Ofsted demands power to raid illicit schools
INSPECTORS should be given the power to break into suspected illegal schools, an Ofsted chief has demanded as he warns “flimsy” laws mean children are left in “shocking” conditions.
Matthew Coffey, chief operating officer at Ofsted, said that individuals running unregistered schools were escaping prosecution, despite inspectors identifying hundreds of suspected illegal premises.
He said that inspectors needed to gather evidence to show that individuals were breaking the law, but their efforts were hampered by a lack of powers and poorly worded legislation. He said: “I don’t have powers to force entry. So in those very rare occasions where children are at risk and I need to get in there … I can’t, I have to phone the police and they may well be busy doing other things.”
Mr Coffey said he once accompanied inspectors to a suspected illegal school, and only after breaking in could they discover the extent of the horrifying conditions.
“We went into this school, we had to break in with the police so we smashed our way in,” he said. “This is where we saw filthy, dirty beds and mattresses on floors, we saw absolute segregation, barred up windows, no running water in toilets. Just filthy, dirty conditions.”
Mr Coffey said that inspectors needed the powers to enter related premises, since illegal schools often had an “escape route” to a nearby building. He said that inspectors were also held back by their inability to seize evidence.
“We have the power to photocopy evidence and that’s great if there is a photocopier available, but some of these places don’t have photocopiers. So we are having to use phones to take screenshots of some of the dreadful literature about the role of men and women in society and [the way] women should be treated, and some really difficult things.” A Department for Education (DfE) task force has so far identified 291 suspected unregistered schools and issued warning notices to 38 which it suspects are operating illegally. Since then, 27 have ceased operating illegally while 11 remain under criminal investigation.
Inspection summary logs, seen by The Sunday Telegraph, reveal that a relatively high proportion of suspected illegal institutions are faith schools.
Izzy Posen, 22, spent most of his childhood at illegal Jewish schools in north London. “I would regard my time there as child abuse,” he said. “The worst aspect was definitely the hitting.” A DfE spokesman said: “Unregistered schools are illegal and unsafe. We have given Ofsted additional resources to root out these settings, step up investigations and work with us to take whatever action is required, including closing down a school or working with the police and Crown Prosecution Service as necessary.
“We will not hesitate to take action where children are being put at risk or not receiving a suitable education, by working with local authorities and the police who have clear powers to intervene where necessary. We expect them to make use of these powers and will support them to do so.”