ALMOST £400,000 a year is spent on sending some of Barnsley most troubled children to a school which is failing government safety and educational standards.

Ofsted inspectors found that Grasmere independent special school, at Stairfoot, does not meet regulations to ensure that staff are suitable to work with young children.

Their report highlights a number of other concerns: Girls, boys and sometimes teachers share the same toilets, the front door is splintered with sharp edges, and repairs are not promptly carried out.

They also say that procedures for storing and administering medicine are not good enough, the curriculum is not well co-ordinated and some aspects of teaching are inadequate.

Expectations in some lessons are said to be too low and assessment lacks consistency and accuracy. Barnsley Council sends 11 children aged ten to 16 to Grasmere, at a cost of between £33,000 and £35,000 per child each year. The usual budget for a child in an LEA school is believed to be about £4,000.

All of the youngsters have educational statements of special need and the Ofsted report states that pupils experience severe behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Three are in council care.

Inspectors said that parents do not receive end-of-year reports on their child's progress, exam results are not published and the council is not given information on how its money is spent.

The council's spokesman for children and families Coun Linda Burgess yesterday said that she were unable to say at this stage whether the school has been monitored by council officers or if they had made enquiries on how their money had been spent.

• Full story in this week's Chronicle