Staff lose jobs as iPad records Essex school 'misconduct'

Four staff at a special needs school have "lost their jobs" after an audio recording revealed concerns around staff conduct towards children.

As reported by the Essex Daily Gazette, an accidental recording on a pupil's iPad captured a full day within a classroom at Market Field School.

The child's mother found the file and notified the school about the content.

Head teacher Ruth Whitehead said she concluded "gross misconduct" occurred and apologised to parents in a letter.

In it, Ms Whitehead said: "What happened falls well below the high expectations we have for staff conduct and the values we stand for as a school.

"On behalf of Market Field School, I am so very sorry this happened."

She said the recording, which started on a taxi journey into school, captured a full day in Oak Tree class, which has six pupils aged between seven and 11 with complex autism.

She added it highlighted "serious concerns" around safeguarding and staff conduct towards children and referred the matter to the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), who concluded that it did not raise safeguarding issues but was a matter of staff conduct.

Following an investigation by the school, four staff members "lost their jobs" and had been referred to the Disclosure and Barring Service, Ms Whitehead said.

The nature of the recording has not been disclosed.

Ms Whitehead concluded in the letter that she was "confident that what happened was an isolated incident, confined to one room".

She said she could not "articulate fully the absolute devastation, shock and disbelief" at what had happened.

She told parents: "The safety, wellbeing and happiness of your children is my highest priority and I know this to be a sentiment shared by the whole school team."

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