Overview
- An independent review released Wednesday found Bristol Brunel Academy postponed Labour MP Damien Egan’s visit for safeguarding and health-and-safety reasons and found no evidence of antisemitism at the school or trust.
- Leaders pulled the 5 September visit after learning of planned protests at the gates, tried to rebook for 5 December, and ultimately hosted Egan on 5 February after a detailed risk plan and police advice to keep visit details tightly held.
- The review said leaders did not follow their own visitor procedure, including early social media checks, and it urged the trust to avoid high‑profile visits at the start of term, run online checks, seek police and Department for Education guidance, add antisemitism training, and repair ties with the MP.
- An Ofsted inspection in January reported no political bias at the academy, and the government has commissioned a separate national review of antisemitism in education led by Sir David Bell in response to rising incidents since October 2023.
- The Telegraph, as reported by GB News on Thursday, said a single parent complaint and redactions in the review shaped the September call to postpone, and Egan has asked the trust to publish the full report, while the trust says redactions protect identities and were agreed with the DfE and the MP.