External Review Statement
In March 2024, Cranbrook School announced an external review of feedback and concerns reported through the reporting platform Your Call.
This was an opportunity for anyone in the community to raise concerns, confidentially and anonymously if they wished. The School engaged the education specialist team at law firm Thomson Geer, working with distinguished educator Dr Amanda Bell AM, to review the reports made through Your Call.
The School thanks everyone who engaged with this process, for their willingness to raise concerns, make submissions, share their experiences and seek to contribute to the improvement of the School for students and staff.
We apologise for the past failings of the School and the impact this has had on those in our community.
Members of the Cranbrook community had the opportunity to lodge reports from 2 April 2024 to 29 July 2024, and during that timeframe 76 reports were made. Some were positive. The majority raised concerns, either for the first time or that were already known to the School.
The majority of concerns were raised by current and recent former students, parents and staff. Some issues involved events going back decades. No concerns of child sexual abuse were raised about current staff at Cranbrook.
Dr Bell and Thomson Geer responded to each report on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the seriousness and urgency of the report, and any requests made by the participant. The School has addressed the vast majority of the individual reports. A small number of matters are ongoing or still with the review team. The School acknowledges that not everyone who has participated will be satisfied with the School’s responses.
We are grateful to each of the participants for their courage in reporting and sharing their experiences. The School particularly recognises the lasting and damaging effects that abuse has on those who suffer it, and those around them. The School has offered, and continues to offer, support to those who have reported abuse as and when they may need it.
The review has highlighted a number of areas of focus, which the School is actively addressing. We are committed to continuous improvement of processes, policies and aspects of the School’s culture for the benefit of students, staff and the whole community. The School is determined to continue to work to prevent behaviours which adversely affect students and staff, and to deal with them proactively when they occur.
Specifically, the School:
- has updated its Whistleblower Policy and will maintain an online system for reporting complaints to ensure that there is an additional mechanism for concerns to be raised with the School;
- continues to strengthen its Child Safe framework to ensure that it is consistent with best practice;
- is expanding its student wellbeing and pastoral care programme through the AIS Wellbeing Initiative, including increased resources and training;
- is strengthening its programmes and resources to better meet the needs of its diverse school population;
- is reviewing its student related bullying and harassment processes and policies – directed to preventing bullying and for dealing with it proactively if it does occur. This includes increased and regular opportunities for students to share concerns through surveys and safe reporting mechanisms. There is also an expansion of targeted educative programmes addressing preventative and protective behaviours to foster an increasingly inclusive mindset and culture;
- is introducing a new Respectful Relationships Policy and is providing a range of intensive professional development sessions across all levels, roles and areas (from the Executive leadership team to teaching staff to administrative staff), addressing how the School can establish and maintain a respectful, safe and inclusive workplace; and
- is reviewing its processes and policies concerning bullying and harassment of staff, with the aim of introducing improved practices in preventing its incidence, and for dealing with it proactively when it does occur.
Once again, the courage of many participants is acknowledged. The School sincerely hopes that, in light of the external review and the actions the School is taking and will take, those most affected have renewed faith in the School’s ongoing commitment to a positive, safe and respectful environment and culture, and to making continuous improvements where necessary.
The School’s priority is the wellbeing and education of each of its students, and the wellbeing of its staff. The concerns raised by the participants have provided an important and valuable opportunity to reflect on and improve how we achieve that outcome for our School community.
The School and the School Council continue to work in partnership to deliver on the School’s vision, which encourages and enables all of its students to explore, enjoy and fulfil their potential. We are guided by our values and operate within an environment grounded in care, kindness, respect and honesty. We are grateful to the community for its ongoing support of the School.
Geoff Lovell
President, Cranbrook School Council
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