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Safeguarding children from antisemitism in your school
All schools have a legal duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of all children as set out in Section 175 of the Education Act, 2002. The Statutory Guidance for keeping children safe in education requires schools to maintain robust safeguarding policies and procedures, clear reporting and responding processes and appropriate staff training.
The Equality Act, 2010 prohibits schools from discriminating against, harassing, or victimising staff or children based on ‘protected characteristics’. These include race, nationality, ethnicity, religion and philosophical belief. The legal duty also includes addressing any incidents of antisemitism that are witnessed or reported. Jewish children are protected under both the race and religion categories.
Everyone is responsible for safeguarding children
A number of child safeguarding practice reviews have demonstrated that safeguarding measures that do not fully address racial bias and discriminatory attitudes or take into account how children are impacted by racism and other forms of discrimination, can jeopardise children’s safety, wellbeing and education.
Where a state school or academy fails to prevent bullying related to any protected characteristic, inspectors are likely to determine that the school is not meeting its statutory duties under the Education and Inspections Act 2006, Section 8914, which requires headteachers and governing bodies to establish measures to promote good behaviour and prevent all forms of bullying. Under the Ofsted Education Inspection Framework (EIF)15, inspectors will consider failures in safeguarding, behaviour and leadership in their judgements.
Where a proprietor of an independent school fails to ensure that bullying related to any protected characteristics is prevented, it is likely that inspectors will determine Independent School Standards and Regulations (ISSR)16standards 3(j) and 5(b)(vi) are unmet and report this accordingly. Proprietors of independent boarding schools have additional responsibilities as indicated in the National Minimum Standards (NMS) for Boarding.
Not only does a failure to safeguard children from antisemitism in schools have a direct impact on Jewish children, it also risks harming all children by exposing them to a school culture in which hatred, discrimination and exclusion are tolerated and normalised.
Make sure every child in your school is safe to learn
In consultation with child safeguarding experts, educators and school inspectors from both the state and independent sectors, Safe to Learn has produced a guide to help school leaders strengthen safeguarding practice by addressing antisemitism in their policies and procedures.
The guide has undergone a rigorous quality assurance process, a due diligence assessment and content review by the Department of Education and is a recommended resource on the UK Government’s Educate Against Hate website.
Our resources
Resource for learners
(Key Stage 4-5)
Learn more about your right to be safe from antisemitism in school.
Toolkit for schools and education settings
Improve the quality of child safeguarding and protection practice in your school.
Antisemitism in safeguarding and other policies in schools in London
Research briefing
Online course
This short self-directed course is an introduction to addressing antisemitism in UK schools.
It will explain the legal duties of all schools and provide guidance on how these obligations can be implemented across four key areas: addressing antisemitism in safeguarding policies and procedures; reporting and responding to antisemitism; training and awareness-raising; and support for pupils and their participation in safeguarding.
Please be aware that this course contains discussion and descriptions of antisemitic discrimination and abuse and is not suitable for children.