Ofsted chief accuses minority groups of 'entitlement' in hijab row

The head of Ofsted is to once again step into the fraught debate over the wearing of the hijab by primary school pupils, accusing minority groups with a “sense of religious or cultural entitlement” of attempting to exert an outsize influence on school policy.

In a speech on Monday evening, Amanda Spielman will urge school leaders to resist pressure on issues such as the wearing of the hijab or what is taught to pupils.

She is expected to highlight a “worrying” trend in schools where headteachers are being lobbied by groups seeking to influence school policy “whether or not members of that group constitute the majority of a school’s intake”.