The UK Government has launched an independent review into how schools and colleges in England identify, respond to, and prevent antisemitism, with recommendations due in Autumn 2026.
This is in addition to £7 million already invested across all education settings, such as schools, colleges, and universities.
Of that total, £2.3 m. has been allocated to Palace Yard and the Union of Jewish Students to deliver resources and training for education professionals alongside a £1 m. innovation fund aimed at developing practical solutions to tackle antisemitism.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the review will help to ensure schools and colleges have the confidence and support needed to combat antisemitism.
It will explore how effectively schools and colleges are supported in handling incidents of antisemitism, including through their own policies and relevant government guidance.
It will also consider what processes are in place when incidents are mishandled, what schools and colleges are doing to prevent antisemitism in the first place, and the role of external campaigning organizations in influencing institutional decision-making.
The review comes in light of data received from the Community Security Trust, which recorded 204 school-related antisemitic incidents in 2025, double the levels typically seen before 2023.
Over a fifth of British Jewish parents also report their children have experienced antisemitism at school, on their way to school, or in the school’s vicinity.
NASUWT survey finds 51% of Jewish members faced antisemitism
A NASUWT survey found that 51% of Jewish members experienced antisemitism in the workplace in the past year, and more than half of those felt that when they raised concerns, appropriate action was not taken.
Phillipson has appointed Sir David Bell to lead the review. Bell previously served as permanent secretary at the Department for Education from 2006 to 2011 and chief inspector of schools in England between 2002 and 2005.
Bell announced he is pleased to have been asked to undertake this “vital work,” adding that antisemitism is a “scourge” and “no child or young person or teacher should be subject to it, not least when attending school or college.”
He promised to approach the review with an “open and independent mind.”
The review will cover all schools and colleges in England, including maintained schools, academies, special schools, independent schools, further education colleges, and sixth form colleges.
A call for evidence and a program of engagement, which will be heard from school and college leaders, community groups, and religious representatives, will launch in spring 2026.