Ofsted praised for renewed vigour in scrutinising faith school sector

February 13, 2015

OfstedThe Accord Coalition, which campaigns for inclusive education in all state funded schools, has welcomed the new energy being shown by Ofsted in its inspections of faith schools and in challenging deficiencies found.

Its Chair, Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain, said ‘We are at least seeing Ofsted using its powers in a way that is more focused on the best interests of pupils in faith schools. Until recently there has been a suspicion that it has skirted over issues of dubious practices by faith schools that served to limit the horizons of pupils. Instead, its renewed insistence that faith schools encourage a broad syllabus and work towards community cohesion is to be welcomed.’

Accord previously reported on faith school inspection guidance that was issued by Ofsted in 2014 and soon withdrawn, which endorsed gender segregation. Commenting on where this took place at some Muslim faith schools the briefing noted that ‘This should not be taken as a sign of inequality between different genders.’ Some of the schools implicated in the Birmingham school cases last year were criticised for segregating pupils by gender.

Accord has also backed calls made by Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, Tristram Hunt, that Ofsted should inspect RE at faith schools, which it currently does not do. Instead the governing body at faith schools chooses the person or body that inspects its provision of RE.

Rabbi Romain commented ‘We know how important faith can be in guiding children’s outlook and sense of identity, so it is completely improper for this not to be a direct part of Ofsted’s remit. Getting faith groups to choose who inspects their own schools is a bit like asking the Chair of a public company to be the auditor for its annual accounts – it is neither objective nor in the public interest.’

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