A senior teacher at a Birmingham school accused of failing to protect children from extremism has told MPs staff never tolerated any extremist views. And Lee Donaghy, Vice Principal of Park View School in Alum Rock, hit back at a damning Ofsted report by insisting the Trojan Horse controversy came from “plain old Islamaphobia, either witting or unwitting”.

Ofsted last week placed five schools – including three in the Park View Academy – into special measures after a series of snap inspections following claims of a takeover plot by hardline Muslims. Inspectors said they discovered a “culture of fear and intimidation” in some schools, with some governors accused of exerting “inappropriate influence” over how they were being run.

The Commons Home Affairs Committee is conducting an inquiry into the Trojan Horse allegations.

But today MPs also heard evidence from Councillor Brigid Jones, Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services at Birmingham City Council, who insisted she had seen no evidence of extremism in city schools. She said: “Any direct evidence of extremism has yet to be presented to me.”

And Mark Rogers, Birmingham City Council’s Chief Executive, questioned the authenticity of the Trojan Horse document. He said: “I have yet to be convinced that it is an authentic letter from one plotter to another. I think what it sets out is a set of issues that somebody had some concerns about and wanted action over.”

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A governor at Park View School in Birmingham has accused Michael Gove and Ofsted boss Sir Michael Wilshaw of “demonising” communities affected by allegations of a “Trojan Horse” takeover plot of schools by hardline Muslims.

David Hughes launched a stinging attack on the Education Secretary and the Ofsted chief inspector over their handling of the case and suggested that they had exploited the situation. In an open letter to Mr Gove and Sir Michael, Mr Hughes, who is also vice chair of Park View Educational Trust (PVET), warned that communities affected by the allegations feel “frightened, betrayed and let down”.

All three of PVET’s schools – Park View, Nansen Primary and Golden Hillock – were among the five schools declared inadequate and put into special measures by Ofsted following inspections at a number of Birmingham schools as part of an investigation into the alleged plot by hardline Muslims to take over schools in the city.

Mr Hughes asked why Park View School had been told it was outstanding but was then informed that it had swiftly deteriorated. He wrote: “We were told we were outstanding, not least in a personal visit from Sir Michael, and courted to set up our multi-academy trust. Now we are told we have deteriorated at an alarming rate – yet we are largely the same people, doing what we did previously.

“I find it astounding that you are now so vehement in condemning us as negligent and derelict in our duties at best, and dangerous at worst. I have to say, Mr Gove and Mr Wilshaw, I too feel exploited, intimidated, bullied and not valued.

“I doubt that you can make a better job of governing Park View than myself and my colleague governors who, like thousands of other governors across the country, make up the biggest volunteer force in the UK.

“You have some very angry communities now who feel frightened, betrayed and let down by the way you have exploited the Trojan Horse hoax and demonised them. You have my best wishes in dealing with what has been unleashed.”
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Mushy Peas takes on the Secretary of State for Education over his conception of “British values”.

The problem in these schools is not an issue of radicalisation, argues Myriam Francois-Cerrah.

New Statesman, 12 June 2014

A Bradford school has been drawn into the row over claims that governing bodies are attempting to pursue an Islamic agenda at state schools.

It has been reported that minutes from governing body meetings at Carlton Bolling College showed that governors had regularly asked whether a broad religious agenda met the spiritual needs of students. It also reported gender segregation had taken place for trips at the Bradford secondary schools

However the school’s chairman of governors in Bradford has said attempts to link his school and the city to the Birmingham “Trojan Horse” controversy “feels like a witch hunt”. Faisal Khan was speaking following reports relating to two Bradford schools – Carlton Bolling College and Laisterdyke Business and Enterprise College – neither of which are Muslim faith schools.

Mr Khan, who is chairman of governors at Carlton Bolling and a former Respect councillor who now sits on Bradford Council as an independent, said suggestions the governing body was trying to impose a strict Islamic ethos on the school were wrong.

“It’s just completely false,” he said. “It feels like a witch hunt. We’re a good school and we’re proud of the students and the staff and I think all this is just mischief-making. People need to just stand back and take a level headed approach rather than just try and destroy all this.”

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“Gove’s assault on Muslim schools in Birmingham isn’t about British values: it’s a poisonous campaign of discrimination and intimidation”, Seumas Milne argues.

Guardian, 11 June 2014