Michaela School: Muslim student loses prayer ban challenge
A High Court challenge brought by a Muslim student at a London school against its prohibition of prayer rituals has been unsuccessful.
Michaela School in Brent faced legal action from the student regarding a policy deemed discriminatory.
The non-faith state secondary school argued in court that permitting prayer rituals could disrupt inclusivity among students.
Katharine Birbalsingh, the school’s founder and head teacher, hailed the court’s decision as a triumph for all schools.
In an 83-page ruling rejecting the student’s claim, Mr. Justice Linden stated: “The claimant, by enrolling at the school, tacitly acknowledged that she would be subject to religious manifestation restrictions.”
Around half of the school’s approximately 700 students are Muslim, the court was informed. In March 2023, around 30 students began praying in the schoolyard, utilizing blazers as kneelers, according to the High Court.
The school implemented the ban in response to concerns about a perceived “cultural shift” leading to “religious group segregation and intimidation within the Muslim pupil cohort,” the court heard.
This verdict is likely to be viewed as affirming the prerogative of non-religious schools to determine whether to allocate time and space for student prayer.
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, Birbalsingh asserted that schools “should have the autonomy to make decisions that best serve their students.”
She added: “Schools should not be forced by one child and her mother to change their approach simply because they have decided they don’t like something at the school.
“If parents do not like what Michaela is, they do not need to send their children to us.”
In the legal action against the north-west London school’s governing body, the Michaela Community Schools Trust, the student alleged that the ban on prayer rituals breached her right to freedom of religion.
The pupil, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court the rule had “fundamentally changed” how she felt “about being a Muslim in this country”.
The school argued its prayer policy was justified after it faced death and bomb threats linked to religious observance on site.
Dismissing the student’s case, Mr Justice Linden said: “The claimant at the very least impliedly accepted, when she enrolled at the school, that she would be subject to restrictions on her ability to manifest her religion.
“She knew that the school is secular and her evidence is that her mother wished her to go there because it was known to be strict.
“She herself says that, long before the prayer ritual policy was introduced, she and her friends believed that prayer was not permitted at school and she therefore made up for missed prayers when she got home.”
The judge upheld the student’s challenge to a decision to temporarily exclude her from the school.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “I have always been clear that head teachers are best placed to make decisions in their school.
“Michaela is an outstanding school and I hope this judgment gives all school leaders the confidence to make the right decisions for their pupils.”
Michaela School is a free school known for its “tiger teaching” approach.
Pupils are expected to adhere to strict rules including focusing on teachers extensively during lessons and remaining silent in corridors, as well as observing restrictions on uniforms and slouching.
It has received praise for producing excellent results and has an outstanding Ofsted rating.
Free schools are independent of local authorities and are exempt from teaching the national curriculum.
