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.