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Minister threatens Derby's Al-Madinah Muslim free school with closure Minister threatens Derby's Al-Madinah Muslim free school with closure
(35 minutes later)
A Muslim free school in Derby has been warned to stop favouring men and boys over women and girls or face closure. A Muslim free school in Derby will be closed unless "unacceptable" teaching standards improve and discrimination against female staff and pupils stops.
The condition is one of several set out by Minister for Education Lord Nash in a letter to the chair of the Al-Madinah Education Trust. In a letter to the chair of the Al-Madinah Education Trust, Education Minister Lord Nash laid out 17 issues.
The letter states changes must be made by the 15 October, or the school's funding will be pulled. These included forcing female teachers to cover their hair and failing to carry out background checks on staff.
The school was closed for a week on the first day of an Ofsted inspection citing "health and safety issues". If urgent steps are not taken by 15 October, funding will be pulled. The school has not yet commented.
It was closed for a week on the first the day of an Ofsted inspection on 1 October citing "health and safety issues".
Ofsted released a statement to "clarify media reports" about why the school had closed.Ofsted released a statement to "clarify media reports" about why the school had closed.
In it HM Inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw said: "Inspectors discovered that staff records showing whether they were cleared to supervise children were either missing or incomplete. In it, HM Inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw said: "Inspectors discovered that staff records showing whether they were cleared to supervise children were either missing or incomplete.
"The school remained closed until yesterday [Monday] when inspectors made a return visit to satisfy themselves that the necessary safeguarding arrangements were in place and that there were sufficient numbers of adults with the necessary clearance for the school to function safely.""The school remained closed until yesterday [Monday] when inspectors made a return visit to satisfy themselves that the necessary safeguarding arrangements were in place and that there were sufficient numbers of adults with the necessary clearance for the school to function safely."
A full Ofsted report is expected soon, he added.A full Ofsted report is expected soon, he added.
'Urgent steps' Discrimination problems
Addressing chair Shazia Parveen, Lord Nash writes: "The trust has manifestly breached the conditions of its funding agreement by: Addressing chair Shazia Parveen, Lord Nash wrote: "The trust has manifestly breached the conditions of its funding agreement by:
"I will not tolerate breaches of the commitments you gave when entering into the funding agreement," he wrote. "I will not tolerate breaches of the commitments you gave when entering into the funding agreement," he added.
He has urged the school's trust to take five, "urgent steps" by 15 October, including providing written confirmation that "you have ceased any practices and procedures that have as their reason, cause or effect that women and girls are treated less favourably than men and boys". He has urged the school's trust to take five "urgent steps" by 15 October, including providing written confirmation that "you have ceased any practices and procedures that have as their reason, cause or effect that women and girls are treated less favourably than men and boys".
The school has been given a deadline of 22 October for nine further action points and must provide a plan setting out a clear management structure by the start of November.The school has been given a deadline of 22 October for nine further action points and must provide a plan setting out a clear management structure by the start of November.
Despite repeated attempts, the BBC was unable to speak to anyone at the school.Despite repeated attempts, the BBC was unable to speak to anyone at the school.
On its website, the Al-Madinah School Education Trust says: "We seek to inculcate in our pupils the core universal principles of equality, fairness, peace, tolerance and respect for all people."