'Alarm bells were going off': Parents recount ordeal after Send school shut over abuse claims
A residential school for children with severe special needs in Bristol was shut down in 2019 amid child cruelty allegations, and the affected boy's parents are now demanding tighter regulation of private Send providers.
Annette and Kevin Maxwell, from Bath, faced an agonising decision when they sent their son Jonah, who has severe autism, epilepsy and behavioural difficulties requiring round-the-clock care, to live at St Christopher's, a residential school in Bristol. With two other children and jobs to manage, they felt they had no real alternative.
Jonah initially flourished at the school, receiving therapies and enjoying activities like horse riding. Things changed in 2016 when the charity previously running the home was replaced by the Aurora Group, a company owned by investment firm Octopus that operates more than 30 Send schools. The Maxwells soon noticed declining food quality, the loss of an overnight nursing post, and Jonah appearing increasingly exhausted after visits home.
Despite repeated concerns raised with staff and management, the family was continually reassured. In 2019, Ofsted shut down St Christopher's following serious allegations of child cruelty. Children were relocated at short notice, their belongings packed into bin bags.
A police investigation into alleged cruelty and safeguarding failures ran for two years without resulting in criminal charges. The Maxwells later learned of specific allegations involving Jonah, including being roughly handled by a staff member and being repeatedly woken through the night, allegedly to avoid staff having to clean soiled bedding.
Police were unable to question Aurora Group's directors, since the school's classification as an educational rather than care institution meant child cruelty law could not be applied to the corporation. The Maxwells pursued civil action over an alleged breach of Jonah's human rights, and Aurora agreed to pay £18,600 without admitting liability.
The couple are now campaigning for stronger accountability rules for private Send providers. The government has pledged reforms this year, including fee caps and minimum standards for the sector. Education union representatives say public funding intended for vulnerable children is increasingly diverted into private profit, and are calling for expanded state provision. Aurora Group said it had invested significantly to improve the school before its closure and that all profits are reinvested into new provision.
