Special school caught on camera

9:04pm Wednesday 21st May 2008

Comments (4)   Have your say »

By Tri Chick1 »

TV viewers will gain a rare insight into the lives of five children at an Oxfordshire special school when an award-winning documentary is screened tonight.

The film, Hold Me Tight, Let Me Go, followed the children - who have suffered physical, emotional or sexual abuse during their formative years - for 12 months at the Mulberry Bush School, near Standlake.

For 60 years, the school has provided specialist therapeutic care and education to some of the most damaged and challenging children in the country.

Many of the pupils who start school there are chaotic, aggressive and violent and are unmanageable at home and school, so the Mulberry Bush works to transform their lives during its three-year programme.

John Diamond, the school's chief executive, admits the school "took a risk" with the filming process.

Between September 2006 and April last year, award-winning film-maker Kim Longinotto and sound recordist Mary Milton were given access.

Mr Diamond said: "At first staff found being observed by the camera intrusive and exposing.

"After some initial excitement, the children seemed to accept Kim and Mary's presence to the point where they became almost invisible.

"The closeness and intimacy of the relationships caught on camera, without interrupting those interactions, is testimony to the process.

"As a school we took a risk with the process. We did not have any final control or influence over the editing or the content of the film."

The film won the Brit Doc Best British Film 2007 award as well as the Joris Ivens Grand Jury Best Film Award 2007.

The school, which caters for five to 12-year-olds takes day pupils as well as boarders. It was deemed "outstanding" by inspectors after Ofsted inspections this year and last year.

The film is due to be shown on BBC Four at 10pm tonight.