Thousands of children across England could be at risk after being placed in suspected illegal schools that operate outside official oversight, according to a major investigation.
Concerns have been raised that many pupils are being educated in unsafe and unregulated environments, with some receiving little more than religious instruction while missing out on core subjects such as English, maths and science. Experts have also warned that certain settings could contribute to social isolation and even increase the risk of extremism.
Former Ofsted Chief Inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw described the situation as deeply worrying and said authorities are still only beginning to understand the scale of the problem.
“If children at these schools are getting a narrow curriculum and don’t have access to the same opportunities as others, then segregation will increase, divisions will increase and extremism will increase,” he said.
Sir Michael, who established Ofsted’s illegal schools unit in 2016, warned that some children are being taught by individuals who have not undergone proper safeguarding checks.
“We know people who haven’t been vetted or had police checks are teaching stuff that would not be allowed in mainstream schools,” he added.
Under current law, any setting providing full-time education to five or more children must register as a school and undergo inspections. However, many institutions avoid regulation by exploiting loopholes, claiming they offer fewer hours of education or operate solely as religious study centres.
The investigation identified more than 20 suspected illegal schools across London, Leicester and Manchester.
Among those speaking out was a father from London’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, identified only as Moshi, whose children attend unregistered yeshivas.
He claimed many pupils leave without basic literacy and numeracy skills.
“They don’t learn any skills, nothing. No computers, no science, not even basic maths,” he said.
“These boys don’t know their timetables when they leave school at 16. They can do ABCs like little children, they don’t know what a paragraph means. It’s very painful to speak about it.”
Moshi also criticised the lack of oversight within the system.
“The yeshiva system isn’t being regulated in any way, shape or form. It’s completely under the radar, nobody is checking or vetting the teachers, there’s no training.”
Ofsted figures show there have been 1,839 investigations into suspected illegal schools over the past decade. Yet prosecutions remain rare, with only a handful of successful cases brought against operators due to legal challenges and difficulties gathering evidence.
Victor Shafiee, who led Ofsted’s illegal schools team for 10 years, said inspectors regularly encountered shocking conditions.
“I found a room next to open sewers, rat droppings, holes on the wall. In disused industrial estates, Dickensian conditions, no access to daylight, no drinking water.”
He believes the true scale of the issue remains hidden.
“All my senses tell me what we’ve seen so far is the tip of the iceberg,” he said.
Mr Shafiee also warned that funding cuts have made it harder to tackle the problem effectively.
“I’m really worried about it. I fear children being radicalised, I fear children’s lives being destroyed.”
The investigation also highlighted concerns about some children who are officially home educated but spend much of their time in unregulated learning environments.
Alice Benskin, who was taught through a fundamentalist Christian home-school programme, described her upbringing as highly restrictive.
“It’s like a cult. That’s the only way I can describe it, you’re very controlled,” she said.
“We weren’t really encouraged as women to have equal rights. It was very much that the man is the head of the home and that women, girls, were subservient to men.”
Reflecting on her experience, she added: “It is really damaging, really, really damaging, to be indoctrinated with these beliefs to live under this level of control and isolation.”
Estimates suggest that between 6,000 and tens of thousands of children could be attending illegal schools across England, although the exact number remains unknown.
The government plans to strengthen Ofsted’s powers through new legislation expected to take effect in 2027. The reforms will allow inspectors greater authority to investigate suspected illegal schools, seize evidence and prosecute operators. A new home-school register will also be introduced to improve oversight of children educated outside mainstream settings.
Current Ofsted Chief Inspector Sir Martyn Oliver said: “We have repeatedly raised concerns that thousands of children may be attending such settings, where they are potentially at risk of serious harm.”
He added: “We are determined to use these new powers to drive the scourge of illegal schools out of our country.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said the government “will not tolerate settings that operate outside the law or put children’s futures at risk”, adding that the new measures are designed to ensure every child receives a safe and suitable education.