A HAMPSHIRE MP has demanded a public inquiry into what happened at a troubled special school at the centre of sex claims abuse so that lessons can be learned.

Caroline Nokes, MP for Romsey and Southampton North, has welcomed Ofsted’s admission that failings were made in their dealings with Stanbridge Earl School in Romsey.

Legislation However she believes a full public inquiry must be carried out once the police investigation is over, to prevent anything similar happening again in the future.

The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) is calling for legislation to introduce a law that would make failure to report suspected or known child abuse, in places such as schools and churches, a criminal offence.

It comes after the school watchdog apologised to parents and pupils at the £39,000-a-year school for failing to “get underneath concerns at the school” during three separate inspections.

Ofsted had previously classified the school as “outstanding”.

However a Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal earlier this year found that the school had discriminated against a girl and that staff members failed to tell the youngster’s parents that she had complained of pain in an intimate part of her body.

The tribunal found that a vulnerable youngster had suffered “appalling abuse” at the hands of another student, while the school was slammed by panel members for being “completely inadequate” when it came to protecting the youngster.

Ms Nokes said: “I have said a number of times that Ofsted have serious questions to answer, and the admission that its inspection procedures on Safeguarding have been deficient bears this out. Ofsted must now publish the review's full findings, and list all schools over which there are now concerns.

“It is critically important that pupils, parents and indeed staff can have confidence in the schools’ inspection regime, and I welcome the commitment from Ofsted to learn lessons from the Stanbridge Earls case.

“There are however many other lessons to be learnt, and once the police inquiry is complete, I believe there must be a public inquiry.”

Pete Saunders, chief executive of NAPAC, said: “Staff who suspect abuse may report it, but face no sanction for failing to report. In places such as Standbridge Earls, abuse went unreported to the authorities, leaving children at risk of further abuse.” Stanbridge Earls has announced it will close in December and a new school will open on the site.