School run by conservative Muslim sect was not properly inspected by Ofsted as they were ‘prohibited’ from talking to pupils or staff

INSPECTORS failed to properly scrutinise a school run by a conservative Muslim sect after being told they were not allowed to talk with students.

Ofsted were “prohibited” from talking to pupils or staff at the private Zakaria Muslim Girls' High School because of an Islamic festival.

The inspector’s report into the West Yorkshire school in October 2015 said: “It was not possible to talk to students during this visit as they and the staff were celebrating the festival of Eid."

It meant the education watchdog was only able to speak with senior managers – something the Batley school disputes.

Zakaria Muslim Girls' High School – which teaches 149 girls aged 11 to 16 - is one of three facing further action from authorities looking into the secretive Deobandi sect, reports.

Deobandis, many of whom shun contact with non-Muslims, are thought to control around half of Britain's private Islamic schools.

Deobandi-run schools in the area include the Islamic Institute of Education and the Islamic Tarbiyah Centre.

The Islamic Institute and the Zakaria school are both controlled by Shabbir Daji, an elder of the strict Tablighi Jamaat sect based at Dewsbury’s Markazi Mosque.

The Islamic Institute had to be re-inspected after it was revealed Ofsted had failed to challenge its strict Sharia code.

Documents which told boys they could be expelled for mixing with outsiders, and banning them from watching TV or reading newspapers were revealed last year.

It led to Ofsted downgrading the school from 'good' to 'inadequate'.

The Department of Education is also looking into the Islamic Tarbiyah Centre – run by an unconnected senior Deobandi cleric – over its promotion of an extreme form of Islam.

The probe was launched after it revealed it was handing out leaflets claiming Jews are engaged in a conspiracy to take over the world and that adopting British customs is forbidden.

Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake has raised concerns about Ofsted's inspections of the sect's schools.

In a letter to him Ofsted's National Director of Education, Sean Harford, said: “The inspector did not challenge the school when they stated they were celebrating Eid and prohibited him from talking to pupils."

"There is no Ofsted guidance or protocol to state that inspectors will not talk to pupils during the observance of any religious festivals."

The inspector concerned has been dealt with appropriately according to Ofsted and the school has been re-inspected.

No one from any of the three schools agreed to be interviewed, saying they do not talk to the media, Sky News reports.

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