The Charity Commission has today published the findings of its class inquiry into two linked charities in North Yorkshire: the St. Laurence Educational Trust and Ampleforth Abbey Trust. The inquiry aimed to assess the safeguarding practices and procedures at Ampleforth College, operated by St Laurence Educational Trust, and Ampleforth Abbey, operated by Ampleforth Abbey Trust, where monks provide chaplaincy and teaching to the college’s pupils.

The inquiry uncovered significant weaknesses in both charities’ approach to safeguarding, governance, and management, identifying numerous past instances where safeguarding incidents were mismanaged. The trustees’ failure to meet their responsibilities under charity law put students at Ampleforth College at risk of harm.

Key findings from the inquiry include:

• Ineffective Communication: There was poor communication between the charities and inadequate safeguarding committees, failing to meet the needs and requirements of either entity.
• Repeated Failures: St Laurence Educational Trust repeatedly failed to meet independent school standards, with slow cultural change and improvements, exposing students to risks of harm and the college to reputational damage.
• Lack of Expertise and Oversight: The trustees of Ampleforth Abbey lacked sufficient expertise and oversight, with poor safeguarding records and inadequate management of safeguarding risks to pupils.

Despite these findings, the inquiry acknowledged the charities’ positive steps toward improving their safeguarding culture. Both charities implemented structured governance reviews and recruited experienced safeguarding personnel. St Laurence Educational Trust received a ‘Good’ Ofsted inspection and readmittance to the Headmaster’s Conference, while Ampleforth Abbey Trust successfully passed an audit by the Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency.

Amy Spiller, Head of Investigations at the Commission, emphasized the importance of these improvements while stressing the need for continued vigilance. She stated:

“The inquiry found several weaknesses and failures in the approach to and handling of safeguarding matters across both charities, exposing pupils to the risk of harm. We expect safeguarding to be a priority for all charities, and the lack of oversight demonstrated mismanagement in the administration of these charities. We recognize the progress made by both charities during the inquiry, including recent compliance with regulatory standards, but the findings of our inquiry underscored the importance of maintaining high safeguarding standards and rebuilding public trust.

The Charity Commission’s report highlights the need for both charities to continue prioritizing robust safeguarding measures to protect vulnerable individuals and maintain public trust.