Faith schools repeatedly refuse to teach about same sex relationships

Three independent faith schools are refusing to teach about same sex relationships despite previous criticisms from inspectors.

According to Ofsted reports published this month, three Jewish faith schools in London have failed to meet independent school standards because they do not teach the required content in relationships and sex education (RSE).

Leaders at Beis Trana Girls' School told Ofsted they "do not intend to teach pupils about the legal rights and responsibilities" regarding equality.

Although statutory guidance for the RSE curriculum mandates teaching about the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010 - including sexual orientation and religion and belief -. orthodox Jewish faith schools frequently refuse to teach about protected characteristics due to religious objections to same sex relationships.

Pupils at Beis Trana are not "taught about all the ways that people can be different" and how these differences are protected by law. Ofsted said that as a result of the school's approach, pupils "were not being prepared for life in modern Britain".

This latest inspection at Beis Trana follows a full inspection in 2022, which rated the school "inadequate". The 2022 inspection noted secondary school age pupils "are not taught about the different types of relationships that people may have and the legal rights of those with protected characteristics".

Beis Trana has not received a rating above "requires improvement" since 2014.

Meanwhile, Ofsted found that leaders at Shiras Devorah High School continue to omit "any encouragement of respect for other people" with particular regard to the protected characteristics of "sexual orientation, civil partnership or gender reassignment".

The school's leadership did not explain how they intend "to encourage pupils to respect others". No changes have been made to the RSE curriculum since the school's previous inspection in 2019, when it was found to "not permit reference to all of the protected characteristics" set out in the Equality Act.

At both Beis Trana and Shiras Devorah, school leaders told Ofsted inspectors not to speak to pupils about relationships and sex education. They also confirmed their refusal to teach about sexual orientation and other protected characteristics was due to their faith ethos and parents' wishes.

In another report, Ofsted said leaders at Bnei Zion Community School were "still not providing pupils with an understanding of differences in modern British society", including the protected characteristics. Bnei Zion has been judged to be 'inadequate' since 2016, when Ofsted similarly found pupils were "not given opportunities to learn about people of other faiths or those of none, or about different lifestyles and values".

Although new plans had been drawn up for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, they did not "accurately reflect what is taught", or include "what pupils need to know" and what they should be taught about "other religions, faiths, beliefs and cultures".

The school also prevented inspectors from asking pupils anything about "sex, sexual orientation, civil partnership or gender reassignment".

Ofsted said the school is continuing to breach its registration agreement by admitting 172 pupils between the ages of three and 11. The school is registered to admit up to 200 pupils between the ages of three and five only.

NSS: 'Disregard for RSE shows contempt for the law'

Jack Rivington, campaigns officer at the National Secular Society, said: "Ofsted has repeatedly found Beis Trana, Shiras Devorah, and Bnei Zion refusing to teach about different kinds of people and relationships due to religious concerns.

"As well as failing to fully prepare students for life in Britain, this repeated flagrant disregard for legal requirements show contempt for Ofsted and the independent school standards.

"For a school to openly admit it has no intention of following the regulations is unacceptable. Ofsted must be sufficiently empowered to deal with schools that flout the law in this way, whatever their religious ethos".