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IICSA published its final Report in October 2022. This website was last updated in January 2023.

IICSA Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse

Safeguarding children from sexual abuse in residential schools

Research aims

The Inquiry commissioned the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and ResearchAbility to carry out mixed methods research to support its residential schools investigation. The overarching aims were to:

  • explore how child sexual abuse in residential schools in England and Wales is understood from the perspective of school staff, children, parents and local authority staff;
  • explore residential schools’ safeguarding practice in relation to the prevention, identification, reporting of and response to child sexual abuse in residential schools from the perspective of staff, children and parents; and 
  • collate views from staff, children and parents on good practice in residential schools in the prevention, identification, reporting of and response to child sexual abuse.
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