care for and educate them. Our attendance figures remain exceedingly strong and strikingly higher than the national average rate of attendance; a testament to the confidence parents place in us. School places are available in many very good Hackney schools, and the fact that so many parents and students continue to choose MVPA is confirmation that we have created a supportive, effective and safe school environment.

We take any concerns raised by parents and carers seriously and we investigate them fully. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the ways in which you can reach out to us. Whilst we do not communicate via email, academy leaders are on the academy gate every morning and every evening. You can ring the academy and ask to speak to your child’s Form Tutor, Subject Teachers, or Head of Year. Alternatively, you can book to attend one of our parent surgeries. Where necessary, we have a robust complaints policy available on the school website. It is vital you contact the academy in the first instance so any issue you have can be addressed. We can only help if we know.

If you are ever concerned about raising an issue with the academy directly, then you can contact the Governing Body, and for a serious safeguarding concern, the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).

Please be assured that during this review/inquiry we will continue to deliver high-quality education and support to our students. Our focus is always on the wellbeing of our students, staff, and wider school community and we will continue to support each other. We have created a wonderful school at MVPA.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours faithfully,

M Toothe
Principal, Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy

P Hughes
Chief Executive Officer, Mossbourne Federation