HEREFORD'S Brookfield School has lost its 'outstanding' rating.

The Academy, which is a special school for pupils who have social, emotional and mental health needs, is now graded as "requiring improvement" following an Ofsted inspection.

Based off Grandstand Road, Brookfield had previously been rated outstanding at its three previous inspections but has been given a much lower rating since the departure of Dame Oremi Evans.

Deb Jenkins, the Ofsted inspector, did however commend the new headteacher in her latest report.

She said David Gaston, who took on the principal role last January, is supported by the "overwhelming majority of staff" and trying to introduce changes which will benefit pupils following a "difficult transition period".

Allegations were made within the Ofsted report that, prior to Mr Gaston's appointment, pupils were excluded 'unlawfully' and that children were placed in isolation rooms with the doors held shut.

These claims were vehemently denied by Dame Oremi who was headteacher at the school from 2001 to 2016.

Mrs Evans, who is now the Executive Headteacher of the Pupil Referral Service in Herefordshire, said pupils were taken to a 'reflection room' when experiencing considerable stress.

However, she said this would be for a maximum of 10 minutes and they were always accompanied by a member of staff who would either help them to calm down or get on with their work.

"The door was never locked shut," she told the Hereford Times.

She also described allegations that fixed-term exclusions were not properly recorded as entirely false.

Mrs Evans, who was given a damehood for services to education in the 2015 New Years’ honours, added that she had, in the past, spoken out about the practice at other schools.

"So why would I do that myself?" she asked.

"It seems to me that the leadership cannot accept the fact that I had so few exclusions and there are so many now."

In the most recent Ofsted report, Ms Jenkins said Brookfield would need to reduce the number of exclusions, analyse the reasons for poor attendance and implement a "new vision for the school".

"Governors do not yet have clear systems in place to check aspects of the school's work including safeguarding, performance management, use of catch-up funding, and behaviour and exclusions of pupils," the reports states.

"Actions to implement the new visions for the school are not yet precise enough."