Government review finds anti-Semitism in schools
A government review has found that anti-Semitism in schools is at shocking levels, with head teachers spending more time on security measures.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A government review into anti-Semitism in schools and colleges has found that head teachers at some Jewish schools are spending more time on security than on education. Sir David Bell, the independent reviewer, said the extent of anti-Semitism directed at children and young people was shocking. He told the BBC that many leaders of Jewish faith schools had told him security was their predominant concern, and that education sometimes took second place.
The review, which is due to report in the autumn, has examined the experiences of Jewish pupils in both faith schools and mainstream schools. One teacher, speaking anonymously, described constant security patrols, car searches with undercar mirrors, and a pervasive anxiety. Another head teacher said some weeks she spent 90% of her time dealing with security, and that anxiety had kept her awake at night. A Jewish pupil at a mainstream school, Jonathan, said he was bullied relentlessly and had swastikas drawn in classrooms. He helped introduce a lesson on anti-Semitism, which he said changed attitudes and led to apologies.
The review comes amid a broader rise in anti-Semitic incidents. The Community Security Trust recorded nearly 2,000 incidents in the first six months of the year, up by a fifth on the same period last year. There were spikes after the US and Israel began a war with Iran, and after the stabbings of two Jewish men in Golders Green in April. An international task force representing the world's largest Jewish diaspora communities said the UK recorded the biggest rise in anti-Semitic incidents last year of any country with a significant Jewish population outside Israel, with 3,700 incidents, up 5%. It also said 2025 was the deadliest year for attacks against Jews outside Israel in 30 years, citing attacks in Australia, the US and the UK, including the killing of two worshippers at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester.
The UK government says it is working with the International Task Force to strengthen the fight against anti-Jewish hate. The policing and crime commissioner for London, Sarah Jones, called the figures appalling, and the Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Philp, said anti-Semitism was a national emergency. The government has invested £250 million to boost policing in Jewish neighbourhoods and to protect synagogues, schools and community centres. Sir David Bell is expected to recommend improved anti-Semitism education when he publishes his report.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC News | BBC One | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Semitic incidents in the UK have increased, with reports of a record annual rise, a 20% increase in the first half of the year, and a 70% weekly spike after the start of the Iran war. | · | ||
| Head teachers at some Jewish schools are spending more time on security than on education. | · | ||
| Sir David Bell said the extent of anti-Semitism affecting children and young people was shocking. | · | ||
| 2025 was the deadliest year for Jews living outside Israel in more than 30 years. | · | · | |
| Anti-Semitic incidents jumped by more than 70% in the week after the US and Israel began the war with Iran. | · | · | |
| Anti-Semitism is reported as a significant issue for children and young people in the Jewish community, not just adults. | · | · | |
| In Australia, 15 people were killed in a shooting at a Chanukah concert on Bondi Beach in December. | · | · | |
| Nearly 2,000 anti-Semitic incidents were recorded in the first half of the year, the second highest on record. | · | · | |
| Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said anti-Semitism is a national emergency. | · | · | |
| The formal report from the review is not due to be published until the autumn. | · | · | |
| The Golders Green attack triggered the highest daily anti-Semitic incident totals of that six-month period. | · | · | |
| The government is investing a record £250 million to boost policing in Jewish neighborhoods. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West provided the most comprehensive coverage, combining the international task force report with a detailed investigation into the school review, including personal accounts from teachers and pupils. It highlighted the human impact and the security burden on Jewish schools, with a strong focus on the lived experience of those affected.
- “I think that they are facing a pressure and indeed one might even say a crisis that is not the experience of other communities in this country.”
- “There's security presence patrolling outside the school, inside the school, at all times of the day.”
- “People told me that I should be in a gas chamber.”
Sky News focused on the latest Community Security Trust data for the first half of the year, the spike after geopolitical events, and the political response. It framed the issue as a national emergency and highlighted the fear within the Jewish community, with a strong emphasis on the need for action.
- “hanging like a cloud over the Jewish community now because it's happening so much more frequently”
- “It's been branded appalling by the policing and crime commissioner, Sarah Jones, who said it shows people are living in fear just for being who they are.”
- “Many Jewish schools are having to have CST security essentially outside the gates.”
BBC News (signed) gave a concise summary of the school review, focusing on Sir David Bell's comments and the security burden on Jewish schools. It did not include the broader CST data or international report, instead concentrating on the education angle and the impact on children.
- “Head teachers at Jewish schools here are spending increasing amounts of their time dealing with security arrangements rather than education.”
- “Sir David Bell says he has been struck by how many leaders of Jewish faith schools have told him that security is their predominant concern.”
- “he's been shocked, he said, at the extent to which he can see it's an issue for children and young people.”
Broadcast Timeline
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