Overview
- Quarrydale Academy in Sutton-in-Ashfield took down a political-spectrum board that listed Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini alongside Lee Anderson and Nigel Farage under “extreme right.”
- The school apologised and said it is reviewing how political and historical content is presented to ensure clarity and avoid offence.
- Headteacher Tim Paling said the display was intended to prompt discussion of ideology within curriculum requirements but accepted that placements could be misinterpreted.
- Lee Anderson raised the issue in the House of Commons, described the display as “radicalising” and “insulting,” and said he was unhappy with the government’s response.
- Education Minister Georgia Gould reiterated statutory rules on political impartiality in schools, and separate recent reports about other academies linking Reform UK to fascism have intensified the broader debate over classroom materials.