SHOCKING footage shows how “tortured” autistic kids were shoved into a windowless padded room, thrown to the floor, and even left in their own vomit.
Leaked CCTV revealed pupils at Whitefield School in Walthamstow, north-east London in mental distress and in one-case, seemingly struck by a staff member.
The footage, taken between 2014 and 2017, is from inside the special school’s “calming rooms”.
About 40 children with learning disabilities and severe mental disorders were trapped for hours on end in the rooms.
Typically, this would be without any access to food or drink.
The videos show pupils, many of whom were non-verbal, clearly in acute distress, and many are seen to injure themselves for prolonged periods.
In one clip, a boy, evidently stressed, begins throwing his shoes at the walls, including at the camera in the corner of the room.
When a member of staff intervenes, they grab him and “whack” him in the head.
The shocking footage also shows another child repeatedly hitting themselves in the head while trapped in the room.
Staff were also showed pushing kids against the walls and onto the floor in the harrowing CCTV tapes.
One mother of the abused children said: “It broke my heart.
“You wouldn’t even do that to a dog.”
One unfortunate kid even vomits on the floor in front of themselves, before using a piece of clothing to smear it across the floor.
A spokesperson for Flourish Learning Trust said: “Keeping our children and young people safe is and always will be our number one priority.
“This matter dates back almost a decade and pre-dates the current leadership of both the school and Flourish Learning Trust which is responsible for the school.
“The current leadership has followed the relevant policies, procedures and guidance at all times making timely referrals to the LADO, undertaking a clear and robust staff disciplinary process and making any necessary referrals to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
“In doing so, we have worked closely with Ofsted, Waltham Forest Council and the Department for Education who have overseen and been satisfied by the actions we have taken.
“Lessons have been learnt throughout this process and the school is stronger because of this.
“We want to work with other agencies to ensure that moving forwards other children and young people never have to face similar experiences again.”
The rooms have not been in use at the school since 2017.
A police investigation into the abuse footage ended earlier this year without any charges.
The school says new leadership found the footage after the rooms had been shut and shared it with the police.
Local MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith said clips “must lead to profound change” and described them as “jaw-dropping”.
Safeguarding expert Elizabeth Swan said it was “easily the worst footage” she had seen.
“You look at the children and they’re being defeated and responding to that treatment with self-injurious behaviour, it’s torture,” she said.
