Faith school where women are banned from wearing trousers becomes state funded

[ArabellaSaurus]

https://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2025/09/faith-school-which-bans-women-wearing-trousers-becomes-state-funded

'The National Secular Society has expressed alarm that a London faith school which bans women from wearing trousers and penalises families who attend non-kosher restaurants will now be funded by the state.
Nancy Reuben Primary School re-opened as a voluntary aided (VA) state school this month, after operating as an independent school for 26 years. Its decision to join the state sector follows the Government's move to charge VAT on independent school fees.'

'Women may not wear trousers, mini skirts, shorts, low necklines or sleeveless tops
The school's dress code for parents and visitors says men "must have their head covered at all times" and women "must wear skirts of knee length (a maximum of 2" above is acceptable)". It says trousers "may not be worn" by women.
Additionally, women must cover their underarms and may not wear cap sleeves. Women may not wear clothes with necklines lower than "4 fingers from the collar bone" either "in front or back of the garment".
Trousers are permitted for aupairs and nannies but they may not wear mini skirts, shorts, plunging necklines or sleeveless tops.'

I don't think the school can legally enforce those rules for staff (or parents). It is worrying that they were allowed to become a state school without that being addressed.

I would have thought it unlawful for the girls too, but quite a lot of Catholic schools used to insist on skirts for girls, even just a few years ago. Has that changed too? I don't think I've seen any court cases about this even though I think it should have been unlawful since 1975.

I really don't see the problem. If you work or visit a religious school, you expect to follow the rules and customs. Secular society shouldn't expect to enter and not do whats required. Some Church and Islamic schools are also L.A schools, and I don't think it causes major problems!

That’s a matter of opinion. It can be a significant problem if your local state schools are a ‘faith’ ones with entry criteria which discriminate against kids because of what their parents believe (or pretend to).

If its genuinely requirements of the religion of the school I don't see any complaint about it. Like anyone visiting a Gurdwara must cover their head, no argument. Is the law really different for enforcing on pupils and adults eg. mandatory skirts, modest tops?

I dont really understand your point Dragon. The last bit seems a bit jumbled. How are children discriminated because of their parents 'pretend' beliefs?

It does cause problems. Religious discrimination and segregation, and now this. The state (i.e. my taxes) funding sexist education.

I don’t think any religion in schools or religious schools, should be state funded. I honestly don’t think they should be allowed. Let children learn in an environment of shared learning and experience. Religious worship and practise can stay in church, temple, synagogue, gudhwara and home. Keep it out of state-funded schools. Learning about is great. Not this.

Your first point. You can’t see any difference between a place of worship and a state school?

I’m genuinely amazed you don’t see that.

I’m amazed at some of the responses. Do people on a feminist board really support the state funding institutions that police women’s dress?

They’re not. They’re discriminated against if their parents don’t have the right beliefs or won’t pretend to have them and attend church often enough to meet the entry criteria.

Quite. The overnight crowd tends… odd sometimes.

Not everyone who posts on this board is a feminist.

I don’t think any school should police women’s dress, and I also don’t think the state should be funding any religious schools at all. Schools should be teaching kids how to think, not what to think.

So Jewish orthodox school....enforces Jewish orthodox dress code?! I actually don't agree with government funded religious schools at all but if the government are funding Catholic, CoE and Muslim schools which all have "rules" I don't agree with, I'm not sure what the difference is, are you are only objecting to Jewish tradition?

It's not great is it. There are schools similar near me - in fact worse in terms of controlling the dress of really quite young children. Knee length skirts are the norm for most schools (and were at my entirely standard secondary school) so while I think trousers should be an option, knee length skirts for girls are not a hill I'd die on. There's a school near me that compels Year 3 girls to wear ankle length skirts and a particular style of headscarf, it's a state school. A brief google suggests the National Secular Society is as yet unaware of it.

Feel free to go away and check every single post of mine about religion in schools, and religious schools.

I hate it all. And it shouldn’t exist. Whatever religion it is. It’s worse when it polices women’s clothes. But it’s still baffling that state education isn’t separated from religion.

Are we banning headscarves etc in schools then? A one size fits all approach?

All our primary schools are CofE (we are rural) and none of them have a dress code for visitors or parents. If you receive government funding you aside by the normal standards of British society, simple as. Couldn’t care what your religion says, if you take taxpayer’s money you don’t get to treat women like second class citizens.

I’d ban making headscarves compulsory.
Secularism is about neither privileging nor discriminating on the basis of religion.

Do you know any schools that require parents and visitors to wear headscarves out of interest?

It’s like whack-a-mole. Of course if a girl or mum chooses to wear a head scarf, or a boy/dad chooses a turban or kippah, fill your boots.

IMPOSING a sexist dress code on women in a state-funded school is wrong.

School choice is an illusion. Families are regularly assigned to schools that do not align with their personal beliefs.

Then you add the layer that children may not share the beliefs of their parents x

I agree with this comment in the article: "Schools funded by the state should aim to serve the whole community."

Fine if a school wants to impose religious requirements on students and parents but only if they are not state funded. In Australia all government schools are secular by law - makes things simpler and fairer.

Well I agree ( re religion in state schools) but I don't think Jewish schools are by any measure the worse culprit though. They're generally very pro- woman/ equality ime.

Anyone else checked the Ofsted rating. I have.

There are also restrictions placed on fathers and male pupils to be fair.

I suspect the vast majority of parents who apply for places at this school are doing so because of the adherence to their religious and cultural preferences.

If the state funds schools who follow other religions then why not this one?

Yes it's an Orthodox Jewish school...named after a woman. There's others in North London and a particular need with the recent rise in anti-Semitism.

No I don't think schools should expect girls and women to wear skirts in 2025, but as that's their
religious dress that's up to them. Or perhaps Ofsted if they care to get involved.