School bosses say they have taken ‘decisive action’ to address the failings
15:52, 27 Apr 2026
Sketchley School(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
A Leicestershire school failed to pass on “serious concerns” about staff and put children “at risk of harm” from unsuitable adults, a damning report has found.
Sketchley School, located in Burbage near Hinckley, was slammed by Ofsted inspectors during an inspection in February this year.
The school, run by operator Aspris, is an independent day school for young people aged seven to 19 with autism and associated conditions, with some children funded by local councils under Education and Health Care plans (EHCPs).
EHCPs are paid for by councils from their High Needs budgets as they are legally required to fund the provision.
According to the Ofsted report, Sketchley School charges fees between £97,627 and £130,435 per pupil.
Leicestershire County Council confirmed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that 19 children are currently placed at the school at a cost of just over £84,000 per pupil, amounting to around £1.5 million a year.
Inspectors found that safeguarding standards at Sketchley School were not being met and said that “staff did not take pupils’ worries seriously” and that children “have not been kept safe effectively in the past”.
In the damning report, an Ofsted inspector said: “At times, they [staff] do not believe pupils when they raise concerns, for example, when they report injuries that have been caused by adults.
“Leaders have failed to follow these up robustly. Information that should have been shared with other relevant people, including social workers, parents and carers, has not been passed on. In some cases, there are no records of any action being taken at all.”
It also pointed out that the school “failed in its duty to pass on serious concerns about staff to relevant bodies” and “failings have placed pupils at risk of harm from adults who may not be suitable to work with children”.
Despite this, inspectors noted that the “situation has begun to change for the better” and the school “acted quickly to address the failings found during the inspection”.
Ofsted also slammed the school’s leadership, saying that “staff, parents and carers expressed concerns” over safeguarding and that the school “placed pupils at risk of harm”.
Inspectors did note that “new leaders have identified urgent priorities” and “have started to address these well”.
The school was also criticised over pupils’ attendance, saying that “too many pupils miss too much school” and “a considerable number are regularly absent”. Teaching was also panned by inspectors, who said it was “inconsistent” and that teachers “do not check pupils’ understanding well enough”.
Inspectors however, did praise the schools’ personal development and wellbeing adding that pupils had “well-organised curriculums” around personal, social and health education and relationships.
19 pupils are being funded at the school by Leicestershire County Council(Image: LeicestershireLive)
Leicestershire County Council confirmed it was monitoring the issues raised by Ofsted and that it was not placing any more children in the school in the meantime.
A spokesperson said: “We have been aware of the issues raised by Ofsted and work with the provider and monitoring of the concerns has been in place for several weeks.
“Further quality assurance activity will be undertaken with the provider to support the required improvements, and to continue to monitor the safety and provision of education and support to pupils we have placed at Sketchley School.
“Whilst improvements are being addressed, we will not be placing any more pupils with the school.”
A spokesperson for Aspris, the company behind the school, said: “The safety and wellbeing of children and young people is our highest priority.
“The inspection identified historical weaknesses.
“We recognise the seriousness of these findings and have taken decisive action.
“Ofsted confirmed that safeguarding arrangements have improved and that pupils are now appropriately safeguarded, which reflects the focused work undertaken by newly appointed leaders since January 2026.
“A detailed improvement plan is in place, to ensure the safety, wellbeing and positive outcomes for all pupils.”
