Whitefield School Walthamstow: Vulnerable children tortured

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Concerns have been raised after footage of staff members abusing autistic children at a special education school in north London has been seen by the BBC.

The CCTV footage shows vulnerable pupils being pinned up against walls, left sitting in vomit and in some cases, pushed and thrown to the ground whilst attending Whitefield School in Walthamstow, part of the Flourish Trust.

Whitefield School Walthamstow

Although a police investigation was launched into the footage taken inside the school’s “calming rooms” between 2014 and 2017, no charges were bought.

However, if yourself, your child or a relative has been a victim of abuse at Whitefield School in Walthamstow, get in touch with Oakwood Solicitors today as we may be able to help. No matter how long ago the abuse occurred, you may be entitled to compensation for your suffering.

Below we break down what went on at Whitefield School, and why you might be entitled to compensation.

Whitefield School Walthamstow – what happened?

According to Whitefield School’s website, it is one of the largest special education schools in Europe, teaching young people between the ages of three and 19 years old. It works with pupils with additional needs including Autism and learning difficulties including communication, speech and language or hearing loss.

However, this year it was revealed that these vulnerable children were often locked in padded rooms, described as being similar to a prison cell, and abused by staff members on numerous occasions.

According to media reports, six employees were proven to have abused 39 children with disabilities between 2014 and 2017, inquiries found. Some footage was seen of staff members hitting and kicking students, as well as children seen self-harming whilst left in the “calming rooms” for hours on end.

Other children were left sitting with no clothes on, and in their own urine after being left unattended for three hours at a time.

This has caused on-going mental health issues for children and young people affected.

Metropolitan Police investigation

The Metropolitan Police have been investigating the footage, which was captured from inside the school between 2014 and 2017, ended this year, but no charges have been brought. An inquiry is understood to be ongoing.

However, although no charges have bee brought, you may still be entitled to claim compensation with the help of Oakwood Solicitors Ltd on a no-win no-fee basis.

The Metropolitan Police said:

“We continue to look at information connected to alleged abuse at a school in Walthamstow between 2014 and 2017. We are committed to keeping children safe and protecting vulnerable people from harm and will investigate all reports of abuse and neglect.”

What did the CCTV show?

Video footage has been seen by the BBC and broadcast for the first time with the approval of six affected families. In one instance, pupils, many of whom were non-verbal we seen being pushed into the ‘calming rooms’ which have been described as being the size of a cupboard, and then injuring themselves for long periods of time.

More footage suggests that staff only intervened when one boy repeatedly threw his shows at the cameras, and when one teaching assistant rushed in, he hit them.

Halima, whose son Abdulahi was placed in the calming rooms at Whitefield School at least twice, said after viewing his treatment: “Is there any humanity in that video?

“Even dogs will not be allowed to be treated like this, forget about humans.”

Another mother, Deborah, told the BBC of her anger at the lack of any prosecutions over what was faced by her son Johnny and other children at the school.

She said:

“For some reason, the CPS wouldn’t take it any further – I don’t understand how, considering what you see on the footage and the amount of other kids it’s happened to as well.

“I just think it’s a cover-up from higher up, because I don’t see how they could get away with this level of abuse of these children and no one’s accountable for it.”

Also speaking out was Laurence, whose nephew Ashley was filmed hitting himself after being left in one of the rooms – throwing shoes at the camera and being struck.

Laurence told the BBC:

“He was a very soft, loving boy – not aggressive in any way.

“I had this glorious idea of what a calming room was, with lights that can be dimmed – I thought it was this really special space.

“To finally see what it was, I was horrified – if I was put into a room where it was like a cupboard, it would just traumatise me.”

Ashley appears in 55 hours of the 500 hours’ footage which has been captured, the most filmed pupil seen in the coverage.

On-going effects of abuse

Parents and relatives of those who were abused have said they are still suffering the affects of what they experienced.

Laurence said of Ashley: “He’s been on a downward spiral ever since Whitefield – the trauma he carries on top of his disabilities means that he can’t function. He’s not been given any help to recover from that trauma.”

His family has said Ashley, who is now 22, was sectioned in 2020 as a result of the time he spent in the calming rooms.

They added that his anxiety has increased so much that he now rubs his head on the carpet leading to sores, while he also recently jumped out of a moving car.

What have experts said?

Elizabeth Swan, a safeguarding expert, has now told the BBC of her shock on seeing the footage and said the children suffered physical and psychological damage.

She said:

“It’s unforgivable – these children have been harmed, they’ve been abused and in many of these cases they’re traumatised. It’s going to be lifelong support these children need.

“How they’re responding to that treatment through self-injurious behaviour, it’s torture.”

And Sir Ian Duncan Smith, whose Chingford and Woodford Green constituency covers the school, branded the scenes ‘horrific’ and called for stronger government guidance on the use of ‘calming rooms’.

He said:

“This is the sort of stuff you just couldn’t imagine going on at all in any place.

‘It should lead to change, there’s no question about that, and the range of change has to be pretty profound with clearer rules on what cannot happen in calming rooms. This is not how any child in Britain should be treated.”

Claiming compensation for abuse at Whitefield School Walthamstow

If yourself or your child has been a victim of abuse at Whitefield School Walthamstow, you may be entitled to claim compensation.

School and educational settings should be safe places where children go to learn and build friendships and positive relationships with the adults who teach them.

However, unfortunately in some cases this does not happen, and children and vulnerable people suffer at the hands of teachers and leaders. In this instance, you may be entitled to claim compensation as educational settings have a duty of care to yourself or your child.

At Oakwood Solicitors Ltd, we have a team of experts who specialise in abuse claims in an educational setting.

This area of the law is highly specialised, and it is important to have a solicitor who has experience pursuing claims for compensation for historic sexual and physical abuse and assault.

Whilst these claims are personal injury claims, there are many aspects that differ from general personal injury claims. You can contact us for a free no-obligation chat. We will advise you whether you are eligible to make a claim and the likely level of damages.

If you decide to pursue the claim we will do all the work for you, keeping you informed at every stage.

How long will my case take to run?

Generally a civil claim for abuse or assaults can be concluded within 6-12 months. We will provide you with regular updates as your claim progresses.

Once we have been able to assess your case, we will give you an idea at the outset of the likely timescale.

It will very much depend on what evidence we need to gather, who we are bringing the claim against and also whether the claim can be settled without court proceedings.

Should I make a claim?

Before deciding whether to pursue a claim, it’s crucial to seek initial legal advice to evaluate the merits of your case. At Oakwood Solicitors Ltd, we offer a free assessment and are happy to discuss your situation at no cost.

If a solicitor determines that your claim has merit, it’s also important to consider the potential impact on your health. Litigation can be a stressful process that may negatively affect your well-being.

While we cannot provide medical advice, we must inform you that pursuing a claim may bring up traumatic memories of the abuse, which could impact your mental health. Please keep in mind that the primary outcome of a successful claim is financial compensation.

While you may hope for answers through litigation, most cases settle out of court, which could leave some of your questions unresolved.

Your doctors may advise that revisiting the trauma could hinder your recovery. The decision to proceed should be made in consultation with your medical advisors and is entirely up to you.

If you choose to move forward with a claim, our team will do everything possible to support you and minimise the stress throughout the process.

Would I have to go to court?

If the case does not settle, then ultimately the matter would proceed to Court where a Judge would make a determination. Most cases, however, do settle out of Court, so although this is an unlikely eventuality, we cannot rule it out as an impossibility.

If you do have any concerns about this during the process of your claim, then we would be happy to discuss this with you and address any concerns you may have.

Why should I use Oakwood Solicitors Ltd?

Oakwood Solicitors Ltd is committed to handling your abuse claim on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis. If your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t owe us anything.

If your claim is successful, we will take a percentage of the compensation, meaning we only receive payment when we have achieved a positive outcome for you.

You will have a dedicated advisor who will manage your claim from start to finish, assisting with any questions or concerns along the way. If you prefer, we can assign a female advisor to handle your case.

Your case handler will also provide regular updates throughout the process, ensuring that your experience is as stress-free and smooth as possible.

Whitefield School Walthamstow: Vulnerable children ‘tortured’ by staff members