Muslim school scraps 'free mixing' policy after claim boy was suspended for talking to girl

A Muslim school in Croydon has scrapped a controversial “free mixing” policy after it was accused of suspending a teenage boy for chatting to a female pupil.

The Islamic Al-Khair school was at the centre of a row last month after reports a child was sanctioned for breaching a behaviour policy that banned all communication between boys and girls.

It prompted an intervention by the schools watchdog Ofsted, whose chief inspector Michael Wilshaw wrote to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan to defend the private secondary.

He said the action taken by the school was “proportionate and appropriate” and followed a series of lesser sanctions which had failed to change the boy’s behaviour.

He wrote: “Inspectors established that the exclusion followed a series of lesser sanctions which proved unsuccessful in deterring this boy from behaving in a totally inappropriate and intimidatory manner which left a female pupil feeling exceptionally uncomfortable and vulnerable.”

The school, on Cherry Orchard Road, has an Islamic ethos and at secondary level boys and girls are split over two sites.

In his letter Mr Wilshaw concluded this had no negative impact on pupils’ education.

But the schools chief added he was “uncomfortable” with a policy adopted by the school that appeared to restrict the “free mixing” of boys and girls. He said it seemed to be inconsistent with the practice observed on the ground by inspectors.

Al-Khair Secondary Headteacher Aisha Chaudhry said the policy had only been intended to tackle harrassment, adding that following the Ofsted intervention the school had chosen to completely remove it to prevent future "misinterpretation".

Mrs Chaudhry said: "We are one of the best performing schools in the country and to suggest we don't treat the sexes equally is deeply offensive.

“We have never and would never ban harmless communication between members of the opposite sex. The clause related only to harassment. Our actions were to protect the girl who, as Sir Michael Wilshaw concluded, was left feeling exceptionally uncomfortable and vulnerable.

“We couldn't believe anyone would try to interpret our behaviour policy in this way. It is very sad that anyone would think that way so as a result we have removed the policy relating to free mixing completely.”