Stanbridge Earls School
Main school building, viewed from the rear
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| Motto | "Building confidence – Achieving success" |
|---|---|
| Established | 15 September 1952 |
| Closed | 1 September 2013 |
| Type | Independent special school |
| Location |
Stanbridge Earls Lane Romsey Hampshire SO51 0ZS UK 51°00′26″N 1°31′12″W / 51.007133°N 1.520027°WCoordinates: 51°00′26″N 1°31′12″W / 51.007133°N 1.520027°W |
| DfE URN | 116549 Tables |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 10–19 |
| URN (Social Care) | SC012020 |
Stanbridge Earls School was a coeducational independent special school located near Romsey, Hampshire, England. Students ranged in age from 10–19. The school catered for both boarding and day pupils. The school specialized in teaching and helping pupils with dyslexia, dyscalculia, developmental coordination disorder and mild Asperger syndrome. In 2013 the school was criticised for excluding a pupil who claimed that she had been raped. The school closed in 2014, following a series of inspections and investigations, when reduced pupil numbers led to it becoming financially unviable.
The school's trustees sold the site to a private purchaser who subsequently sold it for £10 million to Audley Retirement Villages. Audley plan to build a retirement village of 100 homes on the site, with the main school building retained and converted into a health club, restaurant and bistro for the community.
The main building of the former school is a Tudor manor house which contained the reception and maths department. It is a Grade II* listed building. Facilities at the school included a sports hall, an indoor swimming pool, a theatre and tennis courts. The school was set in grounds covering 54 acres (220,000 m2).
The school was investigated by the Department for Education (DfE) following a tribunal which had raised safety concerns after examining the way Stanbridge Earls had dealt with historic claims that a 15-year-old girl pupil had been allegedly raped twice by other pupils and a 12-year-old girl pupil had been sexually assaulted. The Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) said that a "vulnerable youngster had suffered appalling abuse at the hands of another student" and found the school to be "unsystematic, unprofessional, ad hoc and completely inadequate" when it came to protecting the youngsters. The report said the school had "no understanding of its duties" and its failure to act was "beyond the tribunal's comprehension". The tribunal described headteacher Peter Trythall's conduct as "bordering on contempt for statutory duties". It said the incidents raised "serious concerns" which needed to be addressed by Ofsted, the Secretary of State for Education and Hampshire County Council, while other local authorities should reconsider placement of their pupils at the school.
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