This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-27762341
The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| 'Trojan Horse': Campaign' to impose 'faith-based' ideology | 'Trojan Horse': Campaign' to impose 'faith-based' ideology |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Head teachers claim there was an organised campaign to impose a "narrow, faith-based ideology" at some schools in Birmingham, Ofsted has said. | Head teachers claim there was an organised campaign to impose a "narrow, faith-based ideology" at some schools in Birmingham, Ofsted has said. |
| The watchdog has placed five of the city's schools in special measures after "deeply worrying" findings. | |
| It inspected 21 schools after an anonymous letter alleging a Muslim takeover plot was circulated. | |
| He added that a number of the schools inspected were "doing well" and promoting social awareness. | He added that a number of the schools inspected were "doing well" and promoting social awareness. |
| Ofsted carried out monitoring inspections at 16 schools, and full inspections at the five schools branded inadequate. | |
| Governors 'too involved' | Governors 'too involved' |
| These included Park View School, Golden Hillock School and Nansen Primary, run by the Park View Educational Trust. | |
| Oldknow Academy, in Small Heath, and Saltley School were also put into special measures. | |
| Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw said teachers at some of the schools inspected had reported being unfairly treated due to their faith and gender. | |
| He said inspectors had "uncovered evidence of unfair and opaque recruitment practices, including examples of relatives being appointed to unadvertised senior posts". | |
| He attributed a "sudden steep decline" in some schools, such as Park View School, which was downgraded from "outstanding" to "inadequate", to governors exerting too much sway over the running of schools. | He attributed a "sudden steep decline" in some schools, such as Park View School, which was downgraded from "outstanding" to "inadequate", to governors exerting too much sway over the running of schools. |
| "Although exam results are often good, the curriculum has become too narrow, reflecting the personal views of a small number of governors, rather than the wider community in Birmingham and beyond," he said. | |
| "It's really important that all our schools, whether they're faith schools or secular schools, promote the values of wider British society," he added. | "It's really important that all our schools, whether they're faith schools or secular schools, promote the values of wider British society," he added. |
| "This is especially true of schools that serve culturally homogenous communities such as those we inspected in Birmingham." | "This is especially true of schools that serve culturally homogenous communities such as those we inspected in Birmingham." |
| Sir Michael also criticised Birmingham City Council for its "failure to support schools in their efforts to keep pupils safe from the risk of extremism". | Sir Michael also criticised Birmingham City Council for its "failure to support schools in their efforts to keep pupils safe from the risk of extremism". |
| "There's been a lack of urgency in the council's response to persistent complaints from head teachers about the conduct of certain governors," he said. | "There's been a lack of urgency in the council's response to persistent complaints from head teachers about the conduct of certain governors," he said. |
| Park View Academy, Golden Hillock and Nansen Primary, run by the Park View Educational Trust, were recently inspected by Ofsted. | Park View Academy, Golden Hillock and Nansen Primary, run by the Park View Educational Trust, were recently inspected by Ofsted. |
| The trust said it "wholeheartedly disputed" the watchdog's findings and would mount a legal challenge to them. | The trust said it "wholeheartedly disputed" the watchdog's findings and would mount a legal challenge to them. |
| Earlier, a leaked draft report from the Education Funding Agency said some parts of the trust's curriculum were "restricted to a conservative Islamic perspective". | Earlier, a leaked draft report from the Education Funding Agency said some parts of the trust's curriculum were "restricted to a conservative Islamic perspective". |
| It found that girls and boys had been segregated in some classes. | It found that girls and boys had been segregated in some classes. |
| Ofsted's report into Golden Hillock Secondary School, in Small Heath, accused the school of not doing enough to protect pupils from being exposed to extremism. | |
| Vice chair of Park View Educational Trust Dave Hughes said it "wholeheartedly disputed" Ofsted's findings and accused inspectors of operating in a "climate of suspicion". | Vice chair of Park View Educational Trust Dave Hughes said it "wholeheartedly disputed" Ofsted's findings and accused inspectors of operating in a "climate of suspicion". |
| "Ofsted inspectors came to our school looking for extremism, looking for segregation, looking for proof that our children have religion forced upon them as part of a religious plot," he said. | "Ofsted inspectors came to our school looking for extremism, looking for segregation, looking for proof that our children have religion forced upon them as part of a religious plot," he said. |
| "The Ofsted reports find no evidence of this, because this is categorically not what is happening at our schools. | "The Ofsted reports find no evidence of this, because this is categorically not what is happening at our schools. |
| "Our schools do not tolerate extremism of any kind," he added. | "Our schools do not tolerate extremism of any kind," he added. |
| Arshad Malik, whose son, Imran, is in Year 9 at Park View School, said he had read the Ofsted report and he believed its findings were "alien" to his child's experience. | Arshad Malik, whose son, Imran, is in Year 9 at Park View School, said he had read the Ofsted report and he believed its findings were "alien" to his child's experience. |
| "Inspectors came with loaded questions," he said. | "Inspectors came with loaded questions," he said. |
| "This issue is a political football. | "This issue is a political football. |
| "People... are trying to use this school to push their own agendas." | "People... are trying to use this school to push their own agendas." |
| The trust said Golden Hillock was "categorically not an inadequate school" and had only been part of the trust for five months when it was inspected. | The trust said Golden Hillock was "categorically not an inadequate school" and had only been part of the trust for five months when it was inspected. |
| "A number of the judgments are based on data and information that pre‐date the trust's involvement," it said. | "A number of the judgments are based on data and information that pre‐date the trust's involvement," it said. |
| In a statement, Saltley School said Ofsted had "found not the slightest shred of evidence" of an extremist influence at the school. | |
| "Parents and the wider community can be wholly confident that students here are safe and well looked after," it said. | |
| Head of Birmingham City Council Sir Albert Bore said the authority was "reassured that no evidence of a plot or conspiracy have been found by Ofsted". | |
| "It is clear from Ofsted's inspection findings and Sir Michael Wilshaw's report that some governors do not fulfil their roles and responsibilities and have interfered improperly in the ethos, policies and day-to-day running of certain schools," he said. | |
| The 21 schools inspected | The 21 schools inspected |