Abu Yusra Choudhury
Sir Hamid Patel has been appointed as interim Chair of Ofsted, marking a historic milestone as the first British Muslim to hold this position. While his appointment has been met with praise from education leaders, it has also elicited a wave of Islamophobic attacks across social media and right-wing press outlets.
Sir Hamid was knighted for his outstanding services to education in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2021. As Chief Executive of Star Academies, he has transformed one of the UK’s most successful school academy networks. Under his leadership, the trust has grown to more than 30 primary and secondary schools across the country, with many ranked among the top-performing schools nationwide.
Sir Hamid welcomed his appointment. “I look forward to working closely with Board Members and Sir Martyn Oliver over the next few months. During this interim period, I am committed to supporting Ofsted’s work and ensuring stability until the new Chair is appointed,” Sir Hamid told The Muslim News.
The appointment has been warmly welcomed by educational professionals and organisations. The Confederation of School Trusts, which Sir Hamid chairs, describes him as “a highly influential leader in the education sector, renowned for his transformative impact on educational policy and practice” who “has the highest aspirations for children and young people from the most disadvantaged communities across the country.”
Rory Gribbell, Director of Strategy and Engagement at Ofsted, said, “We’re very lucky to have Sir Hamid on our board – and we’re grateful he’s stepping into this role. He runs some of the best schools in the country, is a brilliant system leader and a very good man.”
Katharine Birbalsingh, known as “Britain’s strictest head teacher,” and who herself drew criticism for banning Muslim pupils from praying at her school, defended Sir Hamid’s appointment in The Spectator, stating: “Sir Hamid Patel is not only Muslim, he is a distinguished school leader who has been knighted for his services to British education.” She acknowledged it was perfectly appropriate for Sir Hamid to uphold Islamic traditions in faith-based schools.
Sir Martyn Oliver, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, said: “Sir Hamid Patel runs some of the best schools in England. He is a highly respected school and academy trust leader, knighted for his contribution to education. After more than five years on the Ofsted Board, I’m delighted he is stepping up to lead while the secretary of state recruits a permanent chairman.”
Some of the most glowing endorsements have come from Sir Hamid’s colleagues in education. Simon Henderson, Headmaster of Eton College, stated: “Sir Hamid Patel has transformed the life chances of literally thousands of young people. He is the best of us and it is a privilege to call him my close friend.”
Dr Wajid Akhter, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, welcomed the appointment whilst condemning the bigotry directed at Sir Hamid: “Sir Hamid Patel’s appointment represents a proud moment for British Muslims and indeed for Britain as a whole. However, we are deeply concerned by the prejudiced attacks directed at him, which are clearly motivated by his Muslim identity. It is profoundly disappointing that such a distinguished educational leader should face bigotry simply because of his faith. Such Islamophobic rhetoric undermines our shared British values of fairness and equality of opportunity.”
Sir Hamid’s appointment has, however, been subjected to a coordinated campaign of Islamophobic attacks. Columnist Melanie Phillips raised questions in The Times about his suitability for the role, specifically citing his religious background, though she did acknowledge Birbalsingh’s defence of his appointment.
More incendiary were the social media responses from prominent online figures with large followings. Calvin Robinson, a controversial commentator who was suspended from GB News, posted on social media that “Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education. They inspect schools and other educational institutions in England to ensure they are ‘promoting British values’. The new interim chairman is a Mohammedan.”
Dr Eli David, who has over half a million Twitter followers, posted a misleading congratulatory message to “Mufti Hamid Patel for becoming the head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan” before adding “Sorry for the typo, he is the head of Office for Standards in Education in Britain” alongside the British flag.
Paul Golding, leader of the far-right group Britain First, promoted fearmongering about “The Islamification of Britain” alongside an image of Sir Hamid, while Gad Saad, a pro-Israel academic with over a million followers, shared a meme about the “Islamic takeover of the UK,” referencing Sir Hamid’s appointment.
The MCB has highlighted that these attacks are “part of a wider pattern of Islamophobia targeting British Muslims in public life, fuelled by social media, right-wing media outlets, and politicians who seek to stoke division.”
Education professionals have expressed concern that the backlash against Sir Hamid’s appointment reflects a troubling double standard, where Muslim professionals face increased scrutiny and hostility regardless of their qualifications or achievements. David Thomas, an education consultant, tweeted: “Just come across some of the awful and ignorant responses to Sir Hamid Patel’s appointment at Ofsted. Sir Hamid Patel is one of the country’s best school leaders. If I could I’d send my children to a school he runs.”
Sir Hamid, who has been an Ofsted board member since 2019, will serve in the interim role for a period of up to five months until a permanent successor is found for Dame Christine Ryan.
Photo: Sir Hamid Patel, Chief Executive of Star Academies, has been named interim chair of education watchdog Ofsted.
(Credit: Wikimedia)
