Independent review finds extensive antisemitism in English schools

Schools and colleges across England must recognize antisemitism as a distinct category of harm following a major independent review published on Wednesday.

Launched by the Department for Education in March 2026, the government-commissioned review was led by former Ofsted chief Sir David Bell and set out 27 recommendations after finding that three in five Jewish students in England have experienced prejudice.

The review revealed that one in five students overall reported witnessing antisemitism, while many cases went entirely unreported by students and teachers due to a lack of confidence that incidents would be properly addressed.

Discussing the findings in a statement to the BBC, Bell explained that existing approaches to general racism had failed to identify anti-Jewish hatred clearly enough. “We do need to name antisemitism as a particular kind of prejudice and hate, because I think if you don't name it, you don't actually know what you're tackling or what you're going to be able to do to respond to it,” Bell said.

Elaborating further in an interview with Sky News, Bell pointed out that a broad commitment to tackling racism has historically fallen short of addressing anti-Jewish hatred effectively. “I think what this review has demonstrated is that a general commitment to tackling racism or prejudice or hate has not properly identified antisemitism as a particular kind of hate,” Bell told Sky News.

Sharp rise in antisemitic incidents in the UK

The findings follow a sharp rise in recorded antisemitic incidents within educational settings, with data from the Community Security Trust showing that reports reached record highs earlier this year, jumping from 112 incidents in the first half of 2025 to 178 during the same period in 2026.

The review calls for schools and colleges to officially track and treat antisemitism as a distinct category of harm rather than grouping it under general racism, establishing an explicit safeguarding duty to protect students.

It also urges educational institutions to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism and recommends enhanced teacher training, clearer guidance on political impartiality during sensitive global discussions, and better educational resources to help students identify and challenge prejudice.

Addressing the House of Commons on Wednesday, Secretary of State for Education Lucy Powell presented the formal review and announced that the government has accepted all 27 recommendations from Sir David Bell's review.

Outlining the challenges contributing to the crisis, Powell told MPs that "old tropes have found new life in the modern world" and warned that antisemitism is "now normalized and amplified in the echo chambers online, reaching directly into children's bedrooms."

Powell stressed the urgent need for a broader cultural shift, stating that society requires "this big conversation, this national conversation about what contemporary anti-Semitism looks like, where it is appearing, why it is appearing, calling it out and explaining to the next generation what happens, what goes wrong in a country and a society when we fail to do that."

Powell noted that within the report, a survey of secondary school teachers who teach about the Holocaust found, "40% reported encountering anti-Semitism coming into those classes and amongst their students."

Detailing the educational reforms tied to the review, Powell confirmed that while Holocaust education will remain compulsory in the national curriculum, instruction will be strengthened, and schools will move beyond solely studying the Holocaust to ensure proper education regarding Jewish life.

"As part of the curriculum, we will ensure the contribution, the culture, and the history of Jewish people in Britain are well understood and appreciated; Judaism is a diverse, modern, and generous faith tradition, and the curriculum should reflect that too," Powell stated.

Powell stated that "blaming British Jews for the actions of the Israeli government is anti-Semitism" and noted that "targeting British Jews out of concern for Palestine is anti-Semitism."

Powell also directly addressed the definition of Zionism and recent political controversies, stating, "Zionism is not racism, and that is why the motion passed by the Green Party is so wholly wrong and is antisemitic. And I want people to hear that loudly and clearly. And in the IHRA definition of antisemitism it is clear that denying the right to Jewish people to self-determination is antisemitic, and that's why it's really important that schools adopt it." 

Warnings of attempts to isolate Jewish communities

The Green Party's motion and its broader cultural impacts were also condemned by other parliamentarians, including Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who warned that actions to isolate and attack Jewish communities mirror historical warnings and point to broader societal failures.

When pressed by MPs regarding financial support for the implementation of the sweeping changes, Powell confirmed to the House that "there will be funding attached to what we've outlined today" and explicitly clarified during subsequent questioning that schools will receive "new funding as well as new resources for training for suggested classroom resources and so on, so that will be available, and hopefully schools will feel fully supported in taking this forward."

Jewish community leaders welcomed the news of recommendations following its publication on Wednesday.

“We welcome the recommendations of Sir David Bell to tackle antisemitism in schools and colleges and the commitment of the Secretary of State for Education to implement them. The struggle against extremism and antisemitism begins with education, so we must get this right in schools,” said Board of Deputies Vice President Karen Newman.

“This is not just about protecting Jewish pupils and staff, but protecting all our children from hateful and extremist ideas, and supporting schools to tackle them where they arise. The evidence gathered by Sir David Bell showing the scale of the challenges is sobering, and makes clear the need for a determined and consistent approach,” Newman added.

“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,” she said.

Newman also pointed to specific measures within the report addressing institutional guidance and external pressures. “We particularly welcome the clear recommendations that schools and local authorities follow government guidelines by adopting the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism as a tool to deepen understanding of contemporary antisemitism. We further welcome recommendations relating to improving education about Jewish life as well as antisemitism, and ensuring schools maintain their duties in relation to political impartiality,” Newman stated.

“We remain concerned about undue external influence on schools driven by narrow political agendas, and tendentious materials seeping into schools and increasing disharmony, and we will continue to press for vigilance against this,” she added.

'CST welcomes the recommendations of the Bell Review'

The Community Security Trust (CST) also praised the publication of the Bell Review's recommendations.

“CST welcomes the recommendations of the Bell Review into antisemitism in schools and colleges and hopes that this is the first step towards meaningful action to tackle anti-Jewish hatred in our education establishments,” the Community Security Trust stated.

“Sir David Bell's report details the damaging impact that the growth in antisemitism has had on Jewish school children and staff. Schools should be places where every child feels safe, included and able to learn without fear because of who they are. Instead, too often, Jewish children and staff have their educational experience marred by racist harassment, intimidation and extremism. This cannot continue,” the organization added.

“We thank Sir David Bell for producing this thorough review and welcome the Government's decision to accept its recommendations. The report provides an important acknowledgment that antisemitism has not been properly addressed through existing structures to tackle discrimination and that it requires dedicated, focused efforts to tackle it,” the trust noted.

“Too often, anti-Jewish prejudice is misunderstood or overlooked, leaving Jewish pupils feeling isolated and unsupported. Ensuring that school leaders and staff have the confidence, understanding and training to recognize antisemitism and respond appropriately will be essential,” the CST stated.

“The priority now must be to ensure that these recommendations are implemented effectively, with clear guidance, appropriate training and consistent action whenever antisemitism occurs. Jewish children should be able to attend school, learn and thrive in the same safety and security that every child deserves. There can be no place for antisemitism in our education system,” the CST concluded.