Katharine Birbalsingh – the head teacher of Michaela Community School.

I don't think any parents are that thorough when they apply for a school. It would never have occurred to me to ask whether my child was permitted to pray quietly for a few minutes during the lunch break.

The school and governors should have dealt with the people making threats and being violent, not the pupils involved.

growstuff have you watched or read any of the interviews that KB has given? They really are very informative.

Completely agree with Rosie51!

The police have been involved, plenty about it on the internet.

The school makes all parents aware of its very strict rules and that there isn't a prayer room . Pupils were permitted to pray in the playground until the threats and violence started at which point the governors decided a ban was the only answer. The school has been without a prayer room for the 10 years of its existence. For 8 of those years there wasn't a problem. The numbers of Muslim children applying to the school have grown year on year, now about 50% are Muslim. Surely Muslim parents, like any others, research a school and its policies before applying, or do you think they are somehow not as thorough?

Rosie51

Michaela school is rather different to most other schools, it was not purpose built. It's a repurposed office block, 7 floors I think, with small rooms and narrow corridors.
It might have ended with 30 pupils praying in the playground but started with 1 or 2 who then recruited more. They could have continued praying in the playground (which incidentally isn't the classic school playground, by virtue of being designed as an office block) if there hadn't been complaints and subsequent violence and threats from those outside the school who objected to the lack of a prayer room.
I still have never had an answer to why, if prayer is essential to you, you knowingly apply for and accept a place at the (probably) only school in the area that doesn't have a prayer room?

Why weren't the police involved if there were threats from outside the school?

Are you sure the parents knowingly applied for a school which wouldn't allow their children to pray?

Rosie51

Glorianny

I think the policies also say pupil's views will be taking into consideration-obviously not in this case.

Nor in the case of children whose religion means they'd rather not have Macbeth as the set text, nor those whose religion would allow meat on the lunch menu again, nor those who want a guarantee an egg has not touched their plate, nor those for whom Sunday revision lessons are inappropriate..... why don't they just adjust all the rules that some pupils find objectionable? Those rules that every family is made aware of before they accept a place at the school. If prayer facilities were so important to this girl and her family why on earth did they accept a place at a school knowing it does not provide a prayer room? There are other schools in the area that do provide a prayer room, this well subscribed school was not the only option.

Are you absolutely sure that pupils and their parents were told explicitly that they wouldn't be allowed to pray at lunchtime? I'm not.

Michaela school is rather different to most other schools, it was not purpose built. It's a repurposed office block, 7 floors I think, with small rooms and narrow corridors.
It might have ended with 30 pupils praying in the playground but started with 1 or 2 who then recruited more. They could have continued praying in the playground (which incidentally isn't the classic school playground, by virtue of being designed as an office block) if there hadn't been complaints and subsequent violence and threats from those outside the school who objected to the lack of a prayer room.
I still have never had an answer to why, if prayer is essential to you, you knowingly apply for and accept a place at the (probably) only school in the area that doesn't have a prayer room?

Nicenanny3

I don't believe it's just one girl and her family taking this to court (free legal aid as well, beggars belief) I think a larger religious group are behind this hoping she wins the case and all schools will have to have a Muslim prayer room.

A prayer room doesn't have to be Muslim. It can be used by any faiths

I don't believe it's just one girl and her family taking this to court (free legal aid as well, beggars belief) I think a larger religious group are behind this hoping she wins the case and all schools will have to have a Muslim prayer room.

Well put Rosie51. 👏👏👏

Rosie51

Glorianny

I think the policies also say pupil's views will be taking into consideration-obviously not in this case.

Nor in the case of children whose religion means they'd rather not have Macbeth as the set text, nor those whose religion would allow meat on the lunch menu again, nor those who want a guarantee an egg has not touched their plate, nor those for whom Sunday revision lessons are inappropriate..... why don't they just adjust all the rules that some pupils find objectionable? Those rules that every family is made aware of before they accept a place at the school. If prayer facilities were so important to this girl and her family why on earth did they accept a place at a school knowing it does not provide a prayer room? There are other schools in the area that do provide a prayer room, this well subscribed school was not the only option.

It wasn't one girl. It was about 30 pupils praying in a playground.

👏👏 Rosie51 well said.

Glorianny

I think the policies also say pupil's views will be taking into consideration-obviously not in this case.

Nor in the case of children whose religion means they'd rather not have Macbeth as the set text, nor those whose religion would allow meat on the lunch menu again, nor those who want a guarantee an egg has not touched their plate, nor those for whom Sunday revision lessons are inappropriate..... why don't they just adjust all the rules that some pupils find objectionable? Those rules that every family is made aware of before they accept a place at the school. If prayer facilities were so important to this girl and her family why on earth did they accept a place at a school knowing it does not provide a prayer room? There are other schools in the area that do provide a prayer room, this well subscribed school was not the only option.

Taking someone's views into consideration doesn't mean that changes will be made because of those views.

I think the policies also say pupil's views will be taking into consideration-obviously not in this case.

The school's own policies contradict Birbalsingh's claim that Michaela is a secular school.

Many schools get parents and pupils to sign a "contract" at the beginning of the school year. It's a way of reinforcing expectations, but I doubt very much that it's enforceable in law.

growstuff

Joseann

If the school loses on this issue I forecast lots of other challenges, leading to a complete change in the ethos of the school.
I agree. The school seems to thrive on having strict rules. The application of these rules seems to make pupils feel safe and happy, and there is no denying their outstanding results. I guess what is being questioned here is whether these rules are fair to everyone?

Could somebody please find a link to these "rules" in the school's written policies? I've just looked through them and I can't find them. In fact, the school states the opposite:

With regard to Minority Ethnic Groups, including Refugees, the school will ensure that:

...
vi provision is made for the spiritual, moral, and social and cultural education, supported by appropriate resources and information

I can't find them either. Only the stated aims of KB which she talks about in the various interviews she's given.

I did read that each pupil and parent signs some form of 'contract' at the beginning of the year, which presumably means that they are signing up to a set of rules.

She did say also, that this school would not suit every parent / child - and (though it's really rather irrelevant) it would not be the school I would choose, either. That's not to criticise KB - just backing up that it will not be everyone's cup of tea.

I agree Joseann. I am very doubtful that any contract would state that pupils are not allowed a few minutes of prayer during the lunch break.

And a copy of the contract signed by parents as mentioned here would be good to see too.

I read loosely about the educational "rules" on a recruitment page designed to let prospective teachers know what is expected, and what works for this particular school. I must admit that the tone of some of it would be a bit off-putting to me personally.

Joseann

^If the school loses on this issue I forecast lots of other challenges, leading to a complete change in the ethos of the school^.
I agree. The school seems to thrive on having strict rules. The application of these rules seems to make pupils feel safe and happy, and there is no denying their outstanding results. I guess what is being questioned here is whether these rules are fair to everyone?

Could somebody please find a link to these "rules" in the school's written policies? I've just looked through them and I can't find them. In fact, the school states the opposite:

With regard to Minority Ethnic Groups, including Refugees, the school will ensure that:

...
vi provision is made for the spiritual, moral, and social and cultural education, supported by appropriate resources and information

If the school loses on this issue I forecast lots of other challenges, leading to a complete change in the ethos of the school.
I agree. The school seems to thrive on having strict rules. The application of these rules seems to make pupils feel safe and happy, and there is no denying their outstanding results. I guess what is being questioned here is whether these rules are fair to everyone?

I so hope you're wrong Dickens If the school loses on this issue I forecast lots of other challenges, leading to a complete change in the ethos of the school. Its wonderful results will be lost as it falls apart. Given no child has been forced to attend this school but has chosen to apply for admission despite many other schools being available it would be wrong in my opinion to force the school to change.
The girl bringing the case will have succeeded in her stated aim "to destroy the school".
If I lived in the area I would not have applied for any of my four children to attend. Despite the brilliant results it achieves I don't think my children would have flourished at the school.

... I hope I'm wrong.

Rosie51

I wonder what part of "we do not have a prayer room, your child will not have access to a prayer room" as stated by the headteacher people do not understand? Every parent is fully informed of the rules of the school before accepting a place there for their child.

It really does beg the question doesn't it?

Also, in spite of there being no prayer room, the intake of Muslim children increased. Why? Is it because there are no other schools to choose from? Is it because the parents accepted the lack of a prayer room?

I think that the school will lose this case. Freedom to pray - in the workplace - is a protected characteristic. Although it works on a case-by-case basis, every effort has to be made to provide a suitable environment.

The fact of parents signing or agreeing to KB's rules will have little to no significance. The Court could argue that it was an unreasonable demand on the part of KB and therefore the contract or whatever it is that the parents sign, will be null and void.

It happened to my late ex - on a totally different issue - a contract was designated unreasonable by a Court and it became invalid.