A 'sharp decline' in standards at private faith schools has led to a growing proportion failing tests by the schools watchdog Ofsted, official statistics show, with concerns raised about the quality of leadership and the teaching of British values.
Analysis by the schools inspectorate said nearly half of private faith schools are now judged to be less than 'good', with particular concerns over teaching children 'fundamental British values'.
A quarter of all private faith schools were given the lowest possible Ofsted rating of 'inadequate'.
The latest figures suggest there has been a sharp decline in standards across all small, fee-paying schools but this was particularly stark in faith schools where a 'higher proportion' are not making the standards set.
Part of the reason for the decline is the introduction of new standards three years ago that specifically focus on leadership and British values, according to Ofsted.
'The new standards on fundamental British values look at requirements in relation to written policies on the curriculum, the quality of teaching and the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils,' their report read.
'While numbers are small, a higher proportion of the weaker faith schools are failing on these requirements when compared to those with no faith.'
The data was released as part of Ofsted's inspection of non-association independent schools – smaller, fee-paying schools not affiliated to the Independent Schools Council.
Ofsted admitted there is 'a lot of variation' within different faith groups with 81 out of 139 independent Muslim schools found to be less than good at their most recent inspection, while 39 were inadequate. One-third of Christian schools were judged less than good, and of 58 Jewish schools, more than half were either 'requires improvement' or inadequate.
Ofsted added it has increased the number of faith schools it inspects after the previous body for Christian and Muslim schools, the Bridge Schools Inspectorate (BSI), was shut down in 2015 following concerns it was failing to spot the 'warning signs of extremism and radicalisation in school settings'.
The Ofsted report, published on Thursday, said: 'The inspection of these schools has caused a far larger fall in the proportion judged good or better than would otherwise have been expected.'
