Inquiry finds no evidence of antisemitism at Bristol school after postponed MP visit
The decision to delay was based on safeguarding concerns, inquiry concludes
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An independent inquiry has concluded that Bristol Brunel Academy showed no evidence of antisemitism following the postponement of a Jewish MP's visit.
Labour MP Damien Egan was initially scheduled to speak with pupils in September, but the visit was postponed due to safety concerns around a potential protest.
“On the evening before Mr Egan’s scheduled visit, we were made aware of plans for a public protest outside the school," a spokesperson from Bristol Brunel Academy said.
“As this protest was scheduled to coincide with the end of the school day, we opted to postpone Mr Egan’s visit to ensure everyone would continue to feel safe when entering and exiting school and to prevent any disruption to our students’ learning."
The postponement was met with widespread criticism from MPs and described as "very concerning" by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
An urgent Ofsted inspection cleared Bristol Brunel’s leadership of showing any discrimination or political bias in its culture and teaching – and now an independent inquiry into its decision-making and the wider culture has also concluded there is ‘no evidence of antisemitism’ within the school.
Inquiry details and conclusions
The inquiry involved extensive interviews and reviews of training materials and trust policy documents, clearing the Bristol Brunel Academy and Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) of any discrimination.
Dame Joan McVittie stated: “The threat of a protest where there were so many unknowns created a significant risk to students and the MP."
She concluded that the decision to postpone was based solely on safeguarding concerns, not on Mr Egan's Jewish heritage or connections to Israel.
The report highlighted the values of tolerance, inclusivity, and rejection of discrimination, upheld through detailed EDI training and governance within the school.
"The evidence I found during my visit leads me to conclude that these are ‘lived’ values. They are role models for staff in the trust," Dame Joan McVittie said.