The review into Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy (MVPA) in Victoria Park Road found shouting at pupils was routine, and rigid behaviour policy application sometimes fails to adjust for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (Send).
Harmful practices were allowed to persist “unchecked”, concluded review leader Sir Alan Wood, a former academy trust chief executive and former director for children and young people’s services at Hackney Council.
A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson described the findings as “serious and deeply concerning”.
The members trust of The Mossbourne Federation, the academy trust the school belongs to, said the review is being considered carefully.
The safeguarding review was made following claims from parents and former teachers published in the Observer last year that the school had harmed pupils’ mental health because of its disciplinary approach.
“The leadership’s defensive posture and the failure of governors to hold them accountable have allowed harmful practices to persist unchecked,” Sir Alan wrote.
“In essence, the review finds that MVPA’s success has been achieved at too high a cost for some pupils.
“The path forward requires the federation to balance its academic rigour with greater flexibility, compassion, and a governance system that ensures the school’s culture is nurturing and safe for every pupil.”
The DfE spokesperson said school behaviour policies should promote respect and a positive environment, and said it will continue to engage with the trust to ensure changes are implemented.
Shouting was found to be “routine” rather than exceptional practice at the academy, the review found, and said it had been used “in a manner that humiliates and intimidates pupils”.
Pupils are placed at desks in corridors “as punishment for minor infractions”, and the review said rigid application of the school’s behaviour policy sometimes fails to make reasonable adjustments for pupils with Send, leading to children being “punished for behaviours stemming from their conditions”.
Some practitioners consider that the school’s approach is “exacerbating mental health in some pupils”, it added.
In a statement, Jim Gamble, independent safeguarding children commissioner for City & Hackney Safeguarding Children Partnership, said the evidence in the report demonstrates MVPA has not achieved a balance between outstanding academic achievement and support for all pupils.
“For some children, the school has not been welcoming, flexible, or supportive,” he said.
Sir Alan said in the report that the data indicates some ethnic groups and children with Send seem to be disproportionately impacted by sanctions.
Some parents perceived the complaints procedure at the school as “a defensive shield that routinely dismisses serious concerns through poor communication and a culture of intimidation”, he added.
Under Ofsted’s former grading system, MVPA was rated ‘outstanding’ across all areas.
In 2025, 70.5% of pupils at the school achieved a grade 5 or above in their English and maths GCSEs, well above the local authority average and the England average.
In 2024, the Observer reported allegations such as children being “screamed at” by senior leaders at the school, and cases where children had soiled themselves after not being allowed to go to the bathroom or being too scared to ask.
Further allegations of practices resulting in emotional harm to children were subsequently reported relating to MVPA and Mossbourne Community Academy, which is run by the same trust and was originally run by former Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education said at the time the allegations were “deeply distressing”.
The partnership decided in a meeting in December 2024 that a local child safeguarding practice review should be undertaken.
The review’s conclusions come as the Government has been emphasising it wants children to feel valued and supported at school, and its approach to Send reform will create a system “rooted in inclusion”.
The federation’s members trust also commissioned a review by barrister Anne Whyte KC published last month.
That review found no evidence staff had misunderstood child protection responsibilities or failed in their performance, but made recommendations around complaints and communication with parents that the trust accepted.
The members trust said: “The report is being considered carefully and in detail by The Members Trust, in conjunction with the board of the multi-academy trust and the senior leadership team.
“While the report acknowledges the strong outcomes the schools achieve for pupils alongside high levels of support from parents and staff, it raises a number of issues which echo those detailed in the Anne Whyte KC Review, published last month.
“The Mossbourne Federation is committed to doing everything in its power to ensure the best outcomes for every child who attends its schools.
“We have already recognised the importance of engaging effectively with parents and are working to implement all the recommendations made by Anne Whyte KC.
“We will review Sir Alan’s findings and reflect further on them.
“In the meantime, we thank our hardworking staff, pupils and parents for their ongoing commitment, focus and support and reiterate our ongoing commitment to enabling students from all backgrounds to thrive and achieve their full potential.”
