Department for Education officials under investigation over illegal faith schools

'We believe there are more unregistered school operating than originally thought by the DfE and local authorities'

The Department for Education

Department for Education officials are under investigation after The Independent revealed documents containing evidence about Jewish boys being sent to illegal faith schools had been destroyed.

A Government source said they were looking into the actions of officials who were made aware that the documents, which detailed figures about Jewish boys leaving mainstream education in the London Borough of Hackney, were shredded by the Hackney Learning Trust in 2010.

According to a redacted ‘Action of Note’, a senior DfE official was present at a meeting with Trust staff members when the situation was discussed. The official also agreed to inform DfE colleagues about what had happened.

There is growing concern about illegal faith schools run by members of the Jewish Charedi community following allegations of physical abuse, 14-hour school days and substandard education.

Since 2008, it has been an offence to run an unregistered school. Jewish community leaders have called for the schools to “get legal”, while education watchdog Ofsted has set up a taskforce to address the problem.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Nothing is more important than keeping children safe. Local authorities must take immediate action to establish the identities of children missing from school to ensure they are safe and receiving a good education.

“We are taking steps to strengthen our guidance to schools on safeguarding, and subject to outcomes of a recent consultation, we plan to change regulations so that schools have a duty to inform local authorities in all circumstances where a pupil is removed from a school register.”

The source said the actions of officials following the 2010 meeting were “being looked into”. However it is understood the investigation is not focussed on the action of an individual member of staff and no-one is facing discplinary action.

Ofted said its taskforce consisted of “eight experienced inspectors” who “receive support and intelligence from regional teams” across the country.

“We believe there are more unregistered school operating than originally thought by the DfE and local authorities,” an Ofsted spokeswoman said.

“This is why Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector has consistently highlighted the risks associated with unregistered schools, particularly in his advice notes to the Secretary of State, which set out the findings of Ofsted investigations.

“We are working with the government and local authorities to identify, close and prosecute people found to be running these settings.”

Ofsted stressed that it believed unregistered schools were a problem that needed to be addressed.

“Ofsted takes the safety of young people very seriously and has worked hard to raise the profile of unregistered schools as a serious issue,” its spokeswoman said.

“We will continue our work to ensure all children are properly safeguarded and receive a broad and balanced education.”

On Monday, Jonathan Arkush, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said there was no “serious evidence of mistreatment of children” at illegal faith schools. He speculated that they were tacitly tolerated because there was no room for the pupils in mainstream schools and that they were not being harmed.