Leader of Luton faith school that repeatedly failed Ofsted inspections given ban

Zafar Iqbal Khan “failed in his role to ensure that an independent school was managed in compliance with the Independent School Standard” as chair of Rabia Girls’ and Boys’ Schools in Portland Road.

A notice from the Department of Education explained that Khan cannot manage independent schools, academies and free schools, nor can he serve as a school governor at maintained schools.

The school in Bury Park opened in 2011 and failed Ofsted inspections for seven years. It was rated as inadequate three times before it was shut down in 2021.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) was called in to investigate the school in 2016 and found that “gender segregation” at the faith school was “totally unacceptable”.

In a letter to the Education Secretary at the time, the school said it had been “unfairly targetted”.

It wrote: “We would like to say that we feel that we are being unfairly targeted and harassed by HM Chief Inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw who has undermined the professional reputation of six of his own inspectors who did not fail us previously or during this inspection for using a screen in a religious setting.

“We are absolutely shocked that someone of his standing has written such factually inaccurate statements about us.”

The EHRC revealed how the school separated men and women by using a dividing screen across the middle of the room.

Male and female staff were separated during whole-school staff training sessions, with men in one room, while the session was broadcast online to the female staff in another part of the building.

EHRC chief executive Rebecca Hilsenrath said at the time: “Gender segregation of school staff is totally unacceptable in modern Britain.

“All schools have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to prevent discrimination against their staff and students.”

It later noted that it was “satisfied” that staff were separated because a meeting was held in a prayer hall – and told future meetings would not be held there.

The school was also found to have only allowed girls to knit and sew in design and technology lessons.

In 2015, Ofsted also said: “...the school’s own work undermines the promotion of fundamental British values in its unequal treatment of girls and boys”.

Rabia was barred from admitting new pupils in 2019 but was prosecuted a year later after inspectors found evidence it was still allowing new children to join.

Rabia Educational Trust, which ran the schools, was investigated by the Charity Commission. It said it breached operating conditions imposed by the Department for Education. The charity also failed to comply with actions set by the Charity Commission.

The regulator previously investigated the Rabia Educational Trust in 2016-17, finding there had been misconduct and/or mismanagement, and issuing the trustees with a legal order.

The school allegedly hosted guests including a scholar who had previously addressed fighters of the proscribed terrorist organisation, Jaish-e-Mohammed, in Pakistan.

An Ofsted report noted that “School leaders acknowledge that some guest speakers to the school have not been vetted with sufficient rigour” but added that “procedures for more rigorous checking of the background and views of guest speakers” had since been put in place.

The Luton News attempted to contact Mr Khan and has approached the school for comment but is yet to receive a response.