02/10/2013

Muslim Free School Closes Following Ofsted Inspection

An alleged damning Ofsted report has led to the immediate closure of a Muslin free school in Derby.

It is understood that a number of newspaper reports, featuring former staff members, accused the Al-Madinah school, which opened in September, of imposing strict Islamic practices, including segregating classrooms and forcing female staff to wear a hijab.

In a statement of the schools website, acting principal Stuart Wilson blamed the closure on a "health and safety issue" promising to open again in the "very near future".

It is understood that the Ofted had completed one day of its inspection when it made "some findings and shared them with the principal".

A second day of inspection is still due to take place, but the inspector said it was unable to discloses its findings before the completion of the inspection.

(MH/CD)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

09 November 2005
Public schools found guilty of fee fixing
Fifty of England’s top public schools have broken competition law by exchanging information about fees, the Office of Fair Trading has announced. Following an investigation lasting more than two years, the OFT found that pupils’ parents ended up paying higher fees as a result of the information-sharing.
30 May 2003
Ofsted publishes guides for revised school inspections
The Office for Standards in Education, Ofsted, has published a series of guides for the new-style inspections scheduled to take place in UK schools in the next academic year.
05 December 2013
£1bn Towards Free School Meals
£1bn is being unlocked to fund the Department of Education's free school meals commitment. The news, announced by deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, follows an announcement in September that every child in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state-funded schools will receive a free school lunch.
02 October 2008
Free School Meals For Scots Primary School Pupils
All school pupils in primaries one to three in Scotland are to be entitled to free school meals following successful pilot schemes.
27 June 2003
Ofsted report notes improved school leadership
The proportion of headteachers providing excellent leadership and management in schools has doubled over the last five years, according to a new Office for Standards in Education report published today.