A SCHOOL heavily criticised for the way it handled historic claims of child sexual abuse has announced a new safeguarding charter.

Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire was one of the schools criticised in the summer by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA).

The inquiry found that there were ‘appalling’ incidents of abuse at the school stretching back to the 1960s but a ‘culture of acceptance of abusive behaviour’ enabled the perpetrators to go unpunished.

Now the school has revealed its new safeguarding charter to ensure that pupils are safe.

Underpinning it is an accelerated programme of governance reform and an overhaul of board structures to ensure full accountability and transparency.

The school has also strengthened relationships with relevant statutory agencies such as the North Yorkshire Safeguarding Children Board and the police.

The charter has been in development since early 2018 under the guidance of Emma Moody of Womble Bond Dickinson solicitors, a specialist in charity law, education and safeguarding.

It builds on her initial assessment that college staff are committed to keeping children in their care safe and that child protection systems ‘on the ground’ are working to protect children.

Ms Moody said: “Ampleforth has already implemented significant improvements to the way safeguarding is reviewed and managed, and I have reported my confidence in the current safeguarding system to the Charity Commission.

“Everyone who I am working with at the college is wholly committed to protecting the children in their care.”

She added that the college is working “collaboratively and transparently” with relevant safeguarding agencies.

The charter outlines eight safeguarding commitments that focus on the health and well-being of students and staff.

The first commitment is that keeping people safe is at the heart of everything the college does.