Care chiefs have been given a dossier of bullying allegations and complaints about staff behaviour at an Aberdeen fee-paying school.
The documents detail a string of e-mails between parents and teachers at the Waldorf School at Cults and statements from disgruntled former employees.
The catalogue of complaints – which the Press and Journal has seen – includes accusations of pupils being assaulted by their peers, foul language during lessons and repeated pleas by parents for improvements to the school environment.
The dossier is now being examined by the Care Inspectorate.
A joint inspection team from the care regulator and Education Scotland, which upholds classroom standards on behalf of the Scottish Government, arrived at the school on Monday after concerns were raised by parents.
The inquiry was launched just three weeks after regulators moved to shut down the fee-paying Hamilton School in Queen’s Road, Aberdeen, amid claims that it was no longer safe for children.
The e-mails in the Aberdeen Waldorf dossier include details of:
Repeated complaints from parents over the bullying of their son, which resulted in the boy being withdrawn from school after he twice came home with physical marks.
Physical and verbal bullying of one girl by a male pupil over a number of years.
Concerns by a member of staff over the physical treatment of pupils by a classmate.
The exit of another pupil because of parental concerns over behavioural problems.
One parent who contacted regulators said she had been “disgusted” by bullying at the school, which operates a “no-blame” policy when behavioural issues arise among pupils. A further letter documents the “distress” of a former staff member over a colleague’s approach to children.
Seán Gordon, head of the teaching faculty at Aberdeen Waldorf, said he believed the school dealt with bullying in an effective and appropriate manner.
He said he was unaware of any pupils leaving the school because of the problem.
“I wouldn’t say bullying was an issue here,” Mr Gordon said. “The important thing is that, when you have these sorts of situations arise, both sides understand where the other is coming from. If you have a blame policy, it can exacerbate the situation. It is completely unhelpful to say ‘You are a bully’.”
The Care Inspectorate, which regulates nursery provision, and Education Scotland are due to remain onsite until tomorrow.
The Aberdeen Waldorf School follows the principles of Austrian philosopher Dr Joseph Steiner, with creativity and play key to both self-development and academic achievement.
Schools have a high level of autonomy.
Aberdeen Waldorf, which caters for about 100 pupils, recently told parents it was planning to appoint a principal to improve leadership – a rare move in the Steiner community.