'School for conspiracists' teaching children to shoot crossbows and sword fight

17 July 2023 , 10:21
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Youngsters have had sword fighting lessons (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Youngsters have had sword fighting lessons (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A controversial community centre which is under investigation by Ofsted is now teaching children sword fighting, archery, boxing and how to shoot crossbows.

Hope Sussex - which is suspected to be an illegal school - is already being investigated by the education watchdog amid claims leaders are encouraging parents to remove their children from mainstream state education and send them to their site for lessons.

It is reported that bosses are telling local authorities that the children are being home-educated. Now former members of far-right groups are said to be teaching youngsters skills as they believe they are “at war” with the state.

A full curriculum is taught - but it includes history lessons filled with conspiracy theories including that the US government knew in advance about the 9/11 terrorist attacks, The Times reports.

'School for conspiracists' teaching children to shoot crossbows and sword fight qhiqquiqdkiqeinvYoungsters are being taught new skills (Getty Images)

The Times claims recent photographs released by the school near Battle, Sussex, show children being given instruction in boxing and archery and pictures show pupils being taught how to fire crossbows and bows and arrows at a target, while others show them jabbing a sword into a pillow.

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Hope Sussex said that children were taught archery and swordplay as part of a history lesson. It also denies that it is a school and says instead that it is “a community centre that hires its facilities to allow home-educating families to supplement their children’s education with wholesome and critically thinking tutors”.

It is understood Ofsted is investigating the centre and said it has “reasonable grounds” to suspect Hope Sussex of running an illegal school. A spokesman for Ofsted said: “Our concern is that they are operating a sham home education centre that is in fact an illegal school.”

Kelly-Ann Mills

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