Ofsted should have inspected a special school where severely disabled children were left to go hungry three months earlier than it did, a damning safeguarding investigation has suggested. Health staff sounded the alarm 20 times about concerning practice at Harlow Academy, including inappropriate use of restraint and failure to provide mobility equipment, Nottinghamshire’s safeguarding review revealed. But Ofsted did not inspect the school until three months later. The review also criticised the response of other authorities who were “waiting” for the inspectorate to act, meaning multiple opportunities to intervene were missed. The review also found the academy commissioning process to appoint the Evolve Trust to run the school was 鈥渇lawed鈥. A Schools Week investigation revealed parents first blowed the whistle about safeguarding failures at the school in September 2021. Unpublished documents we obtained revealed that, when inspectors eventually visited in January 2022, they found 鈥渄isturbing鈥 neglect with children left to go hungry and contained in classrooms. The school, attended by some of the most vulnerable pupils in England, also had chronic understaffing 鈥 despite the Evolve Trust sitting on reserves of 拢6 million. After our investigation and the safeguarding review, government is now revising how it matches special schools with academy sponsors. Meanwhile Ofsted is reviewing how it and other agencies identify concerns about pupil’s safety in schools. 鈥楽ufficient information for October inspection鈥 An by Colin Green, commissioned by Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Children Partnership, said the evidence presented a 鈥渟hocking picture of decline of the quality of care鈥 at Harlow. While there was no legal duty for the NSCP to undertake a review, they felt it was 鈥渢he right thing to do鈥. His review found there was 鈥渟ufficient information鈥 for Ofsted to undertake a no notice inspection in early October 2021 and it is 鈥渦nclear why they waited鈥. Our February investigation During autumn, Nottinghamshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (NHFT) staff reported 20 incidents of concern including inappropriate use of restraint and failure to provide mobility equipment during autumn 2021. But discussions between Nottinghamshire Council, Ofsted and the regional schools commissioner (RSC) on a no-notice inspection 鈥渄id not lead to any action鈥 in September 2021. Agencies were ‘waiting for Ofsted’ During October, there were more incidents but there was 鈥渘o response鈥 from Ofsted 鈥渙ther than to acknowledge the concerns鈥 and 鈥渟ay they were dealing with them鈥. Healthcare staff even reported incidents in November to the NSPCC 鈥 which was 鈥渘ot an appropriate action鈥 but showed how 鈥渋ncreasingly distressed鈥 they were getting. The health team left the school in late autumn in a 鈥渟ignificant鈥 move showing 鈥渢he complete breakdown of relationships鈥 with the school. The council鈥檚 decision to undertake a safeguarding review of the school 鈥渋nfluenced鈥 Ofsted鈥檚 move to not inspect, the report states. But the council review was abandoned when they realised the review focused on policy and not practice at the school. There was 鈥渁 sense that other agencies were waiting for Ofsted to inspect and did not initiate their own programme of action to address the multiple areas of concern about the care of children鈥, the review states. It added that 鈥渧ery few of those working in the system fully understood how systems of accountability worked and who was ultimately responsible for what鈥. The NSCP has suggested Ofsted should look at whether they need to overhaul how they respond to concerns about a school outside of the normal inspection cycle. Ofsted is now 鈥渓ooking carefully鈥 at the way they 鈥渋n conjunction with other agencies, identify concerns around children鈥檚 safety and care in schools鈥. A spokesperson added: “Our inspections are one way of highlighting problems where it is for other agencies with statutory responsibilities for safeguarding to take action. And this review highlights the importance of those agencies acting quickly when concerns are raised.” ‘Flawed’ academy matching process The 鈥減rocess and decision鈥 to select Evolve Trust as Harlow鈥檚 sponsor 鈥渨as flawed鈥, the review found. Most of the discussions were around 鈥渇inancial and property matters鈥 and there was a 鈥減ossibly arrogant view鈥 Evolve 鈥渉ad the skills and capacity to provide a high standard of care and education鈥 at Harlow. The report found that neither the ESFA nor the regional schools commissioner had 鈥渁 clear mechanism to gather disparate intelligence鈥 about care and education at Harlow. An academy handbook given to parents in 2021 said medical appointments would be treated as unauthorised absences, which the review deemed as 鈥渋nappropriate for the children it serves鈥. A number of parents said they were 鈥渓ied to鈥 by senior members of the Harlow Academy management, the review adds. 鈥淭he response to the carers whose child was restrained by their coat being attached to their chair was that nothing of concern had happened.鈥 Parents rallied together in November to push for change, but they 鈥渉ad to be secretive鈥 as they felt trust leaders did not want them to meet each other. Critical comments about the school were met with suggestions of moving their child to another school or home education, which 鈥渇elt almost like a threat鈥, the report states. Ministers ‘recognise process needs to strengthened’ The school was temporarily closed when Ofsted inspected in January last year, before Greenwood Academy Trust and Nexus Multi Academy Trust were sent in to improve the school. DfE told the review they 鈥渞ecognised they need to strengthen their process鈥 for matching special schools to sponsors. This includes 鈥渟eeking views from SEND advisers in the case of special schools鈥. The department鈥檚 own review found an external safeguarding review may be needed for schools converting to academies after being rated inadequate due to safeguarding issues. A spokesperson said its new commissioning high quality trust guidance sets out how they take decisions about academy trusts. It is also introducing a revised data sharing agreement with Ofsted to support better safeguarding and complaint information sharing. The council said they will 鈥渨ork closely鈥 with other agencies to implement relevant recommendations, such as how intelligence could be 鈥渞outinely gathered and analysed鈥.