Hammer attack school 'failed to spot racism'

A school where a boy was attacked with a hammer failed to recognise a series of racist incidents prior to the assault, a serious case review has found.

Henry Webster, then 15, suffered three skull fractures in the attack by a group of Asian youths in 2007.

His mother Liz Webster said the review showed the school was at fault.

Mr Webster, now 18, was punched, kicked and hit with a claw hammer at Ridgeway School, near Swindon.

Mrs Webster said: "This review has confirmed our belief that the Ridgeway School was responsible for the horrific, devastating assault on our son which has left him with permanent injuries.

"The review doesn't mention what needs to be done to improve race relations in Swindon, which is an urgent concern considering the considerable increase in the vote for the BNP."

Mr Webster has returned to part-time education, but still suffers from short-term memory loss.

The report summary, published by the Swindon Local Safeguarding Children Board, said: "The school, although it knew in advance, did not prepare for the arrival of a significant number of British Asian students in 2005."

The review, which made 32 recommendations for action, also found there were some incidents between white and British Asian pupils which were not recognised as racist by the school.

I hope that the Webster family regard this report as a thorough examination of the events around the dreadful attack ”

The summary said: "The report acknowledges that there was some success in the measures taken to address the racist behaviour of some white pupils in a small part of the school. However this approach was not extended throughout the school.

"The school, by trying to deal with these incidents themselves, missed the opportunity to gain a better understanding of what was actually going on through external intervention.

"Other agencies did not challenge robustly the school's approach or its procedures."

The summary added: "The Webster family felt marginalised after the attack and have had to take extreme steps to generate a proper response."

Thirteen people, including teenagers, were convicted over the assault on the tennis courts at the school in 2008 and given custodial sentences.

Mr Webster's family launched civil proceedings against the school, which affected the completion of the serious case review. They lost a battle for compensation at the High Court in February.

Mike Howard, independent chair of the Swindon Local Safeguarding Children Board, said: "I hope that the Webster family, and in particular Henry, regard this report as a thorough examination of the events around the dreadful attack which he suffered, and it will help them all to move on.

"I am sorry that what was already an extremely distressing experience was made worse by the lack of co-ordinated support they received from some agencies."

A spokesman from Ridgeway School, in Wroughton, said: " We could not have foreseen or prevented the dreadful attack on Henry Webster.

"We are sorry that the family feel that they were not supported adequately following the attack.

"We have noted the recommendations contained within the report, and as with all schools we always look to improve our practice and will continue to ensure that our community which remained incredibly strong after the incident, continues to do so and is responsive to the changing world we live in."