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‘Woke’ school caught in Shoah row is downgraded after parents complain about identity politics agenda
Ofsted has said the American School in London 'requires improvement'
March 7, 2022 18:26
Ofsted has said the American School in London 'requires improvement'
March 7, 2022 18:26An exclusive London day school has been criticised by Ofsted for focusing too much on identity politics at the expense of basic skills.
According to an Ofsted report seen by The JC, students at the St. Johns Wood-based American School in London: "spend much time repeatedly considering identity(including analysing their own characteristics)rather than learning, for example, geographical knowledge."
The body also said that older students felt "underprepared" because "the middle-school humanities curriculum... leads to a focus on social issues rather than subject knowledge and skills."
Earlier this year, parents at the £32,000 a year school complained about a controversial Holocaust display, accusing the school of dedicating part of the display to showcase “outspoken Jews who, for the most part, other than being Jewish, had no obvious connection to the Holocaust.”
The letter of complaint said: “Bearing in mind that the International Holocaust Remembrance Association’s widely-accepted definition of antisemitism specifically cites denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination as an antisemitic act, it was particularly insensitive to showcase an individual who holds such views in a presentation about the remembrance of the genocide of the Jewish people.”
In an earlier controversy in December, it emerged children at the school had been presented with a circular diagram which displayed privilege based on ethnicity, sexuality and religion.
Jews were placed as closer to the “privilege” and power” at the centre of the chart than Muslims, Hindus or Buddhists, though further away than Protestants or Roman Catholics. The school’s headteacher, Robin Appleby, announced that she would step down in January, having been head since 2017.
Ms Appleby, who earned a staggering £400,000 a year, was said to have brought in changes to the school’s teaching of “diversity, equality and inclusivity”.
In a statement, the American School in London said: "ASL has been rated Outstanding in all of our previous inspections. This review, however, was unusual in scope and substance, with a narrow focus on some aspects of our program.
"Despite meeting 96% of the Independent School standards, our rating was downgraded two levels. We do not think this rating reflects the quality of our school or excellence of our teaching."