An independent faith school has told Ofsted religious restrictions on curriculum coverage are “non-negotiable”. Bnois Jerusalem Girls School, an orthodox Jewish school in London, does not teach aspects of science which do not “align” with its religious ethos, according to an inspection report published last month. For example, the school does not teach reproduction to secondary pupils. The curriculum does not cover statutory content around intimate relationships, including topics such as “consent”, “harassment” or “abuse”. Jewish counter-extremism group Nahamu has demonstrated how the lack of relationships and sex education (RSE) in strictly orthodox Jewish schools means engaged couples may not be ready for sexual relations and may lack knowledge of consent, abuse and rape. Pupils do not learn about people of different cultures, customs and traditions in “any detail” and “are not taught about religious festivals apart from their own”. Schools are required to promote equality and pupils’ understanding of the protected characteristics outlined in equality law, including sexual orientation and religion or belief. Many Jewish schools do not fulfil these requirements because they have …