Boss of school at centre of BBC documentary previously sacked by police over £70k debt

The CEO of a controversial SEND school that featured in a BBC Panorama documentary was sacked by Merseyside Police after failing to declare debts worth nearly £80,000.

Footage of Alastair Saverimutto, CEO at Life Wirral, an independent secondary SEND school in Wallasey, was shown yesterday evening by BBC Panorama which appeared to show him telling an undercover reporter he had used a police-style restraint on a child. The Panorama documentary, called Undercover School: Cruelty in the Classroom, exposed shocking footage which appeared to show staff making cruel and offensive remarks about pupils.

The ECHO previously revealed Mr Saverimutto was a special constable for Merseyside Police but was booted off the force for "dishonestly" failing to declare two debts on a vetting form. He was required to declare any outstanding debt to the force on a form dated August 3 2020.

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But he did not mention a debt to Birkenhead School of £55,388.59 and to Swiss bank Banque Cantonale Vaudoise of around £23,588. When the form raised concerns with vetting officers, Mr Saverimutto confirmed he owed money but claimed he was "in total control" of his finances and monthly outgoings.

Warning: parts of this story contain offensive language

However, he was charged with breaching professional standards around honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct and was sacked from the force following an accelerated misconduct hearing in front of Chief Constable Serena Kennedy. CC Kennedy said: "It is my view that an officer with a finding of dishonesty against them will have a serious reputational risk on the Police Force and will undermine the trust and confidence in Merseyside Police."

In the BBC's documentary, a reporter went undercover at the school for seven weeks. Footage appears to show Life Wirral's mental wellbeing coach saying "these kids are so f**king thick" and "it's a school of retards". He also called a child with dyspraxia a “flid”.

Other footage showed members of staff using homophobic and sexist language towards pupils, calling one a “ponce” to his face and describing him as a “batty boy” to another pupil. There is also footage of a pupil apparently being put in a headlock by a staff member.

Mr Saverimutto appears to tell the undercover reporter about deploying a restraint using a pressure point to subdue a child. According to an article on the BBC website, lawyers for the school say Mr Saverimutto "denies ever using inappropriate force on, or behaving aggressively towards a pupil".

Wirral Council was reportedly warned about problems at the sports school early last year, and told the BBC it had investigated but that most parents and children gave "positive reports" about the school. However, a year on, whistle-blowers told the documentary makers they still had "serious concerns" about the establishment. In response, the BBC sent in an undercover reporter, Sasha Hinde, who posed as a work experience student at the school, working with sports staff.

The mum of one of the school's pupils was filmed watching video footage of staff using deeply offensive language to mock her son. Clearly distressed by the footage, she said: "You just don't expect that behaviour from staff, from anybody, you know. Especially when you're in a setting where you're around vulnerable children.

"You just don't expect to see that, and hear that language. I'm absolutely disgusted. Disgusted that I've trusted that school with my son. I fought for 18 months to get him somewhere which I thought was appropriate for him, where I was promised the world. I'm let down, majorly."

In response to the BBC's investigation, a Life Wirral spokesperson told the ECHO: "The BBC has acted in a highly irresponsible manner putting the interests of a television programme ahead of the interests of vulnerable children. An undercover investigator failed in her basic safeguarding duties to report significant concerns and had she done so on day one there would be no television programme and nearly twenty at-risk children would still have a safe environment in which they can learn and develop as young adults."

The spokesperson alleged the BBC had withheld evidence from the school in regard to the safeguarding issues raised in the programme - and added: "It cannot be stressed enough, had these incidents been reported immediately the members of staff would have been instantly suspended; something the reporter knew too well." The school said it has reported the BBC to the police and will take legal steps against the broadcaster.

Responding, the corporation said: “The BBC takes issues of safeguarding and protection of vulnerable individuals extremely seriously and has strict editorial guidelines covering undercover investigations, secret recording and investigations involving children.

Our investigation was firmly in the public interest and the welfare of the children concerned was our primary consideration. Our undercover reporter gathered evidence over a period of time so we could be confident that what she witnessed demonstrated a clear pattern of behaviour, involving multiple members of staff, and in line with the concerns that had been raised with us.

Prior to our investigation, the local authority and the school were already aware of safeguarding concerns having previously been made by others, and despite the local authority investigating, this had not resulted in meaningful change.

In contrast, when we told the local authority about the findings of our investigation, the placements at the school were suspended and new places are being found elsewhere for the children.”

The Department for Education told the BBC "all pupils have now been removed from the school" and it is in contact with the council “to make sure an alternative education is provided”. It says it will "take enforcement action including permanent closure should the school try to reopen".

In a statement issued to the BBC, Wirral Council said the “behaviours” outlined by Panorama “can only be described as truly appalling” and that “the impact the events have had on the families of the children who were attending the school concerned is devastating”.

The council said Merseyside Police had been alerted. A spokesperson for the force told the ECHO: "We are aware of video footage recorded by an undercover BBC journalist at a school in Wirral. We are currently investigating the matter and are in contact with the BBC, the school, the local authority and concerned parents. As an investigation is underway it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

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