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 agree re Jews not trying to change anyone.

I'd argue this is why Sikhs & Hindus are more popular on average than Muslims, which is a reversal from the 1940s when people like Churchill saw Islam as familiarly Abrahamic & Hinduism as suspicious bc polytheistic, idols etc

Nope.

gosh the temptation to turn up in a vest top and a pair of trousers is huge.

Yes they apologised about the au pair and sick child. I went in trousers also to collect her when sick. Both schools would have overlooked that sort of thing (having to turn up at short notice). Both schools also accepted that I wore trousers in my normal
live. There are ultra orthodox Jewish state schools that won’t accept any children whose mothers don’t cover hair / dress modestly at all times. Look up Yesoday Hatorah Senior Girls. There have been a few OSA challenges and on the whole the school has upheld the right to dictate how mothers dress.

Not really worth being humiliated. But yes it’s fun to run circuits of the school in shorts and a vest top.

Oh yes we had a Jewish deli literally nextdoor when I was a kid. I remember the smells, so enticing in 1950s England and then there was my friends mother's Polish deli just round the corner. She was lovely but spoke no English so I assume her customers must have been mainly Polish. Her shop also had amazing smells and food I couldn't identify at the time.

In my town it is Jehovah's Witnesses and one day we had some nice young Mormon men. They got very pushy in a nice sort of way. In the end I said I respect your beliefs why don't you respect mine? He gave me a rueful smile and we parted on friendly terms.

That is what your average state comprehensive does in England too. Tries to incorporate the learning about, and to some degree the observance of, all faiths, and also of none......by using alternative terms etc for spiritual reflection and moral sensitivity.

If parents take as much notice as parents here take of the considerate parking I dread to think what state of undress they could turn up in.

I've certainly seen quite assertive proseltysing by young Muslim students on the campus of Manchester university, for one. ( Before October 7th - about five/six years ago)

This school have similar rules for male adults on site. School or place of worship, rules stemming from the faith should be respected.

I won’t go (unless I absolutely have to) to Jewish places (synagogues, schools, whatever) which insist that I dress a certain way. I mean to be fair, entering any place of worship I would always throw on a big scarf or something to cover my shoulders if I was in a vest top, but men wouldn’t go in a vest either (I’m thinking of a place we went to visit in Crete that was Greek Orthodox) - I think this is normal no? But if I was told by a school that I wasn’t dressed appropriately then I’d tell them that I can dress any way I wish and they can choose not to look.
There’s a “chabad” synagogue near me and they are happy to welcome you even in shorts and vest, and it’s not a liberal/reform shul, it’s just a chabad thing to be inclusive which I love.

Hmm....you mean like approaching people to show the way of Allah...OK I guess, as long as they take no for an answer?

Hang on, when you mention October 7..do you mean they were referencing Palestine?

Why? I’m not bound by other people’s religious rules.

But taxpayers are now supporting their promulgation. Which is part of the issue.

The other is that the state has a duty of care to children and arguably should protect them from sexist treatment.

How do you square saying it’s okay for them to have policies that are detrimental to women and girls if you aren’t saying the equality act should not apply to them?

I'm not discussing the equality act, just one school and it's uniform policy.

The Equality Act exists, though. And the school is subject to it. You saying you aren’t discussing so you don’t have to square your opinion on what the school should be able to do with the legal requirements the act place on it is saying you don’t think it should apply.

Though there are lots of specific criteria in relation to schools under the Equality Act. For a start, age and marriage/civil partnership are not protected characteristics in the treatment of pupils, schools do not need to make reasonable adjustments to their school buildings for disability, and there are specific exceptions for single sex schools. Plus:

Section 85(2)(a) to (d), so far as relating to religion or belief, does not apply in relation to anything done in connection with acts of worship or other religious observance organised by or on behalf of a school (whether or not forming part of the curriculum).

Also, as the school is a religious organisation:

6)Sub-paragraphs (3) to (5) permit a restriction relating to religion or belief only if it is imposed—
(a)because of the purpose of the organisation, or
(b)to avoid causing offence, on grounds of the religion or belief to which the organisation relates, to persons of that religion or belief.

There are all sorts of exceptions in the equality Act, and you can list them out if you want. But when you can't even attempt to show how they apply to the discrimination being discussed, it's just pointless noise.

The Court of Appeal was pretty clear that mixed sex religious schools were not exempt from treating girls equally, or even allowed to try and impose separate but equal provision for religious purposes, in the Al-Hijrah case.

1. ,you can get a taxi which is what most do. There isn't transport.

2. youre allowed to break the rules of shabbos for things related to health

3. one's religious beliefs shouldn't dictate the care of other people.

There is no reason the religious beliefs of one person should be put before someone's else's desire to also be home with their new baby. We don't do that for any other religion..we don't ask the Christian women if they need to get to church on a Sunday and discharge them first.

No thats not at the detriment of other women. If I respect the pronouns of a pregnant trans man, that doesnt mean you stay in for longer while I am doing that. See how it is totally different? In one scenario, the care of one person negatively affects the other. In the other scenario, me using "he" for the person in labour has no bearing on your care at all.

What they tick on forms is publicly available statistics. Nice reach though.

Why should we respect Muslim rules in Britain?

They should respect our rules.