Ampleforth College has been banned from admitting new pupils because of safeguarding failings.

The Department for Education has written to St Laurence Education Trust – the organisation which runs the school – to impose “enforcement action”.

The letter says that the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has ordered the trust to “cease to admit any new students” to the school.

The ban will come into effect after the end of a 28-day period in which the school is able to submit an appeal. If an appeal is made, the ban will not be imposed until the outcome is determined.

 “In taking this decision, the Secretary of State has principally had regard to… inspection reports from January 2016 to the present day, and the school’s response to regulatory action”, the letter says.

“The Secretary of State also had regard to the fact that the school is failing to meet the independent school standards, including standards relating to safeguarding and leadership and management, and in his view these failings are considered to be very serious,” it adds.

The letter makes clear that the school can apply to have the restriction revoked, which “would be approved only if the Secretary of State was satisfied that it would be appropriate to do so because of any change in circumstances”.

 Ampleforth was founded in 1802, and its alumni include the Conservative peer and Downtown Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, the actor Rupert Everett and the sculptor Sir Anthony Gormley. The school charges boarding fees of £36,486.

In 2018, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse said “appalling” abuse was inflicted on pupils at the school over a 40 year period, but allegations were covered up.

A spokesperson for the school said: “Ampleforth College notes the DfE’s publication this afternoon of the intent to serve notice of an enforcement action. We will be appealing this on the basis that we believe, and have been advised, that it is unjustified and based on incorrect information.

“Given the very considerable steps forward that have been taken by the school to learn from the mistakes of the past and to put in place a robust safeguarding regime, a new senior leadership team, and a new governance structure that has effectively separated the Abbey from the College, we cannot understand why this decision has been taken, and we cannot understand why it has been published, given the appeals process is still open to us. As far as we are concerned, we will continue to educate our students to the very high standards they are used to in a safe and supportive environment.

“We have lodged a complaint to Ofsted and await the outcome of that complaint.”