Ofsted: No evidence of political bias in Bristol school targeted for opposing Israeli state apologist

The UK’s education watchdog, Ofsted, has found no evidence of political bias at a Bristol school at the centre of a high-profile row over the postponed visit of a pro-Israel MP. The watchdog dismissed claims amplified by government figures that the decision was motivated by the MP’s Jewish identity.

The inspection was triggered after Bristol Brunel Academy delayed a visit from Labour MP Damien Egan. The school cited concerns over planned protests by students and staff angered by the MP’s role in Labour Friends of Israel and Israel’s conduct in Gaza.

The report released by the watchdog this week found that the school “promotes tolerance and respect” and “ensures political impartiality” in its day-to-day operations.

Read: Judicial review launched against NHS for adopting ‘weaponised’ anti-Semitism definition

Contrary to alarmist claims in the press and from leading politicians, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ofsted found “no evidence of partisan political views” and praised the school for fostering “an inclusive learning environment that promotes tolerance and respect for the diversity of modern Britain.”

In September, the school had postponed Egan’s visit after learning that a pro-Palestinian demonstration was scheduled at the same time. Egan is not only a local MP but also vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel, a lobby group that actively defends Israeli policies, even while the apartheid state was carrying out genocide in Gaza.

The media framing of the cancellation sparked anger among teachers, parents and campaigners, who said the controversy was deliberately misrepresented as an anti-Semitism issue. Those opposed to the visit stressed that their objections were rooted in ethical and safeguarding concerns, not the identity of the Jewish MP.

One parent told media outlets at the time that they did not want “impressionable young minds exposed to someone who defends a state committing the ultimate crime against humanity,” referring to Israel’s assault on Gaza. Others accused politicians and sections of the media of weaponising anti-Semitism to shut down legitimate opposition to Israeli war crimes.

Government officials, led by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, responded by launching a review into anti-Semitism in schools, despite no evidence that the MP’s Jewish identity played any role in the decision. The episode was seen as part of a wider pattern of conflating opposition to Israel’s genocide and support for Palestinian rights with anti-Semitism.

Cabot Learning Federation, which oversees the school, stated that the postponement was due solely to safety concerns. The decision was endorsed at the time by the Bristol branch of the National Education Union (NEU) and the Bristol Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Both stressed that the visit posed a risk of disruption amid heightened tensions over Israel’s actions in Gaza and Egan’s active membership of a lobby group serving the interests of a state committing genocide.

The controversy has drawn comparisons to broader government efforts to suppress Palestine solidarity, particularly within educational institutions. Similar dynamics have played out in the US, where pro-Palestinian student groups such as Yalies4Palestine have been banned, while figures with documented histories of inciting racist violence—such as Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir—have been given public platforms.

“There was never a need for [chief inspector] Sir Martyn Oliver to call for an Ofsted inspection of Bristol Brunel Academy,” said NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede. “The school had already made very clear in its statement why the visit by Damien Egan MP was postponed.”

Kebede added that teachers, support staff and union representatives have come under a “great deal of unfair and unsubstantiated accusations” as a result of the attention. “Despite our concerns at Ofsted being called on to intervene, we are pleased that their findings are definitive and clear in their praise for the work of the school,” he said.

Egan’s postponed visit came as protests surged globally over Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, which has killed over 73,000 Palestinians—mostly women and children—since October 2023. Britain’s own complicity in this genocide, including arms sales and RAF surveillance flights in aid of Israeli targeting, has provoked outrage and condemnation from civil society and legal experts