Al-Madinah free school in Derby labelled 'dysfunctional' by Ofsted - BBC News Al-Madinah free school in Derby labelled 'dysfunctional' by Ofsted 17 October 2013 Read more about sharing. Close share panel Media captionDr Stuart Wilson, interim head: "We fully accept the report. It does match our judgement of where the school is" A Muslim free school has been described by Ofsted inspectors as "dysfunctional" and rated inadequate in every category - within a year of it opening. An inspection at Derby's Al-Madinah school was brought forward after fears were raised over teaching standards. The report says teachers there are inexperienced and have not been provided with proper training and that the school requires special measures. The school said it accepted the report and would use it to move forward.

Media captionDavid Cameron: "When it goes wrong you've got to sort it out or close it down" Reacting to the findings, David Cameron told BBC Radio Derby: "If they don't take immediate action to deal with these things then I think it is right it should close and I think it's absolutely right to intervene rapidly when these things aren't working properly." However, he added: "Let's not use this as a stick with which to beat the whole free school movement - there are now hundreds of schools which have set up as free schools, and on average they have more outstanding and good ratings than established schools. "When it goes wrong - just as with a state school - you've got to get in there and sort it out, or close it down," he said. The Ofsted inspection had been due to take place by the end of the year but was prioritised following initial allegations that female teachers were obliged to wear hijabs and boys and girls were segregated. Analysis By Hannah RichardsonBBC News education reporter There can be no more controversial policy than Michael Gove's free school project. Some welcome the DIY school idea as a breath of fresh air in a stale system.

Others, including Labour, see it as a dangerous ideological experiment, with our children its guinea pigs. But one thing is certain, Ofsted's report on the Al-Madinah School could not be more damning. Questions will be asked how the Department for Education could approve a school for opening one year, only for it to be found to lack the "basic systems" it needs to operate the next. Were the checks necessary for ensuring the school would be fit for purpose undertaken in a sufficiently rigorous way? Al-Madinah is not the first free school to be put on special measures, another the Discovery Free School in West Sussex was also put in this category in July 2013. And at least five others have been labelled "requiring improvement". But none has unravelled quite so publicly as this Derby faith school. It is this added religious dimension that makes the issue so tricky for Mr Gove. In the early days of his free school project, applications from minority faith groups seemed to come in thick and fast. Not all went on to open, but some may ask whether more schools than should have been were approved for opening. The school has since written to pupils and staff telling them there is no requirement to cover their hair.

Education minister Lord Nash last week warned the school it faced closure unless discrimination against female staff and pupils stopped. A spokesperson said: "We were already investigating this school before allegations became public. We discussed the problems with Ofsted and it launched an immediate inspection. "We have received a response from the Al-Madinah Education Trust as well as a report on the school from Ofsted. Any decisions made will take into account all the available evidence." Cut and paste Media captionParents of students at the school have had a mixed reaction to the report The Ofsted report found that pupils were given the same work "regardless of their different abilities" and the governing body was "ineffective". It said basic systems were not in place, describing the school as being "in chaos" and "dysfunctional". Boys and girls had different lunch sittings but the report said this was due to the small size of the canteen. Inspectors gave the school the lowest ranking - "inadequate" - in every area, prompting the chief inspector of schools Sir Michael Wilshaw to call for it to be placed in special measures. This means Ofsted will carry out inspections at the school at short notice to monitor improvements. If poor performance continues the school could be closed.

Dr Stuart Wilson, the acting head teacher, said there were "significant and serous problems" at the school and accepted some of the lessons were not meeting necessary standards. "Are special measures a disaster for the school? Yes, they are," said Dr Wilson. "It's not where we want the school to be at this time but we accept the report." In one mathematics lesson, described by Ofsted as "insufficiently challenging", pupils spent the majority of their time cutting out and pasting shapes. Dr Wilson said the school, which has 412 pupils aged between four and 16, had a lot of issues to deal with but he insisted it did have a future. "Obviously the report doesn't make pleasant reading for anybody - we don't want to be in this position - we wish we weren't in this position - but what we need to do now is to accept the report in full and use it to move the school forward." Writing to the school's chair of governors on Thursday , Lord Nash said the Ofsted report was "further compelling evidence of the breaches of the funding agreement I have required you to address".

Image caption Ofsted will carry out short-notice inspections at the school to monitor improvements "Contrary to your suggestion that I have acted prematurely, I am even more convinced of the need for very decisive and urgent action on the part of the trust to comply with all your obligations and remedy the serious failings at the school." One parent told the BBC: "I know they are teaching my children well. I'm seeing their progress and I have no concerns at all about the school." Another, Razwana Akbar, said: "I am very angry. They have broken the trust as professional teachers, they have let us down." Chris Williamson, MP for Derby North, said: "Frankly, the position of Al-Madinah school is now untenable and I would fully expect the school to close and for the children to be found alternative places in the council schools in the city." 'Total opportunism' Speaking in Parliament earlier, shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt said the Ofsted report was a "devastating blow to the education secretary's flagship policy".

He said: "It reveals that pupils have been failed on every possible measure and parents will want to know why the education secretary has allowed this to happen." He described the government's free school programme as a "dangerous free-for-all". Are free schools succeeding? Of England's 24 first free schools, three-quarters were rated good or outstanding by Ofsted Four - outstanding Five - require improvement One - Discovery New School, West Sussex - inadequate "David Cameron and Michael Gove can no longer ignore this issue - it is a crisis entirely of their own making," he said. But speaking at the weekend, Mr Hunt told BBC One's Andrew Marr programme that although Labour would not open new free schools "along the Michael Gove model", the bulk of existing free schools would be kept open as his party wanted to "keep the good free schools". Responding to Mr Hunt's more recent comments, the schools minister David Laws said that the government had taken "swift action" to deal with failings at the Al-Madinah free school told MPs that no school would be allowed to "languish in failure". He also accused Labour of "total and utter opportunism" using the report "to shift its position".

Derby Muslim faith school closes on first day of Ofsted inspection | Education | The Guardian Derby Muslim faith school closes on first day of Ofsted inspection Al-Madinah school shuts its doors to pupils over 'health and safety issue' just hours after inspectors arrive Ofsted is currently undertaking a two-day inspection of the Al-Madinah school. Photograph: Martin Argles for the Guardian Wednesday 2 October 2013 10.06 EDT First published on Wednesday 2 October 2013 10.06 EDT Close This article is 3 years old A controversial Islamic faith school in Derby – under fire for forcing female staff to wear headscarves – abruptly shut its doors on Wednesday hours after the arrival of inspectors from Ofsted , citing unspecified "health and safety" as the reason. Parents who visited the Al-Madinah school, which opened last year as part of the government's free school programme, said they were told by staff that the reason for the sudden closure was confidential. In a statement, Ofsted said: "We can confirm that Ofsted is currently undertaking a two-day inspection of the Al-Madinah school in Derby .

"As a result of findings that our inspectors have shared with the principal during the first day of the inspection, we understand that he has written to parents informing them that the school will be closed to children. "We have also informed the Department for Education and the local authority of our initial findings. As the inspection is in progress, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time." The inspection and the closure comes less than two weeks after a teacher quit Al-Madinah, saying all female staff were being required to follow Islamic dress codes and that pupils were being segregated in classrooms, with girls sitting at the back. The inspection by Ofsted was triggered by complaints about the school after the Derby Telegraph revealed the allegations. The school is also being investigated by the Education Funding Agency, the schools' financial watchdog, over alleged irregularities involving contracts with suppliers, while the DfE is said to have had the school under review before the public allegations were made.

The DfE said: "We are waiting for Ofsted's final report and considering all legal options." A note to parents on the school's website from head teacher Stuart Wilson told parents: "Owing to a health and safety issue, I have taken the decision to close the school to primary and secondary pupils until I am confident that all children are safe on site." The school is expected to reopen "in the very near future," according to the message. Mohammed Ali, a parent whose daughter attends the school, told the Burton Mail: "We've been really pleased with our daughter's education so far. I'm really happy with the school. But we want to know what is actually going on." A 39-year-old woman who arrived with her two sons, aged 11 and seven, said they had been told they could come in to ask any questions after receiving the letter. She said: "We've been told the school has been temporarily closed for health and safety reasons. They haven't told us what they are. They said the school should be open to children again by Monday." She said she had been pleased with the school and its education before the closure. "I'm very happy with the education.

My concerns are about the closure of the school. They said there had been a few issues but not enough to close the school." The school has about 200 pupils from reception class to age 13. Its prospectus tells parents: "Our school will be underpinned by the principles of the Islamic faith, which we believe to be universal principles that all should aspire to whether they are Muslims, of other faiths or none." It says shorter holidays and longer school days will "maximise opportunities for pupil achievement and success". The prospectus notes: "All staff members will also express decency and modesty in their clothing and appearance. Female members of staff – irrespective of their religious beliefs – will cover their heads and bodies appropriately in light of the teachings of Islam." The prospectus says: "With regards to songs and music, we acknowledge that it can be an aid for learning, in particular in primary school.

Under the guidance of the director [of the school's Quranic and Islamic Studies department], it shall only be used as a learning aid, not for entertainment and amusement purposes." Muslim free school shut during Ofsted inspection expected to get lowest rating | Education | The Guardian Muslim free school shut during Ofsted inspection expected to get lowest rating Al-Madinah school in Derby to reopen next week after head closed it for health and safety reasons Al-Madinah free school, which has faced claims that female teachers were made to wear hijabs and girls had to sit at the back of the class. Photograph: Rui Vieira/PA Press Association Close This article is 3 years old A Muslim free school that closed its doors just hours after Ofsted began an inspection is expected to be judged inadequate, it has been reported. Al-Madinah school in Derby, which has faced accusations of introducing strict religious practices, is likely to be given the lowest rating in all areas, according to BBC News . The school has announced it will reopen to pupils on Monday. The interim principal, Stuart Wilson, took the decision to close the school on Tuesday on health and safety grounds after inspectors shared their initial findings with him.

In a statement on al-Madinah school's website on Friday, Wilson said the "urgent" health and safety issues had been fully addressed and the school would open as normal next week. "While it was regrettable that the school had to close at all, the wellbeing of our pupils will always be our first concern," Wilson wrote. "Unsurprisingly, there has been a number of rumours circulating. While unfortunate, my decision to close the school related to a short-term health and safety issue that has now been completely resolved and will not reoccur. "Our closure was not the result of our Ofsted inspection team deciding to close al-Madinah school, now or in the future. "The full findings of the inspection team will be published by Ofsted, in accordance with the time-scales laid down by them for all schools, which will be in the next few weeks." Wilson concluded by assuring parents the school would always have their "children's best interests at heart". While Ofsted's report has not been finalised, preliminary findings have given the school the lowest rating, the BBC reported. Al-Madinah, which is one of the government's flagship free schools, opened in September last year.

On its website, it describes a "strong Muslim ethos" with shorter holidays and longer school days "to maximise opportunities for pupil achievement and success".

It adds: "At the centre of our school is a community of pupils, able to enjoy learning in a caring Islamic environment which promotes a culture of high expectations and outstanding performance." Muslim Al-Madinah free school slammed as 'dysfunctional' in Ofsted report | Daily Mail Online Next Muslim free school which 'forced teachers to wear headscarves' is slammed as 'in chaos' and 'dysfunctional' in official report Al-Madinah school in Derby was closed for Ofsted inspection after reports that bosses segregated students and made staff cover their heads Inspectors' report denounces Islamic school as 'dysfunctional' Damning verdict calls for Al-Madinah to be placed in special measures Minister insists Government has taken 'swift action' to address problems Cameron threatens to shut the school down if it does not improve Labour says the scandal shows failure of Coalition's free schools policy Al-Madinah Muslim free school in Derby is 'in chaos' and will be labelled 'dysfunctional' by Ofsted report - Mirror Online Damning: Al-Madinah School in Derby is 'in chaos' according to reports Share Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email The leaders of a controversial Muslim free school that has been declared failing by inspectors accepted today that it has a "whole range of problems". Al-Madinah free school in Derby was branded "dysfunctional" by Ofsted in a damning report which criticised governors for failing to keep pupils safe and appreciate how poor pupils' experiences are. Interim principal Stuart Wilson insisted that the school has already begun tackling major areas of concern. As the report was published, Prime Minister David Cameron warned that the failings at Al-Madinah should not be used "as a stick with which to beat the whole free school movement". Al-Madinah, which has recently been criticised following claims that it discriminated against women, required staff to cover their hair regardless of their religion, and made girls sit at the back of the class, was rated inadequate in each of the categories Ofsted examines. The watchdog's report stated: "The basic systems and processes a school needs to operate well are not in place. The school is in chaos and reliant on the goodwill of an interim principal to prevent it totally collapsing." Ofsted criticised governors for failing to keep children safe and to appoint staff with the right skills, knowledge and experience.

"Despite their commitment to the vision for the school, the governors have failed the parents of this community who have placed their trust in them," it said. Inspectors found that the school had been set up and run by members of the community who have "limited knowledge and experience", while teachers are inexperienced. In many lessons, pupils were given the same work to do, regardless of their abilities, the report said. Speaking outside the school on Nelson Street in Derby, Dr Wilson said that any school facing special measures has its fair share of issues and accepted that the school has "a whole range of problems". He said it was important not to forget the positives in the report, such as relationships between staff and pupils.

"We've worked through already our health and safety issues, we need to continue to build on that, putting the basic procedures in place to allow any organisation to function, communications etc - those are things we can do quickly - and then we're now working very much on the curriculum to identify how we can target work to individual children, work with teachers, develop the training." Dr Wilson said that the school had made a start to each of the 17 areas of concern outlined in Lord Nash's letter to the chair of governors last week, and that a number of these have been addressed. And he insisted there had been no suggestion from Ofsted that there were concerns about boys and girls being treated differently. "The situation remains the same, that is that boys sit at one side of the classroom and girls sit at another," he told the BBC. "In terms of lunchtimes, one day the boys will go for lunch first, another day the girls will go for lunch first, because it's quite a small dining room. "Those aren't the real issues. It's the same with the hijab, really. I never had any complaints, the governing body never had any complaints, the Ofsted inspector never had any complaints.

"What we need to do is get down to teaching and learning and to help our children make as much progress as we possibly can." School governor Abdullah Shahjan, raised concerns that a leaked version of the Ofsted report was made available to the media last night. "We believe this was intentional and we believe that a full immediate independent investigation takes place," he said. He added: "The official Ofsted report has been published on the Ofsted website and as yet we've not seen any of the media or journalists highlight the strengths identified by the report. "We are aware of the areas that we need to improve and we are making every effort to ensure we continue to develop in line with the findings of Ofsted, recommendations and external supporting agencies." Al-Madinah, which is one of the Government's flagship free schools and is run by the Al-Madinah Education Trust, opened in September last year. On its website it describes ''a strong Muslim ethos'' with shorter holidays and longer school days ''to maximise opportunities for pupil achievement and success''. Earlier this week the school said it was seeking legal advice over the way it has been treated by Government after ministers warned it faced closure.

Answering an urgent question in the Commons, Schools Minister David Laws said that the Government had been "very clear" with the Al-Madinah Trust that it must take action, and that failure to do so will result in its funding being axed - effectively closing the school. "We will not let any school, whether a free school, an academy school or a local authority school, languish in failure," he told MPs. "The Ofsted report confirms we are taking the right actions, we are not prepared to allow a school to fail its parents, its children and its community. We said we will take swift action in these cases and that is exactly what we are doing." Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt said Education Secretary Michael Gove's free schools agenda was "out of control" and that the free schools policy had been dealt a "devastating blow" by the revelations in Derby.

"It reveals that pupils have been failed on every possible measure and parents will want to know why the Education Secretary has allowed this to happen." Prime Minister David Cameron told BBC Radio Derby: "Let's not use this as a stick with which to beat the whole free school movement, because actually there are now hundreds of schools in our country that are set up as free schools and on average they have more outstanding ratings and more good ratings than established schools." Derby City Council has said it would respond to any specific requests to help improve the school. Like us on Facebook Derby free school 'in chaos' - ITV News 17 October 2013 at 7:40am Derby free school 'in chaos' An urgent investigation into a controversial Muslim free school in Derby is expected to condemn it as "dysfunctional" and call for it to be placed into special measures. "The school is in chaos," the report says. Parents with children at the Al-Madinah school in Derby have been sent a copy of the Ofsted report with a letter from the headteacher.

A copy of the letter sent to parents with a copy of the Ofsted report Credit: ITV News/Matt Brindley Watch: Headteacher accepts Ofsted report 'with heavy heart' The letter concedes that the report "does not make pleasant reading" but vows to "use it to make dramatic improvements". It also says that the report "confirms what we already know, that we are on a journey, to build a school in community that we can all be proud of". It invites parents to a meeting to discuss the findings. Headteacher accepts Ofsted report 'with heavy heart' The interim headteacher of Al-Madinah school in Derby has said he and his staff accept the damning Ofsted report "with a heavy heart," but that they are determined to make improvements. He admitted that some "basic" systems were not in place, but that progress was being made every day and that parents were supportive. Asked about previous allegations of female staff being required to wear the hijab and boys and girls being separated in classes, he said these issued - "if they ever existed" - had now been resolved.

Governor: Media have paid into malicious rumour A governor of Al Madinah free school in Derby has defended the school in the wake of the leaked publication of an Ofsted report at the school. Abdullah Shahjan said the media had 'paid into malicious and detrimental rumours' and used 'impartial responsibility to gain official documents'. David Cameron has backed free schools despite criticism. Credit: PA Wire David Cameron has said it would be wrong to use a highly critical Ofsted report of a free school in Derby as a "stick to beat the whole free school movement". Speaking to BBC Radio Derby, Mr Cameron said: "Let's not use this as a stick with which to beat the whole free school movement, because actually there are now hundreds of schools in our country that are set up as free schools and on average they have more outstanding ratings and more good ratings than established schools.

"So they are good things but when it goes wrong - just as when a state school goes wrong - you've got to get in there, sort it out or close it down." Free schools programme a 'dangerous free-for-all' Labour has criticised the Government for allowing its free school programme to become a "dangerous free-for-all" in the wake of an Ofsted report which heavily criticised a Muslim free school in Derby. An Ofsted report found that the Al-Madinah faith school was "dysfunctional" and had been set up by community member's who with "limited knowledge and experience." Labour's shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt. Tristam Hunt, who signalled Labour support for free schools last week, said: "What this Ofsted report exposes is that the Government's free school programme has become a dangerous free-for-all; an out of control ideological experiment that has closed a school leaving 400 children losing an entire week of learning. "It is a devastating blow to the Education Secretary's flagship policy." Muslim faith school questions Ofsted report leak The Muslim school described as "dysfunctional" by an Ofsted report has criticised the manner in which the report was made public.

The front page of their website reads: "We have just learnt that our OFSTED report has been leaked to the press, does this happen in other schools?". The Al Madinah school website where the criticism was made. Credit: Al-Madinah The report says staff in the free school are not properly qualified and describes the leadership and governance at the school as "inadequate". The school has been criticised for allegedly sending girls to sit at the back of classrooms during lessons. Muslim free school in 'chaos' A controversial Muslim free school is in "chaos" and should be placed in special measures, a new report states. An urgent investigation into the Al-Madinah faith school in Derby is expected to condemn it as "dysfunctional", the Guardian reports. The Al-Madinah school in Derby is in 'chaos' Credit: Rui Vieira/PA Wire/Press Association Images Ofsted inspectors reportedly found that teachers at the free school, which opened in September last year, are inexperienced, not properly trained and "over-generous" when assessing pupils while the governing body is ineffective.

Concerns about the school were expressed earlier this month following claims it discriminated against women by sending girls to sit at the back of the classroom. Controversial UK Islamic school ruled ‘dysfunctional’ by inspectors — RT News Controversial UK Islamic school ruled ‘dysfunctional’ by inspectors Published time: 18 Oct, 2013 04:41 Get short URL Reuters/Stringer / Reuters A UK Muslim free school, earlier closed for inspection over its controversial Islamic line and teaching standards, has been deemed "dysfunctional” in a post-inspection report. The document also says the school is not “adequately monitored or supported.” In its report, which was leaked to the Guardian, the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) concluded that “the school requires special measures” because it fails “to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education.” A group of five Ofsted inspectors found teachers in Derby's Al-Madinah school “inexperienced,” as some of them “have not received the training and support they need.” The school’s governing body has been declared “ineffective.” The inspectors also noted that teachers lacking proper qualifications have been given key posts.

“For example, most of the primary school teachers have not taught before and the head of the primary school is experienced in teaching secondary-aged pupils only," the report said. Inspectors gave the school the lowest ranking - "inadequate" - in every area. They described the school, which only opened in September 2012, as being "in chaos.” The inspection was initially scheduled to take place at the end of the year, but was brought forward by two months following complaints that school teachers were obliged to wear headscarves and that management enforced segregation by gender. The Ofsted inspectors confirmed that boys and girls eat lunch “separately, taking it in turns to eat first.” While younger pupils study in mixed-gender groups much of the time, older pupils “are seated with boys on one side of the class and girls on the other,” inspectors revealed. "This school is dysfunctional. The basic systems and processes a school needs to operate well are not in place. The school is in chaos and reliant on the goodwill of an interim principal to prevent it totally collapsing," the report concluded. The Ofsted report brings criticism against the government’s education policy, namely the Free School program championed by Education Secretary Michael Gove.

Shadow Education Secretary Tristram Hunt told the Guardian: "What this report exposes is that David Cameron and Michael Gove's Free School program has become a dangerous free-for-all; an out of control ideological experiment that has left 400 children losing an entire week of learning." A free school in the UK is a school that is free to attend, and is not subject to local authority control. Al-Madinah free school in Derby to stop secondary education - BBC News Al-Madinah free school in Derby to stop secondary education 7 February 2014 Image copyright PA Image caption The school closed temporarily after inspections in October Secondary education at the troubled Al-Madinah free school in Derby will stop in the summer because of government concerns about the quality of teaching. A report from Ofsted in October found the Muslim faith school was chaotic, dysfunctional and inadequate and it was placed in special measures. The primary school will remain open, the Department for Education has said. The schools minister Lord Nash has written to the school trust chairman to confirm the secondary school closure. Analysis By Hannah RichardsonBBC News education reporter When Ofsted laid bare the scale of problems at this all-through Muslim faith school last autumn, it was clear firm action was imminent.

Categorised as "dysfunctional" and "in chaos", the report could not have been more damning. The ramifications sent shockwaves not only around Derby, but also around Michael Gove's flagship free school programme. Although some welcome the DIY school idea as a breath of fresh air others, including Labour, see it as a dangerous ideological experiment. Questions are now being asked how the Department for Education could approve the Al-Madinah school for opening one year, only for it to be found in disarray the next. Although the government stresses that its free schools are performing well, there are question marks over how closely officials have been scrutinising proposals - particularly in the early stages of the scheme. Al-Madinah is not the first free school to be ear-marked for closure - the Discovery New School in West Sussex will close in April. It will close at the end of the summer term with support promised to help the 137 pupils find new schools. 'Focus efforts' In a letter to Barry Day , the school's newly appointed chairman, Lord Nash said he was concerned about the poor quality of secondary teaching.

He said: "It was not in the interests of parents and pupils at the secondary school to continue to fund provision which has failed them." Mr Day said in a letter to parents that he accepted the assessment and would find places for pupils in other local schools. He confirmed that the primary school would remain open and improving it would be his main focus. "Our vision remains to establish the Al-Madinah School as an outstanding all-through school for all members of the local community in and around Derby," he said. "Every single member of staff wants this school to be successful but there is absolutely no doubt that many of the staff are inexperienced, some of the staff are not qualified and all of them need additional training to make this work." He added it was "absolutely accurate" to describe the previous operation of the school as amateur but the closure now offered "the chance to turn things around". A Department for Education spokesperson said in a statement: "The vast majority of free schools are performing well but where we have found failure we have acted swiftly and decisively. "We have monitored Al-Madinah very closely since problems came to light last year.

"Based on the current situation we believe the new board - which began work last week - needs to focus efforts on the primary school in order to bring about the level of improvement required." Tristram Hunt MP, shadow education secretary, said the Al-Madinah school proved the government's policy was damaging education because of "unqualified teachers" and a "lack of oversight". Arshad Mohammed, who has a daughter in the secondary school, said he was not surprised.

He said: "With all the negative media attention that's been going on in the last year or so the numbers [of pupils] have dropped a little bit… they can't sustain the numbers so it's not financially viable to keep the school running." Al-Madinah: The story so far Image copyright PA Image caption The school was described by Ofsted inspectors as "dysfunctional" September 2012: Al-Madinah school opens August 2013: The Education Funding Agency confirms it is investigating alleged financial irregularities at the school September: The school faces allegations it is imposing strict Islamic practices 1 October: Ofsted visits Al-Madinah after the DfE asks for an inspection to be brought forward and findings are so bad the school is closed over "health and safety concerns" 7 October: The school reopens 8 October: Education Minister Lord Nash lays out 17 concerns about the school, including segregation of the sexes, and says it will close unless "unacceptable" teaching standards improve 14 October: The school amends its policy to make clear women do not have to wear head scarves 17 October: The school is described by Ofsted inspectors as "dysfunctional" 25

 October: Muslim community leaders in Derby call for the school governors to resign 22 November: Lord Nash announces a new education trust will be brought in 12 December: Ofsted reports "no signs of improvement" following a monitoring inspection 31 January: Barry Day of the Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust (GDFT) takes over as the school's chairman 7 February 2014: Lord Nash announces secondary education will stop at the school OFSTED inspectors slate Al-Madinah school OFSTED inspectors slate Al-Madinah school Posted: 17 Oct 2013 @ 13:20 by a staff reporter AL-MADINAH, the Muslim Free School in Derby, was condemned as "dysfunctional" and "in chaos" in an OFSTED inspectors' report published on Thursday.

The school has been open just a year, but OFSTED inspectors (the group visiting the school included one Muslim) have ruled it inadequate in every category: "This is a school which has been set up and run by representatives of the community with limited knowledge and experience. Leadership and management, including governance, are inadequate and have been unable to improve the school." According to OFSTED, the governing body has failed to ensure children are safe in school by carrying out proper safeguarding checks, and the performance of both pupils and teachers is inadequate. Poorly qualified and inexperienced teachers were appointed. In a damning conclusion, inspectors said: "Despite their commitment to the vision of the school, the governors have failed the parents of this community who have placed their trust in them." The school will now be put into special measures. OFSTED brought forward its inspection after complaints from former teaching staff emerged in the local press, alleging that all female staff, including Christians, were required to wear a hijab and a long skirt, and that girls were routinely seated at the back of class, behind the boys. The inspectors said that they saw no evidence of gender segregation in class, though the girls and boys ate separately.

Speaking to BBC Radio Derby on Thursday, the Prime Minister, David Cameron, said that the report should not be used as "a stick with which to beat the whole free-school movement. There are now hundreds of schools which have set up as free schools, and on average they have more outstanding and good ratings than established schools." He said: "If they don't take immediate action to deal with these things then I think it is right it should close and I think it's absolutely right to intervene rapidly when these things aren't working properly." The OFSTED report praises Dr Stuart Wilson, the interim principal, who was "striving in difficult circumstances, to keep the school going". On Thursday, Dr Wilson said: "We fully accept the report. It does match our judgement of where the school is. "Obviously the report doesn't make pleasant reading for anybody - we don't want to be in this position - we wish we weren't in this position - but what we need to do now is to accept the report in full and use it to move the school forward." The Schools Minister, David Laws, told the House of Commons on Wednesday that the Government had taken "swift action" to deal with the school's failings.

A Department for Education spokesperson said on Thursday: "This report provides further evidence of Al-Madinah's failings. We are now even more convinced of the need for decisive and urgent action. Ministers had already put the school on notice that its funding will be cancelled unless there are major improvements." The Al-Madinah Free School has about 400 pupils aged between four and 16. It opened in September 2012 with a grant of £1.4 million. Its first head teacher, however, resigned after less than a year. A Roman Catholic school this week was made to back down after two 14-year-old Muslim pupils were barred from classes for breaking the school's dress code, as they refused to shave off their beards. The pupils at Mount Carmel RC High School in Accrington said that it was part of their faith to keep their facial hair. After talks with Muslim leaders, the school's governors said that one boy could return, but the policy has not changed. The case of the second boy is understood to be unresolved. A third Muslim student, who had a moustache, was also reported to have been barred from the classroom, but he shaved and returned to his classes.

The head teacher of Mount Carmel, Xavier Bowers, said in a statement: "[There] will be no change to the school rule which requires boys to be clean shaven. "However, following discussions with leaders of the local community, exemptions will be made in certain clearly defined circumstances. "The school is advised that it is part of Muslim tradition and religious belief that a beard is a sign of commitment to the Islamic faith, but it is ultimately down to personal belief. "Having said all that, as governors of voluntary aided schools we have to comply to the European Convention on Human Rights, as do all schools. As part of this legislation all schools must make reasonable adjustments to school uniform on genuine religious grounds." Online Vicar London and Home Counties SOUL SEARCH ONLINE VICAR 20 hours a week working from home, pay is £20,000 Are you passionate about evangelism? Does digital media excite you as a means to connect with people to share the goo... Read More Top feature William Sancroft, born 400 years ago this month, was Archbishop of Canterbury in turbulent times; his period in office included incarceration in the Tower of London.

John Tiller tells his story Subscribe to read more Top comment Muslim free school Al-Madinah in Derby faces closure over 'practices which discriminate against girls and women' | The Independent Muslim free school Al-Madinah in Derby faces closure over 'practices which discriminate against girls and women' Muslim school must make immediate changes, Lord Nash warns Tuesday 8 October 2013 11:25 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Al-Madinah school in Derby Google Maps A Muslim free school has been warned it faces closure if it does not take action to eradicate practices which discriminate against girls and women within a week. The blunt warning was delivered yesterday in a letter from Lord Nash. the Minister with responsibility for free schools and academies in a letter to the chair of its governing body. Lord Nash warned the Al-Madinah free school in Derby that the trust running it had “manifestly breached the conditions of its funding agreement by failing to ensure the safety of children at the school: delivering an unacceptably poor standard of education, discriminating in its policies towards female staff and failing to discharge its duties and responsibilities”. “I will not tolerate breaches of the commitments you gave when entering into the funding agreement,” he said.

The school was forced to close down last week after inspectors from education standards watchdog Ofsted visited it with the acting principal saying this was because of a “health and safety” issue - understood now to refer to the failure to carry out criminal record checks on staff. It reopened on Monday after Ofsted was satisfied there were enough qualified staff on hand. It also faced allegations that it was discriminating against girls by forcing them to sit at the back of the class - and also compelling women staff regardless of their religion to wear a headscarf and cover their hair. In his letter to Shazia Parveen, who chairs the Al-Madinah Education Trust, Lord Nash delivers the sternest warning ever given by a government minister to one of its flagship free schools, saying: “Unless swift action is taken to address these concerns in a comprehensive way I will be compelled to terminate the school’s funding agreement.” In particular, he wants the Trust to ensure by next Tuesday, that all Criminal Records Bureau checks on staff have been completed and written references for every employee taken up.

In addition, he wants written confirmation that any discriminatory practices which have led to women and girls being treated “less favourably than men and boys” have ceased - and that staff have been told they are not required to cover their hair if it is contrary to their religion or beliefs. By the following week, Lord Nash has ordered the school to advertise for a new permanent principal and ensure all school governors have the “requisite skills, experience and commitment necessary to govern the school”. satisfy ministers that the curriculum is “broad and balanced”, and draw up an action plan to deal with all the school’s failings. His letter follows two departmental investigations into the school - by the Department for Education’s international investigations and audit division and the Education Funding Agency. In addition, Ofsted’s report on the school - said to be highly critical - is expected to be published within the next few days. In a statement today, chief schools inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw said the school had reopened after inspectors made a return visit to ensure the right checks - i.e criminal records checks - were in place, He said inspectors had found staff records “showing whether they were cleared to supervise children were either missing or incomplete”. Al-Madinah declined to comment on the letter.

Today Stuart Miller, its acting principal, said it had reopened after addressing “ a short-term health and safety issue that has now been completely resolved and will not reoccur”. On its website, it describes itself as having “a strong Muslim ethos” with shorter holidays and longer school days “to maximise opportunities for pupil achievement and success”. More about:

Question: Which Muslim free school in Derby was slated by Ofsted inspectors?
Answer: AL-MADINAH