Ofsted is facing questions over why it has edited a published inspection report to remove criticism of a private school’s failure to teach children about LGBT people.
In the original 2017 report, which rated Vishnitz Girls’ School, in North London, as “inadequate”, Ofsted highlighted concerns about pupils not being taught about sexual orientation.
However, these concerns were subsequently edited, with all four mentions being removed.
The amended 2017 report still says that the school is failing to meet the independent school standards on equalities.
It says the school needed to ensure that its personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum “promotes respect for all the protected characteristic groups defined in the 2010 Equality Act in an age-appropriate way.”
Humanists UK has questioned why Ofsted removed specific concerns about the school not teaching pupils about sexual orientation.
Ofsted under fire
Its director of policy, Richy Thompson, said it was very concerning that Ofsted had chosen to remove concerns about the way a school teaches sexual orientation.
The questions have emerged amid controversy over protests against state schools teaching LGBT issues.
It is unclear when the Ofsted reported was edited.
The original report stated: “Pupils are not taught explicitly about issues such as sexual orientation. This restricts pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and does not promote equality of opportunity in ways that take account of differing lifestyles.”
The report added: “As a result, pupils are not able to gain a full understanding of fundamental British values.”
Ofsted has told Humanists UK that the changes were to correct a mistake that conflated teaching British values and meeting the Equalities Act.
In a statement provided to Humanists UK, Ofsted said: “We amended some lines in the inspection report on Vishnitz Girls’ School to clarify which standards the school met, and did not meet, with regard to British values and the Equalities Act.
“The previous version of the report merged two of these standards by incorrectly stating that the school did not pay due regard to the protected characteristics and was, therefore, undermining fundamental British values.
“However, these two standards are not inherently connected, so the report now states that the school met the standard regarding British values, but not the standard regarding equalities.
Concerns over LGBT teaching
“The standards do not expect schools to teach pupils in detail about different lifestyles, gender reassignment or sexual orientation. Only that they encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Equalities Act. The report also now clearly states this.”
Mr Thompson said: “This does not explain or justify why references to sexual orientation were expunged from the 2017 report entirely.”
The amended 2017 report still rated the school as “inadequate”. A subsequent inspection of the school this year found it to be “good”. No concerns have been raised in the latest report about the school meeting the needs of the Equalities act.
The new report says: “The school takes its duty to promote respect for all seriously. Leaders have taken bold decisions to ensure that respect is a strong and consistent thread through the effective implementation of a new personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme.”
