Muslim school fails Ofsted inspection after investigators find books in its library promoting death by STONING

• Texts promoting inequality of women and illegal punishment were found
• Unannounced inspection was of Jamiatul Ummah School in East London
• Books found at £3,400-a-year school also undermined rule of British law
• School insists it has removed texts and is carrying out audit on materials

A Muslim school has failed an Ofsted inspection after investigators found extreme books in its library promoting stoning to death.

The watchdog’s inspectors said they discovered three texts promoting inequality of women and illegal punishment during a ‘brief visit’ to Jamiatul Ummah School in Tower Hamlets, East London.

The books found at the all-boys private secondary school - which has annual fees of £3,400 - also undermined the rule of British law, according to inspectors in a report published two weeks ago.

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Fail: Ofsted inspectors said they discovered three texts promoting inequality of women and illegal punishment during a ‘brief visit’ to Jamiatul Ummah School (pictured) in Tower Hamlets, East London

The school, which insists it ‘condemns all forms of extremism unequivocally’, said it has removed the texts following the inspection and is carrying out an audit on the rest of its materials.

The report said: ‘The concern is that during a very brief tour of the library inspectors found three books that undermine the active promotion of the rule of British law and respect for other people.

‘The books promote inequality of women and punishments, including stoning to death, which are illegal in Britain and which do not reflect the school’s ethos of tolerance and integration.

‘Staff have not been sufficiently vigilant about the availability of inappropriate texts in the library or sufficiently aware of the potential for unwittingly promoting extreme views.’

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Inspection: The books found at the all-boys private secondary school (above) - which has annual fees of £3,400 - also undermined the rule of British law, according to inspectors in a report published two weeks ago

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Response: The school, which insists it ‘condemns all forms of extremism unequivocally’, said it has removed the texts following the inspection and is carrying out an audit on the rest of its materials

The unannounced investigation at the school, which teaches 158 boys aged 11 to 16, was carried out on November 25, and is the third inspection Jamiatul Ummah has failed since October 2014.

DAMNING VERDICT ON SIX SCHOOLS 

A series of damning reports on six London schools - including Jamiatul Ummah - where students were said to be 'vulnerable to extremists and radicalisation' was released in November 2014.

Inspectors said the curriculum at Jamiatul Ummah was too narrow, with too few chances to promote personal, social and health education, citizenship or careers.

There was a good range of opportunities for students to study and practise their Islamic faith, the report said.

But it added: 'In other respects students are not provided with a broad and balanced curriculum. Students do not have opportunities to learn about music or art [or] design and technology.'

Ofsted warned it was failing to comply with legal requirements for making checks on staff, putting students' safety at risk.

Despite these concerns, inspectors did find that students said they felt safe in the school and bullying was rare. It added that pupils' behaviour was good, and that youngsters were pleasant and polite.

In response, the school said it was 'profoundly disappointed' by the report, and it was committed to improvement.

The library has been locked since July 2015 but inspectors said students previously had access to the books.

In response, a school spokesman said: ‘Our position in respect to extremism is very clear, we condemn all forms of extremism unequivocally and this is recognised by Ofsted.

‘We recognise the concerns raised by Ofsted in respect of three books in the library, however, as Ofsted rightly noted, the library is locked and current students have no access to it.

‘Ofsted also recognised that the content of these books, “do not reflect the schools ethos of tolerance and integration”.

‘Nevertheless, we are taking steps, and are at present auditing all materials in the library and those available within the school.’

A previous Ofsted inspection in October 2014 found the 'curriculum was too narrow', the 'assessment framework was not systematic or effective across all subjects' and 'students did not develop a broad knowledge of cultures and faiths other than their own'.

Then in January 2015 another report by the watchdog said that 'concerns about students’ welfare have not been recorded systematically or thoroughly', 'the school’s behaviour policy has not been implemented effectively' and 'the science room poses risks to the welfare, health and safety of students, staff and visitors'.

The school was rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted in January 2011 and 'satisfactory' in September 2004.