Whitefield Special School sued over abusive calming rooms

Ten families of autistic and other disabled children have filed a civil claim against the trust that runs Whitefield Special School in north London and the London borough of Waltham Forest. The lawsuit, brought by the law firm Leigh Day, alleges that children were locked in padded "calming rooms", restrained by the neck, thrown to the floor and left in vomit, constituting false imprisonment and breaches of human rights.

CCTV footage obtained by the BBC, recorded between 2014 and 2017, shows a 12‑year‑old boy spending more than 55 hours in the rooms and other pupils being subjected to similar treatment. A three‑year police investigation concluded without charges, while a later review by Waltham Forest described the use of seclusion and restraint as "normalised". The school is now operated by a new trust, which says the failings have provided "important learning".

The claim is led by Alison Millar, who says the abuse continues to affect families daily. The Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, previously called the practice "horrifying".