An independent inquiry into Bristol Brunel Academy has concluded that neither the school nor the Cabot Learning Federation are antisemitic, according to retired headteacher Dame Joan McVittie, who led the review. However, the inquiry revealed that the school postponed a visit from Jewish MP Damien Egan due to planned protests by pro-Palestine activists, a decision that has sparked controversy and calls for transparency. The visit was originally planned for 5 September 2025 and was postponed because of a threat of protest, according to a report. The school said it postponed the visit due to concerns about student safety and disruption from the planned protest, according to Bristol Brunel Academy.
Conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the reason for the postponement. According to The Telegraph via GB News, the visit was cancelled after just one parent complained, and that parent threatened to keep their child home from school if the visit went ahead. However, Dame Joan McVittie stated that the decision to postpone was based on safeguarding concerns to protect students, staff, and the MP from potential abuse or harm due to planned protests. This contradiction has led to questions about whether a single complaint was sufficient to override a planned visit, or whether broader safety planning was the primary factor.
The evidence I have gathered leads me to conclude that the decision to postpone was based not on the MP's religious beliefs or links to Israel but on a desire to protect him from potential abuse and harm as a consequence of this.
Ofsted inspected the school in January and found no evidence of political bias or antisemitism, according to the education watchdog. The independent report recommended that the trust consider additional training on antisemitism and seek to mend its relationship with Damien Egan, Dame Joan McVittie said.
The Cabot Learning Federation denied reports that the postponement was due to concerns about the MP's membership of the Labour Friends of Israel parliamentary group, according to the trust. The MP had already visited four other schools within the trust, according to a report.
We are living in fractious times, and schools can very quickly be drawn into a political and media storm even when their actions are entirely appropriate and well-intentioned.
The report was redacted, and Damien Egan has called for the unredacted version to be published, according to the MP. According to GB News - Politics, Damien Egan described the redacted version as incomplete and said he would write to the Secretary of State to request the full report. The Cabot Learning Federation said redactions were to avoid identifying individuals, following legal advice and agreed with the Department for Education and Damien Egan, according to a trust spokesperson.
Political reactions have been strong. Communities Secretary Steve Reed disclosed the incident at the Jewish Labour Movement conference in early October, according to multiple reports. In a public speech, Reed said: "I have a colleague who is Jewish, who has been banned from visiting a school and refused permission to visit a school in his own constituency, in case his presence inflames the teachers. That is an absolute outrage. They will be called in, and they will be held to account for doing that, because you cannot have people with those kinds of attitudes teaching our children. You just can't have it." Meanwhile, the Bristol Palestine Solidarity Campaign hailed the cancellation as a 'victory for parents, teachers and the community', according to the group.
Too often schools come under fire from politicians and commentators more interested in point-scoring and headline-chasing than establishing the facts.
The Department for Education welcomed the review and noted that antisemitic incidents in educational settings have more than doubled since October 7 2023, according to a DfE spokesperson. In an official statement, the spokesperson said: "We welcome Dame Joan McVittie's thorough and robust investigation and while no signs of antisemitic culture were found at this school or trust, the wider picture demands urgent action. Since October 7 2023, antisemitic incidents in educational settings have more than doubled. It's a national disgrace, and we will not look away from it."
Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, offered a defence of schools caught in such controversies. In a press release, he said: "We are living in fractious times, and schools can very quickly be drawn into a political and media storm even when their actions are entirely appropriate and well-intentioned." He added: "Too often schools come under fire from politicians and commentators more interested in point-scoring and headline-chasing than establishing the facts."
I thank Dame Joan McVittie for her work on this report. I have seen the redacted version of the report that the Cabot Learning Federation Multi Academy Trust have released and would strongly encourage them to publish the complete version of the report. I will be writing to the Secretary of State to the same effect.
The outcome of the MP's request to the Education Secretary regarding the unredacted report remains unknown. The school has not disclosed how it became aware of the planned protest or its scale. The specific additional training on antisemitism recommended by the report has not been detailed. These unknowns leave room for further investigation and debate.