By Vivienne Russell | 9 June 2014
Ministers have asked Ofsted to report on the scope for inspecting schools at no notice following allegations of extremism at several schools in Birmingham.
The education watchdog's review of 21 schools in the city found that five had failed to protect children from extremism.
Golden Hillock School (a Park View Academy), Nansen Primary School (a Park View Academy), Park View Academy of Mathematics and Science, Oldknow Academy and Saltley School and Specialist Science College were all rated 'inadequate' and placed in special measures.
Findings from Education Funding Agency reports have suggested the schools at the centre of the controversy used notice periods to put on ‘hastily arranged shows of cultural inclusivity’, Number 10 said.
Currently, Ofsted determines the notice period for inspections and its default period as half a day. No-notice inspections are rare and only routinely faced by schools already rated inadequate for behaviour.
Prime Minister David Cameron said today: ‘Protecting our children is one of the first duties of government and that is why the issue of alleged Islamist extremism in Birmingham schools demands a robust response.
‘The education secretary will now ask [Ofsted head] Sir Michael Wilshaw to look into allowing any schools to be inspected at no notice, stopping schools having the opportunity to cover up activities which have no place in our society.’
Education Secretary Michael Gove added: ‘Evidence uncovered in Birmingham clearly indicates that schools have used the notice they have been given of inspections to evade proper scrutiny. Sir Michael Wilshaw will now examine the practicalities of moving to a position where all schools know they may face an unannounced inspection.’
Cameron has also called a special meeting of the government’s Extremism Taskforce to discuss the findings arising from the Ofsted review.
However, Park View Education Trust strongly rebutted the watchdog’s findings. Vice chair Dave Hughes said: ‘Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansen are categorically not inadequate schools.
‘Ofsted inspectors came to our schools looking for extremism, looking for segregation, looking for proof that our children have religion forced upon them as part of an Islamic plot.
‘The Ofsted reports find absolutely no evidence of this, because this is categorically not what is happening at our schools. Our schools do not tolerate or promote extremism of any kind.’
