Headteacher at SEN school with ‘culture of discrimination’ steps down

The head of an inadequate-rated school for children with additional needs is stepping down, citing a period of ill health as behind her decision. The Long Ditton school was given the lowest possible rating this month after Ofsted visited the school, with Surrey County Council also suspending new placements at the school.

Its headteacher, Joy Wemms, has taken the decision to step down, according to a spokesperson for the school. They added the school would be recruiting for a new headteacher following the decision.

Inspectors ^[1] said Wemms Education Centre, a school for children who have struggled with mainstream education, many of them with additional needs, had a “culture of discrimination and inequality” which goes unaddressed. The report, published after a visit in May which was requested “as promptly as possible” by the Department for Education, also said pupils “fear reprisals” and that the school had a “negative culture” across staff, pupils and parents.

Find out more about Surrey’s hardest primary and secondary schools to get into ^[3]

Surrey County Council’s leader, Councillor Tim Oliver (Conservative, Weybridge ^[4]), confirmed to the LDRS that the authority had placed around 80 children at the £50,000-a-year school.

A spokesperson for Wemms said new trustees were also being brought in, and that the school ^[5] was aiming to rely less on contractors and more on permanent staff.

The spokesperson said: “As part of the action plan developed in response to our most recent Ofsted ^[6] report, a great deal of work is being undertaken to add further experience and capacity to the school’s leadership team.” A new interim chief executive, Duncan Murphy, who started in the role in September, previously said the school would “focus on what matters the most” and on reflecting, learning and ensuring all children there had “the best possible experience”.

Inspectors said some pupils were subject to “racial and homophobic slurs and sexualised language and behaviours” with leaders not showing the “capacity to lead and improve the school”. Cllr Oliver said until the county council was “satisfied that appropriate steps have been taken” to address Ofsted’s concerns, the council would not be placing new children at the school ^[7].

While he said there did seem to be a “cultural problem within the leadership” Cllr Oliver also pointed to results and outcomes which were “outstanding for a number of children” at the school. He added: “It’s certainly not a school where we feel children are not safe. We’re trying to manage that with parents who have genuine concerns for their child, but our hope would be the school can address those Ofsted issues ^[8] and continue to operate.”

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References

^{^} Inspectors (files.ofsted.gov.uk)
^{^} Inspectors say ‘inadequate’ SEN school has unaddressed ‘culture of discrimination and inequality’ (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
^{^} Surrey’s hardest primary and secondary schools to get into (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
^{^} Weybridge (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
^{^} school (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
^{^} Ofsted (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
^{^} placing new children at the school (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
^{^} Ofsted issues (www.getsurrey.co.uk)
^{^} here. (data.reachplc.com)