Schools should recognise antisemitism as distinct form of harm, review says

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Schools should recognise antisemitism as distinct form of harm, review says
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Schools and colleges in England will be required to recognise antisemitism as a distinct category of harm and take explicit action against it following a major review, the BBC understands.
It means anti-Jewish hatred would be treated as a specific safeguarding risk rather than being dealt with through existing measures to stop racism and bullying.
The government-commissioned review into antisemitism in education is also expected to recommend dedicated training for teachers, more consistent recording and reporting of incidents, and better education about antisemitism and modern-day Jewish life.
The BBC understands it will also call for stronger guidance on political impartiality for teachers.
The review, led by former Ofsted chief inspector Sir David Bell, is due to be presented to Parliament on Wednesday. The government is expected to accept all 27 recommendations.
It was launched amid growing concern about antisemitism in the UK, following a series of high-profile incidents including the attack at Heaton Park synagogue in Manchester in October 2025, in which two men were killed.
Separate reviews were also commissioned into antisemitism in healthcare and into public order and hate crime laws.
The BBC revealed in August that the Bell review had found Jewish schoolchildren were experiencing regular harassment and abuse.
It also found that headteachers of some Jewish schools were spending more of their time dealing with security arrangements than educational matters.
Recent figures from the Community Security Trust, an organisation which provides security advice and support to the Jewish community, showed a spike in antisemitic incidents at schools.
It found in the first half of 2026 that antisemitism in schools had reached the highest level ever recorded for the first six months of any year. It jumped by 59%, from 112 reported incidents in the first half of 2025 to 178 recorded over the same period in 2026.
The review is also expected to recommend that the government sets up a type of hotline where school leaders can access immediate advice on tackling antisemitism.
Bell told the BBC: "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."
Earlier this month, the BBC was given rare access inside a Jewish school in Hertfordshire, where pupils and staff operate under tight security, amid heightened concerns about antisemitism.
Spencer Lewis, the executive headteacher of Yavneh College, said that security was an "innate part" of his role.
"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," he said. "We think about it a lot."
Staff and pupils told the BBC they have become so used to these measures that they barely notice them anymore.
Lock-in - or "in-vacuation" - drills for dealing with intruders have become second nature, even to the youngest pupils.
"It's a bit scary sometimes, but you know you're safe," said Livi, a Year 6 pupil.
"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," added her classmate, Sadie.
A group of a dozen older pupils who spoke to the BBC said that while they feel safe inside school, hearing about antisemitic attacks in the UK, including reports of pupils at other Jewish schools being harassed on their commute and at sports fixtures, has left them feeling targeted.
Some said that they were reluctant to wear skullcaps or necklaces featuring the Star of David – a Jewish symbol – outside school.
"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," said Year 9 pupil Ilan.
In response to the recommendations, the government is also expected to encourage schools to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)'s working definition of antisemitism, although it cannot make it compulsory.
The definition is supported by mainstream Jewish organisations and has been adopted by 47 countries, including the UK, as well as most British universities.
However, some of the IHRA definition's examples of antisemitic behaviour have proven controversial.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said that adopting the IHRA definition would provide schools with a tool "to deepen understanding of contemporary antisemitism".
In a statement, a spokesperson told the BBC: "Treating antisemitism in schools as a safeguarding issue will have the benefit of creating an explicit duty on all schools to address this as they would any other threat to children's safety, and will strengthen accountability."
He added: "We have advocated these measures be accompanied by other steps including improving education about Jewish life and ensuring schools maintain their duties in relation to political impartiality."
Bell, who is now vice-chancellor of the University of Sunderland, heard evidence from pupils, teachers, governors and parents across state and independent schools, as well as from community organisations.
The Department for Education has declined to comment before the review is published.

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