England’s schools face new expectations on antisemitism safeguards
Constantvpn.com – Schools and colleges across England are set to be asked to treat antisemitism as a specific form of harm, with new safeguarding expectations intended to make responses to anti-Jewish abuse clearer and more consistent.
The proposed approach would move antisemitism beyond general anti-racism or anti-bullying policies. Instead, education settings would be expected to identify it directly as a safeguarding concern and take defined action when incidents arise.
The measures are contained in a government-commissioned review led by Sir David Bell, the former chief inspector of Ofsted. Its findings are due to be presented to Parliament on Wednesday, and the government is expected to accept all 27 recommendations.
Training, reporting and advice for schools
The review is expected to recommend specialist training for teachers, improved recording of incidents and more reliable reporting procedures. It also calls for stronger teaching about antisemitism, Jewish life today and the forms anti-Jewish hostility can take in modern settings.
One recommendation would create an immediate advice route for school leaders dealing with antisemitic incidents. Such a service could help heads and senior staff respond quickly, particularly where a case involves threats, repeated harassment, concerns about pupil safety or tensions within the wider school community.
Clearer guidance on teachers’ political impartiality is also anticipated. This is likely to be relevant when classroom discussions touch on difficult international issues, religion, identity or conflict. The central aim is to help staff handle sensitive subjects without allowing Jewish pupils to feel isolated, targeted or unsafe.
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.
Sir David Bell’s remarks underline that the review is intended to apply throughout the education system, rather than solely within Jewish schools. Antisemitism can affect pupils in different communities and settings, and staff will need to recognise it whether it appears in language, online behaviour, intimidation, vandalism or discriminatory treatment.
Rising incidents in education settings
The review was commissioned amid wider concern about antisemitism in the United Kingdom. The attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester in October 2025, in which two men were killed, was among the serious incidents that heightened those concerns.
Recent figures from the Community Security Trust showed a marked increase in antisemitic incidents connected with schools. During the first six months of 2026, 178 incidents were recorded, compared with 112 in the equivalent period of 2025. That represents a 59% rise and the highest total recorded for the first half of any year.
The review has found that Jewish pupils have faced recurring abuse and harassment. It also highlighted the practical burden placed on leaders of some Jewish schools, where security responsibilities can consume time that would otherwise be focused on education.
Separate government reviews have examined antisemitism in healthcare as well as public-order and hate-crime laws. Together, these inquiries reflect an effort to consider how antisemitism is addressed across institutions rather than as an issue confined to one sector.
Security as part of daily school life
At Yavneh College in Hertfordshire, pupils and staff work within visible security arrangements that include high gates, fencing, surveillance cameras and four full-time security staff. Spencer Lewis, the school’s executive headteacher, described security as inseparable from his everyday responsibilities.
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.
For many children, these procedures have become routine. Lock-in, or “in-vacuation”, exercises designed to protect pupils during an intruder incident are familiar even to younger students. Yet their normality does not remove the anxiety that can sit behind them.
It’s a bit scary sometimes, but you know you’re safe.
Livi, a Year 6 pupil, described the mixed feeling of reassurance and fear created by the drills. Her classmate Sadie spoke about the sadness of being singled out because of Jewish identity.
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.
Older pupils said they generally feel protected while inside school, but news of antisemitic attacks and reports of harassment affecting children travelling to school or attending sports fixtures have left some feeling vulnerable beyond the school gates.
Some students said they hesitate to wear a skullcap or a Star of David necklace in public. Ilan, a Year 9 pupil, questioned why outward expressions of Jewish identity can feel less secure than those of other faiths.
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.
What the recommendations could mean
If adopted, the recommendations would give schools a more explicit framework for prevention, intervention and support. A distinct safeguarding category could make it easier for staff to recognise patterns of behaviour, record concerns properly and communicate with affected pupils and families.
The government is also expected to encourage schools to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism. It cannot require schools to adopt the definition, but encouraging its use may give education leaders a shared point of reference when deciding whether conduct crosses into antisemitism.
For pupils, the significance of the review will rest on whether its recommendations produce safer day-to-day experiences: classrooms where concerns are taken seriously, staff who know how to respond, and school communities where Jewish children can participate openly without feeling compelled to hide part of who they are.
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