Wigan school remains tight-lipped after two SEN pupils were ‘left alone’ in the car park by staff member

The parents of an autistic Wigan schoolboy who was “locked outside the school gates” while he waited for his taxi alone, have pulled him from the academy until they can guarantee his safety.
Rose Bridge AcademyRose Bridge Academy
Rose Bridge Academy

A Year 11 pupil at Rose Bridge Academy, was reportedly left alone in the car park on Friday afternoon while he waited for his lift home - which was stuck in traffic.

The 16-year-old GCSE student, who has special educational needs, called his mum panicking after school broke for the weekend and he was left unsupervised outside.

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“It’s all a bit of a blur because I was so angry,” said his mum, who asked not to be named. “He rang me panicking saying his taxi was late.

“I told him not to worry and that it would be on its way and just to wait inside.

“He said that the teaching assistant had taken him and another girl outside and had then left them because she had somewhere else to be.

“As far as I knew the taxi always came inside the school gates to pick him up.

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“He could have wandered off with anyone, he’s vulnerable. He needs to be supervised at all times.”

His mum said she rang the school and demanded to know why her son had been left, but that when she called back just minutes later, the phones had been shut off for the weekend.

“I couldn’t get through,” she said. “I didn’t know if he had got in his taxi okay.

“There was a complete lack of interest.

“They released a vulnerable child from school who shouldn’t have been on his own.

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“He can recite stranger danger but he can’t put it into practice. I’m absolutely livid with them.”

The boy's parents said that this is just one of a string of changes made to the SEN provision since the academy’s “small learning centre” was scaled back during the summer.

His dad said: “This is a real safeguarding issue. I have called the council but they have to let the school deal with it first.

“We are keeping him off until we are reassured that this will not happen again.”

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The outraged couple said they have heard nothing from the school since, despite pulling their son until they can speak with a member of the management team.

The Dean Trust was contacted but refused to comment.

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