We investigated Britain's most controversial schools

There are warnings that thousands of children are being hidden away in suspected illegal or unregistered schools across England, labelled "breeding grounds for extremism", and receiving a substandard education. An ITV News investigation has found some pupils are learning in dangerous, filthy conditions, and being taught by unqualified staff, with many left unable to properly read or write English. By law, anywhere providing full-time education, defined as 18 hours or more a week, to five or more kids must register as a school and be inspected - but many don’t and go under the radar. Others use loopholes in the legal definition of a school, claiming that they operate only for a limited number of hours to evade oversight. ITV News has identified more than 20 suspected illegal schools in London, Leicester and Manchester. We have spoken to five former students and whistleblowers from across the country who were all critical of the segregated education they received. If you or anyone you know has a story to share, you can get in touch by emailing: [email protected] • Subscribe to ITV News on YouTube: http://bit.ly/2lOHmNj • Get breaking news and more stories at http://www.itv.com/news Follow ITV News on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@itvnews?lang=en Follow ITV News on Instagram:   / itvnews   Follow ITV News on Facebook:   / itvnews   Follow ITV News on X:   / itvnews