100 ‘illegal schools’ uncovered in Britain

He added that there were many more children hidden away from the view of the authorities in unregistered schools across the country.

He wrote a letter to British Education Secretary Nicky Morgan that inspectors have issued seven warning notices to those suspected illegal schools operating in London, Birmingham, Luton, Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent.

Wilshaw noted that they have interviewed a number of individuals under caution in relation to suspected offences.

“What we have found so far is likely to represent only a small proportion of the illegal schools operating across the country, inspectors are hearing about suspected new cases every week,” he said.

“I therefore remain extremely concerned about the number of children and young people attending these schools who may be at significant risk of harm and indoctrination.”

He also believed that there must be a clear link between the growth of unregistered schools and the steep rise in number of children recorded as being home educated in England over the past few years.

Wilshaw noted that many of those unregistered schools were unscrupulously using the freedoms that parents have to home educate their children as a cover for their activities.

“Substandard education in many of those unregistered schools has placed children at risk of harm, including exposing them to extremism and radicalisation,” he said.

Nothing is more important than keeping children safe, and councils have clear powers to take action where there are concerns regarding a child’s wellbeing,’’ he said.

He said they have given new resources to the office for standards in education, children’s services and skills to investigate unregistered schools and to prepare case files for prosecution by local prosecuting agency.