Ofsted: Trojan Horse schools ‘still failing to promote British values’

Ofsted says that five schools at the centre of the Trojan Horse affair in Birmingham are failing to improve, with teachers struggling to promote religious ‘tolerance’

Schools at the centre of the Trojan Horse scandal are still promoting an “unbalanced curriculum” and segregating boys and girls in the classroom, according to Ofsted.

The education watchdog said “very little action” had been taken to address major failings at five Birmingham schools suspected of being subjected to an alleged takeover plot by hard-line Muslims.

In a letter to Nicky Morgan, the Education Secretary, it was claimed that “too much poor practice” had remained “unchallenged” in the last five months.

This includes an example of one school that requires pupils to teach themselves about any faith other than Islam, including Christianity. At another, a supply teacher taught a religious education lesson that “appeared to promote an inappropriate Islamist agenda”.

One school even took pupils on a trip to Mecca despite telling governors that it had been cancelled “due to failures in safeguarding”.

The letter centres around three schools run by the Park View Educational Trust – Park View School, Golden Hillock School and Nansen primary – alongside Oldknow Academy and Saltley School. All five were placed in special measures in June.

Ofsted said:

  • Park View School had done little to “discourage segregation and to encourage boys and girls to sit together in lessons and share opinions and ideas";
  • At Saltley School, it was claimed that some staff “segregate themselves into groups based on their religious beliefs” and this has not yet been addressed by senior teachers;
  • Planned changes to the curriculum have been drawn up but often lack the detail required to ensure that “effective action will be taken to ‘actively promote’ fundamental British values and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs";
  • At Golden Hillock School, religious education GCSE students have to “teach themselves for options other than Islam”, putting them at a “significant disadvantage";
  • There was an example of a supply teacher teacher conducting an RE lesson that was “nor part of the school’s religious education curriculum”, with senior leaders of the opinion that “aspects of the lesson appeared to promote an inappropriate Islamist ideology";
  • Governors at Oldknow Academy were “not aware that a visit to Saudi Arabia had taken place this year for pupils and staff, despite a similar trip last year receiving criticism from inspectors”, adding: “Indeed, they had been told by senior leaders that the visit had been cancelled";
  • In all five schools, there were continuing concerns that “some staff hold roles for which they are not qualified or experienced”.

The disclosure was made following a series of unannounced follow-up inspections of schools branded “failing” after the initial Ofsted report published earlier in the summer.

Four separate probes were conducted into the allegations in Birmingham, which were originally sparked by the “Trojan Horse” letter that referred to an alleged plot by Islamists to seize control of a number of school governing boards in the city.

Following the investigation, ministers announced that all schools would be required to “actively promote” British values such as democracy, tolerance, mutual respect, the rule of law and individual liberty.

Ofsted said plans had been drawn up to revamp the curriculum at each of the five schools inspected but they often lacked the detail needed to ensure British values and tolerance of other faiths are promoted.

The Department for Education also pledged to sack governors in charge of the schools.

According to the letter, staff at all five schools showed “more optimism about change” and had “greater confidence that they could speak out and would be listened to”.

But Ofsted said the schools involved have “had very little time to secure suitable leadership for the schools or to take effective action on the weaknesses raised in the previous inspections”.

It also criticised Birmingham City Council – which was heavily attacked in June – saying it was “not yet effectively sharing information with Ofsted about the action it is taking”.

“Despite repeated requests, Ofsted has yet to see the single integrated plan that the local authority has drawn up,” the letter said.

Sir Michael made a series of recommendations, including asking the DfE to “take more rapid action to require a change of trustees and governors in academies when serious concerns are identified”.

A DfE spokesman said: “These reports are a snapshot. They reflect the particular circumstances of the schools and the time at which the inspections took place, in some cases just a couple of days into the start of the new school year.

“We are confident that the strong leadership teams we have put in place mean that change will be rapid and effective once it has had more than a few weeks to have an impact.”

Tristram Hunt, the Shadow Education Secretary, said: “It is utterly incomprehensible that six months after these serious concerns became public David Cameron’s Government has still not taken action, putting children at risk from radical, hard-line agendas and damaging school standards.

“It is gross negligence from the Prime Minister and his Tory-led Government and they must urgently explain their inaction.”

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