Safeguarding is most effective when it goes beyond compliance and becomes part of every day school culture. Safeguarding is not just about policies, it’s about culture, vigilance, and accountability. Schools and colleges must embed safeguarding into daily practice, empower staff and students to speak up, and ensure leaders and governors actively monitor and challenge safeguarding arrangements. This blog discusses some of the 52 missed opportunities identified in the North Wales Safeguarding Board’s Extended Child Practice Review published on 4 November 2025 by the North Wales Safeguarding Board where a headteacher and designated safeguarding lead (DSL) sexually abused pupils at his school.
Groomed, Abused and Exploited
In September 2023, the community of the large Ysgol Friars school in Bangor was shaken when its long-serving headteacher and DSL, Neil Foden, was arrested. A pupil had bravely shown staff members explicit sexual messages and images on her phone, revealing that she had been groomed and abused by the headteacher. What she described as a “relationship” was, in reality, exploitation by a man in a position of power. That same day, police arrested Foden at the school. In the weeks that followed, more pupils came forward, disclosing similar abuse.
In July 2024, Foden, a headteacher since 1997 and a well-known figure in Welsh education, was convicted of 19 offences for sexually abusing four girls between 2019 and 2023. The judge called him a domineering man with a sexual obsession for teenage girls, sentencing him to 17 years in prison for the gravity of his crimes and the profound betrayal of trust.
North Wales Child Safeguarding Practice Review and 52 Missed Opportunities
The subsequent Child Practice Review, identified more than fifty missed opportunities where concerns about Foden’s behaviour were raised but not acted upon. Staff had warned him about professional boundaries as early as 2019, noting his habit of spending time alone with vulnerable female pupils in his office.
Why Colleagues should not have Warned Him Directly
Warning Foden directly was unsafe for a number of reasons. He was the headteacher and staff raising concerns directly with him made them vulnerable, especially given his domineering personality and history of bullying behaviour. He was confronted informally, giving him an opportunity to explain away or normalise his behaviour (“I’m just counselling pupils”) which he did to deflect suspicion. These verbal warnings were not recorded. Without documentation concerns could not be escalated or revisited later, and governors and external agencies remained unaware. Staff who tried to warn him may have also felt they had done something by discussing their concerns with him, but in reality, this approach allowed the behaviour to continue unchecked.
A Culture of Silence and Deference
By 2022, senior colleagues were aware of his increasingly frequent contact with pupils, yet no decisive intervention followed. Even when suspicions grew in 2023, his explanations, that he was offering “counselling support” were accepted at face value and there was no professional curiosity.
The review concluded that Foden had cultivated an environment where he was “inviolable to challenge.” He manipulated his position of authority, normalised inappropriate behaviour, and exploited weaknesses in record-keeping and staff training. Governors were not fully informed, safeguarding leads were inexperienced, and concerns were often discussed informally rather than documented. This culture of silence and deference allowed him to offend in plain sight.
What lies at the heart of Safeguarding?
For schools and colleges, the lessons are stark. Safeguarding cannot rely on trust in individuals, however senior or respected they may be. It must be rooted in systems, culture, and vigilance. Leaders must ensure that DSLs are properly trained and empowered to act independently. Governors must demand transparency and hold leaders accountable. Staff must be encouraged to raise concerns without fear of reprisal, and every concern must be recorded and escalated. Professional boundaries, such as never being alone with pupils in private settings, must be non-negotiable.
A Trauma Informed Approach and Safeguarding
The review also highlights the importance of trauma-informed responses. When Foden was arrested, pupils were told not to discuss the case and threatened with exclusion if they did. This approach ignored the emotional impact on the school community and silenced those who might have needed support. Safeguarding is not just about preventing harm; it is about responding with compassion when harm occurs.
Devastating Challenges for Real Children
The story of Ysgol Friars School is a painful reminder that safeguarding failures are not abstract—they have devastating consequences for real children. But it is also a call to action. Schools and colleges must embed a culture where safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, where boundaries are clear, and where no one is beyond challenge. Only then can we ensure that the bravery of those pupils who spoke out leads to lasting change.
Top Tips for Best Safeguarding Practice
1. Strong Leadership and Governance
- Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSLs) must be trained, confident, and supported with deputies to ensure continuity.
- Governing bodies should receive regular safeguarding reports, challenge weak practice, and ensure accountability.
- All Governors should complete safeguarding training relevant to their role
- Chairs and Vice Chairs of Governors should complete training on allegations against staff
- Safeguarding should be a standing item at governor meetings, not an afterthought.
2. Clear Policies and Professional Boundaries
- Policies must prohibit staff from being alone with pupils in private settings (e.g., closed offices).
- Staff should avoid situations that blur boundaries, such as informal counselling without parental consent.
- Codes of conduct should be revisited annually and reinforced through training.
3. Recording and Escalation
- Informal conversations are not enough – written records protect children and staff.
- Every concern must be documented and escalated appropriately.
- Record each incident in safeguarding logs, noting dates, times, and specific behaviours (e.g., being alone with pupils in his office).
- Ensure records are stored securely and accessible to the DSL and senior leaders
4. Safer Recruitment and Ongoing Checks
- Follow safer recruitment procedures: vetting, references, and DBS checks.
- Governors and leaders should audit recruitment files regularly – these checks will ensure unsuitable adults are not employed, demonstrate accountability to Ofsted and inspectors, and reinforce the message that safeguarding starts at the point of hiring ie safeguarding starts with safer recruitment.
- Staff suitability should be monitored continuously, not just at appointment.
5. Multi-Agency Working
- Schools must share information with children’s social care, the police, and health services to spot patterns of risk and to seek multi-agency support. If concerns persist, staff can contact the Local Safeguarding Partnership or the Police directly. Professional boundaries being breached by a headteacher should always trigger external scrutiny.
- Threshold decisions should consider professional suitability, not just criminality.
- DSLs should attend local safeguarding forums to stay updated.
6. Culture of Vigilance and Whistleblowing
- Staff must feel safe to raise concerns, and should have used the school’s whistleblowing policy to raise concerns safely.
- This protects staff from retaliation and ensures concerns are investigated properly
- Whistleblowing policies should be visible, trusted, and regularly promoted.
- Leaders must model openness and transparency, not defensiveness.
7. Student Voice and Trauma-Informed Practice
- Children should know how to report concerns and trust that they will be taken seriously.
- Responses to safeguarding incidents must be compassionate, not punitive.
- Schools should provide emotional support and counselling when safeguarding issues arise.
8. Refer to Chair of Governors
- Safeguarding concerns about senior leaders should be reported to the Chair of Governors and the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
- This ensures independent oversight and prevents the headteacher from controlling the narrative.
Soola Georgiou
27 November 2025