Two Islamic schools are reported to the education watchdog for segregating boys and girls during lessons and break times
- Two private Islamic schools have been reported for segregating boys and girls
- The Aveccina Academy and The Wisdom Academy are based in Birmingham
- Ofsted found both West Midlands schools were practising ‘sex discrimination’
Two private Islamic schools have been reported to the education watchdog for segregating boys and girls.
Ofsted found The Aveccina Academy and The Wisdom Academy, both based in Birmingham, West Midlands, were practising ‘sex discrimination’.
The regulator was concerned after it found the Aveccina Academy was segregating boys and girls across different year groups and did not allow them to mix during break times.
Boys and girls also had lessons on different floors of the building.
The Wisdom Academy, a private school in Birmingham, has been accused of ‘failing to prepare students for life in modern Britain’.
The regulator was concerned after it found the Aveccina Academy was segregating boys and girls across different year groups and did not allow them to mix during break times
Ofsted inspectors reported that the mixed sex schools were in potential breach of the Equality Act 2010.
The report said: ‘The school operates a policy of segregation by sex. Boys and girls are taught on separate floors of the building.
‘Boys and girls have their breaks at the same time but have separate playgrounds and are not allowed to mix during break times.
‘When pupils visit places, they do so together. However boys sit at the front of the coach and girls sit at the back.’
The Ofsted report added that the gender segregation violated the law.
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It said that the policy was: ‘A detriment to girls (who are denied the choice to socialise with boys in lessons and during break times and miss out on the educational benefits of doing so) and a detriment to boys (for the same reasons).
‘Given this detriment the policy constitutes direct discrimination contrary to the Equality Act 2010.’
The Wisdom Academy was criticised for failing to adequately prepare students for life in modern Britain.
The inspectors wrote: ‘The school operates a policy of segregation by sex in all key stage 3 lessons… the segregation causes the following detriment to pupils: a denial of choice offered to the opposite sex.’
It adds that boys ‘cannot choose, in lessons, to interact with girls, and vice versa and therefore they miss out on the educational benefits of doing so, including preparing them for life in modern Britain’.
The Wisdom Academy, a private school in Birmingham, has been accused of ‘failing to prepare students for life in modern Britain’
A Department of Education spokesman said: ‘The department has issued guidance to schools on segregation in mixed schools and where inspection shows that an independent school has segregation that does not accord with this guidance, the department will work with the school so they comply with the Equality Act.’
An Ofsted spokesman said: ‘We have been working with the Department for Education (DfE) about the next steps for these and other independent schools that we inspected last term and are in similar positions regarding the segregation of pupils. We are clear that this is unlawful practice by these schools and that the DfE as the regulator is responsible for ensuring they comply or cease to operate.’
Mohamed Dahir, Head Teacher at the Aveccina Academy, said: ‘We’ve already written to the government about the changes we’ve made and to ensure we are in line with DfE regulations.
‘For example, with our school we have changed it to a single gender school. So we’ve become a boys only school. And we have made that clear to the government and the Department of Education. Schools have to be given time to change.’
The Wisdom Academy has not responded to requests for comment.
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