England Schools Must Treat Antisemitism as a Safeguarding Risk

Schools and colleges across England are being urged to treat antisemitism as a distinct safeguarding risk, following an independent review led by former Ofsted chief inspector Sir David Bell. The government is expected to accept all 27 recommendations when the report is presented to Parliament on Wednesday, including measures to strengthen teacher training, incident reporting, and education about Jewish life.

A survey conducted for the review found that three in five Jewish students had experienced antisemitism, while one in five students had witnessed it. Fewer than half of those surveyed believed incidents would be addressed if reported, highlighting concerns about how educational institutions respond to anti-Jewish prejudice.

According to the Community Security Trust (CST), antisemitic incidents recorded at schools increased from 112 in the first half of 2025 to 178 during the same period in 2026, a rise of 59%. The organization said the 2026 figure was the highest recorded for the first six months of any year.

Bell told Sky News that existing approaches to prejudice had failed to identify antisemitism adequately.

"I think what this review has demonstrated is that a general commitment to tackling racism or prejudice or hate has not properly identified antisemitism as a particular kind of hate, and certainly that's one of the themes of this report." Bell said.

He argued that identifying antisemitism explicitly was necessary to help schools recognize and address it.

"We do need to name antisemitism as a particular kind of prejudice and hate, because I think if you don't name it, you don't actually know what you're tackling." Bell said.

Bell also told the BBC that the recommendations were intended to protect students throughout the education system, rather than only those attending Jewish schools.

"This is not just a report for Jewish children in Jewish schools. This is for all children and young people in all schools and colleges. We know that antisemitism crosses all boundaries." Bell said.

The recommendations include dedicated antisemitism awareness training for teachers, clearer staff conduct policies, consistent recording of incidents, and robust procedures for reporting and responding to abuse. A proposed national hotline would allow school leaders to obtain immediate advice. The review also recommends stronger Holocaust education, comprehensive teaching about contemporary Judaism, and lessons on recognizing online antisemitism and conspiracy theories.

The government is expected to encourage schools to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism, although adoption cannot be made compulsory. The definition has been adopted by 47 countries, including the UK, and most British universities, but some of its examples have attracted controversy.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews welcomed the proposed safeguarding approach, saying it would strengthen schools' accountability. The organization also supports better education about Jewish life and stronger protections for political impartiality in classrooms.

Bell said clearer guidance was needed to ensure students could discuss controversial political issues without feeling pressured by their teachers.

"I think there's a particular issue in educational institutions, which is making sure that people don't conflate criticism of the Israeli government with criticism of British Jews and somehow holding them responsible for events over which they have absolutely no control." Former Conservative chancellor Sir Jeremy Hunt said, according to Sky News.

The review also addresses political expressions worn by teachers, including pro-Palestinian badges. It is expected to advise schools to consider whether political symbols are appropriate in classrooms, while stopping short of recommending a blanket ban. Existing rules require teachers to avoid promoting partisan political views, but schools interpret how those obligations apply to individual badges.

The findings follow a series of antisemitic incidents in Britain, including an attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester in October 2025 that killed two men. The government commissioned the review in March 2026, asking Bell to gather evidence from pupils, teachers, governors, parents, and community organizations across state and independent schools.

Evidence gathered for the review also described the impact on individual Jewish students. Jonathan Frisher, 17, from Cheshire, told Sky News that he had faced antisemitic bullying as the only Jewish student at his school.

"I was the only Jewish student at my school, and I experienced lots of anti-Semitic bullying." Frisher said.

He described Nazi imagery and abusive references to the Holocaust as part of his school experience.

"There were lots of comments around gas chambers, people telling me that I belonged in a gas chamber. And I also saw a wider culture in school of swastikas and Nazi salutes becoming quite normalised." Frisher said.

Frisher said schools and the government should take responsibility for confronting antisemitism rather than leaving Jewish children to educate their classmates.

"And the burden was often left on me as a 12-year-old Jewish student to explain to my peers why this antisemitism was so wrong. I really believed then, and I believe now, that this has to come from the Government; teachers have a role to play in tackling antisemitism. The responsibility is on them." Frisher said.

At Jewish schools, heightened security has become a routine part of daily life. Spencer Lewis, executive headteacher of Yavneh College, in Hertfordshire, described security as an "innate part" of his role, with the school employing four full-time security staff and maintaining extensive protective measures.

Lewis described the arrangements pupils encounter when entering the school.

"When you come in in the morning, there are high gates, high fences, lots of security cameras. We have four full-time security staff. And it sort of just becomes part of what you do.

We think about it a lot." Lewis said.

Children have also become familiar with lockdown drills designed to protect them from intruders. One Year 6 pupil, Livi, described the mixed emotions associated with these precautions.

"It's a bit scary sometimes, but you know you're safe." Livi said.

Her classmate Sadie described the unfairness she felt about the need for such protection.

"It's sad that we can't be equal to everyone else, but people don't like us just because of the way we are." Sadie said.

Older pupils told the BBC that reports of harassment targeting Jewish students elsewhere had made them feel vulnerable, including during commutes and at sports events. Some said they hesitated to wear skullcaps or Star of David necklaces outside school.

Year 9 pupil Ilan said this affected how openly Jewish students could express their identity.

"Other religions get to be out and wear their necklaces and be proud - I don't get why Jewish people can't do it as much." Ilan said.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews said the proposed safeguarding measures would establish a clearer responsibility for schools to protect students.

"Treating antisemitism in schools as a safeguarding issue will have the benefit of creating an explicit duty on all schools to address this as they would any other threat to children's safety, and will strengthen accountability." A spokesperson for the Board of Deputies of British Jews said.

The organization also backed measures to improve understanding of contemporary antisemitism.

"To deepen understanding of contemporary antisemitism." The Board of Deputies of British Jews said, describing the purpose of adopting the IHRA definition.

The report is due to be presented to Parliament on Wednesday, with the Department for Education declining to comment before publication.