Author: Harriet Agerholm
Publication: Independent.co.uk
Date: July 16, 2017
URL:   http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/muslim-school-taken-over-government-ofsted-al-hijrah-mohammed-ismaeel-ashraf-birmingham-gender-a7843511.html?amp

Inspection finds books saying husbands were allowed to beat their wives

The Government has ordered the takeover of a state-funded Muslim school in Birmingham where a boy died in March.

Ofsted visited the Al-Hijrah School after nine-year-old Mohammed Ismaeel Ashraf reportedly suffered an allergic reaction and collapsed while at school. He was taken to hospital, but died shortly afterwards.

An earlier inspection found books in the library that said husbands were allowed to beat their wives and could force them to have sex.

A June report said the school was “inadequate”, saying pupils were not “sufficiently” safe and staff were not prepared for medical emergencies.

The school is currently embroiled in a long legal battle to allow it to segregate girls and boys.

Amanda Spielman, chief inspector at Ofsted, told The Sunday Times: “I am deeply concerned about the idea that total segregation of children within a mixed school is acceptable.”

In November, the High Court ruled that Ofsted inspectors were wrong to punish the school on the basis of the “erroneous” assumption that segregation amounted to unlawful discrimination.

UK news in pictures

13 July 2017

The EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, right, receives an Arsenal football top from Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn prior to a meeting at EU headquarters in Brussels Olivier Hoslet/AP

13 July 2017

A blue whale skeleton forms the main exhibit at the Natural History Museum in London. The 126-year-old skeleton, named 'Hope', replaces 'Dippy' the Diplodocus dinosaur as the museum's main exhibit Rob Stothard/Getty Images

13 July 2017

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh are welcomed to New Scotland Yard by Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick and Metropolitan Police Acting Commissioner, Craig Mackey Getty Images

12 July 2017

Carlos Sainz of Spain and Scuderia Toro Rosso driving the Scuderia Toro Rosso STR8 during F1 Live London at Trafalgar Square in London Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesSwipe to continue

12 July 2017

Orange Order members march past Ardoyne shops on the Crumlin Road in Belfast as part of the 'Twelfth of July' celebrations. The controversial flashpoint has seen many outbreaks of serious public disorder in the past due to contentious parades Niall Carson/PA

11 July 2017

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May gets up from her seat to deliver a speech on modern working practices at the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) in London Matt
Dunham/AFP/Getty Images

11 July 2017

Cunard cruise liner Queen Elizabeth makes her way into the mouth of the River Mersey on her way to Liverpool past Antony Gormley's art installation 'Another Place' at Crosby, north west England Paul Ellis/AFP

11 July 2017

Two fisherman gather fishing pots from the North sea near Whitley Bay with storm clouds overhead as rain is expected across many parts of the UK. PA

10 July 2017

Supporters of Charlie Gard hold up placards outside the High Court in central London Ben Stansal/AFPSwipe to continue

10 July 2017

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May leaves after a visit to Borough Market with Australian Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull (not pictured) in central London Niklas Hallen/AFP/Getty

10 July 2017

A Loyalist climbs the Conway street bonfire built in preparation for the 11th night bonfire on July 10, 2017 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Tradition holds that the bonfires commemorate the lighting of fires on the hills to help Williamite ships navigate through Belfast Lough at night when Protestant King William III and his forces landed at Carrickfergus to fight the Catholic Jacobites, supporters of the exiled Catholic King James II. The bonfires also mark the beginning of the annual 12th of July Orange parades. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty

10 July 2017

A firefighter walks towards the scene of a fire at Camden Market in north London Reuters/Hannah McKay

9 July 2017

Buttermere in the Lake District in Cumbria, as the Lake District has been designated as a World Heritage Site, Unesco has said PA

8 July 2017

Jeremy Corbyn leader of the Labour Party stands in the balcony of the County Hotel as colliery bands pass below during the 133rd Durham Miners Gala GettySwipe to continue

7 July 2017

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip John May arrive for a concert at the Elbphilharmonie concert hall during the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany AFP/Getty Images

7 July 2017

Spectators react on Henman Hill (Murray Mount) as Britain's Andy Murray wins against Italy's Fabio Fognini on the big screen at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London AFP/Getty Images

6 July 2017

Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Brexit Minister) David Davis (R) meets Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney for talks at no 11, Downing Street VICTORIA JONES/AFP/Getty Images

6 July 2017

Revellers brave the heat at Wimbledon Getty

5 July 2017

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaking after being awarded an honorary degree at the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh AFP/GettySwipe to continue

5 July 2017

Spectators are led in on day three of the Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club PA

4 July 2017

Queen Elizabeth II talks with Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon during an audience at the Palace of Holyroodhouse PA

4 July 2017

Conservative MP Craig Mackinlay, with his wife Kati Mackinlay, leave Westminster Magistrates' Court in London where he faced charges over his 2015 general election expenses PA

3 July 2017

Security staff with dogs before the start of play at Wimbledon Reuters

2 July 2017

Competitors take part in the first ever Ironman triathlon to be held in Scotland. Almost 2000 competitors took part in the grueling swim, cycle and road race which ended in Holyrood park. The swimming section was held at Preston Links in Prestonpans. PASwipe to continue

1 July 2017

People hold placards reading 'Wot A DisMay' and 'Not One Day More' as they take part in an anti-austerity demonstration outside Parliament in London, Britain. Tens of thousands of people took part in a demonstration against British Government and called to end austerity, further cuts and privatisation. EPA

30 June 2017

A screen displaying an image of Martyn Hett outside Stockport Town Hall as mourners arrive for his funeral on June 30, 2017 in Stockport, England. Twenty-nine year old Martyn Hett was one of 22 people who died in the suicide bombing at Manchester Arena after attending an Ariana Grande concert Getty Images

29 June 2017

Campaigners from Avaaz dressed as British Prime Minister Theresa May and Australian media Mogul Rupert Murdoch pose during a photocall outside the Houses of Parliament on Campaigners from Avaaz dressed as British Prime Minister Theresa May and Australian media Mogul Rupert Murdoch pose during a photocall outside the Houses of Parliament on June 29, 2017 in London, England. Culture Secretary Karen Bradley announced that the Competitions and Markets Authority is to conduct a further six-month investigation into Murdoch’s proposed £11.7bn takeover of Sky. Getty Images

27 June 2017

Workers using safety harnesses abseil off Bray Tower on the Chacots Estate in North London. The abseilers were taking measurements and taking notes as they scaled the building. The high-rise Tower blocks in Camden are still in the process of evacuation with some tenants refusing to leave after the cladding on the buildings was discovered to be similar to that found on the fire stricken Grenfell Tower Pete Maclaine / i-Images

27 June 2017

Workmen start to remove cladding on Hornchurch Court, Hulme, Manchester as as Prime Minister Theresa May has said there must be a "major national investigation" into the use of potentially flammable cladding on high-rise towers across the country over a period of decades in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire PASwipe to continue

26 June 2017

A festival-goer sleeps outside their tent at the end of the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm near the village of Pilton in Somerset, South West England Getty

26 June 2017

Residents leave their home on the Taplow Block on the Chalcots Estate on June 26, 2017 in London, England. Residents of the Chalcots Estate have been urged to leave their homes due to fire safety fears in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Four of the five Chalcots Estate towers in Camden, North London, are being evacuated after they were found to have similar cladding to that on Grenfell, attributed to contributing to the rapid spread of the blaze last week that killed at least 79 people Getty Images

25 June 2017

Police officers on Romford Road in Forest Gate, east London, as people protest over the death of Edir Frederico Da Costa, who died on June 21 six days after he was stopped in a car by Metropolitan Police officers in Woodcocks, Beckton, in Newham, east London PA

24 June 2017

Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn addresses revellers from the Pyramid Stage at Worthy Farm in Somerset during the Glastonbury Festival REUTERS

23 June 2017

British Prime Minister Theresa May addresses a news conference at the EU summit in Brussels, Belgium, June 23, 2017 ReutersSwipe to continue

22 June 2017

Cosplay fans (L-R) George Massingham, Abbey Forbes and Karolina Goralik travel by tube dressed in Harry Potter themed costumes, after a visit to one the literary franchise's movie filming locations at Leadenhall Market in London, Britain Reuters

22 June 2017

Racegoers cheer on their horse on Ladies Day at the Royal Ascot horse racing meet, in Ascot, west of London Getty

21 June 2017

A reveller walks among the tipi tents at the Glastonbury Festival of Music and Performing Arts on Worthy Farm near the village of Pilton in Somerset, South West England Getty

20 June 2017

A police officer lays some flowers passed over by a member of the public, close to Finsbury Park Mosque in north London, after one man died and eight people were taken to hospital and a person arrested after a rental van struck pedestrian PA

The Borough Market bell is seen in Borough Market in central London following its re-opening after the June 3 terror attack Getty ImagesSwipe to continue

Two women embrace in Borough Market, which officially re-opens today following the recent attack, in central London REUTERS/Hannah McKay

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan attends the re-opening of Borough market in central London following the June 3 terror attack Getty Images

People walk through Borough Market in central London following its re-opening after the June 3 terror attack Getty Images

News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch, with one of his daughters, visit Borough Market, which officially re-opened today following the recent attack REUTERS

A woman reacts in front of a wall of messages in Borough Market, which officially re-opened today following the recent attack, in central London REUTERS/Hannah MckaySwipe to continue

Vivenne Westwood walks the runway at the Vivenne Westwood show during the London Fashion Week Men's June 2017 collections Getty Images

Millwall fan and London Bridge hero Roy Larner on 'Good Morning Britain' Rex

Richard Arnold, Roy Larner, Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid on 'Good Morning Britain' Rex
11 June 2017

England players celebrate after defeating Venezuela 1-0 to win the final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea 2017 at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, South Korea AP

14 July 2017

The hearse departs St Joseph's Church after the funeral service for six year old Sunderland FC fan, Bradley Lowery on in Hartlepool, England. Bradley was diagnosed with neuroblastoma aged only 18 months. Hundreds of people lined the streets to pay their respects to the Sunderland football supporter who lost his battle with cancer last Friday. Getty ImagesSwipe to continue

15 July 2017

Garbine Muguruza of Spain celebrates victory with the trophy after the Ladies Singles final against Venus Williams of The United States on day twelve of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon. Getty

The judge said: “There is no evidence in this case that segregation particularly disadvantages women.”