A Muslim educational trust with a chain of schools topping national tables and receiving “outstanding” rankings from Ofsted has been given the go ahead by the government to open two new single sex faith schools in Manchester, despite opposition from the local council and MP.
Run by Tauheedul Educational Trust (TET), the schools have yet to be built but it is understood the company’s directors are looking for a site in the city’s Cheetham Hill area, where the two schools will share a joint campus.
Two TET schools in Blackburn topped national tables for the biggest improvements in GCSE results this year.
Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School was top of all schools in England, and Tauheedul Islam Boys’ School followed in third place.
The former has been rated “outstanding” by Ofsted after three consecutive inspections.
The Trust runs over ten academies in the North West, West Midlands, Yorkshire and London.
Similar to “free” schools, academies receive funding from central rather than local government, set their own term times, do not have to follow the national curriculum, and can be sponsored by businesses, community, faith and voluntary groups.
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The new schools, Eden Boys’ and Eden Girls’ Leadership Academies, will each have capacity for 800 pupils. Being Muslim will not be a requirement for admission.
A spokesperson for TET said: “We are committed to ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to fulfil their potential and we are looking forward to bringing a new state-of-the-art campus to Manchester.
“The planned Eden Leadership Academies will promote educational excellence, provide a broad and rich learning experience to students and give back to their local community”
A Department for Education spokesperson commented: “Our country needs more good school places for children. We have a rigorous assessment and pre-opening process to help ensure that only the best projects are approved, and that only high-quality free schools open.
“We have opened 345 free schools since 2010, providing greater choice and more places in schools that are more likely than other state-funded schools to be judged outstanding.”
The proposal for the schools was resisted by Central Manchester Labour MP Lucy Powell and the local council on the grounds that single sex schools put pressure on school places.
Despite the social value of single sex schools being contested by some, evidence shows boys and girls learn differently and can achieve greater educational success when taught in a gender specific environment.
