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 wouldn’t tick anything letting you know I was Jewish in a healthcare setting. Your disgust is palpable and terrifying.

"Faith schools' uniform policies must comply with the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination based on religion or belief, and other protected characteristics. While uniform policies generally apply equally, they must not indirectly discriminate against a religious group by placing them at a disadvantage, such as preventing the wearing of religious attire like a headscarf or modest dress. Schools must be able to justify any restrictions on dress as a proportionate means to achieve a legitimate aim, and they should consider allowing for reasonable adjustments to accommodate religious requirements."

What are “our rules”?

Ap you wouldn't tell your medical providers that you are of an ethnic background with some higher risks? More fool you.

No, I'm saying I encountered this before the events of October 7th and therefore before the more recent emphasis on Gaza/Islam/muslims and so on. It had nothing to do with Gaza, it was more about a muslim kind of evangelism. It did have a very activist feel, though...most likely because of their youth.

Anyway as the statistics clearly show, the majority of Jewish people perceive themselves as white and identify that way even when they have the option of describing their ethnicity as something other than white. This isn't a revelation of any kind. These statistics are easily found in public data. You may not agree with how other people identify but that is how they feel about themselves.

For someone who claims they are a professional you are posting in a very unprofessional way about your supposed client groups.

I imagine the established 'laws of the land' rather than sharia law?

Yes, it comes across as obsessive and vindictive.

By saying that they statistically identify as white ? Okay.

Vindictive because I don't believe someone's religious beliefs should influence the care of other service users? Okay.

Maybe it varies but my Orthodox friend wouldn't use transport on Shabbos even if the driver wasn't Jewish. I was told this even included getting someone unable to walk to Synagogue. Maybe that is at the extreme end of things, I have another Jewish friend who describes herself as a secular Jew so she isn't religious at all but follows some traditions, so a bit like people who aren't pracitcing Christian celebrating Christmas and Easter. She'd have no problem with driving or using a taxi on Shabbos.

I would hope the rule was breakable if someone needed to get to hospital if they are unwell, I'm not sure if getting home when you are well would always be considered health related.

I would imagine a busy hospital would want to make sure they could discharge people who no longer needed to be there.

Sharia Law needs to be purged from this country, for the safety of women and girls we need to fight back on every front.

Vindictive because you are purposely conflating your experiences with a very extreme religious sect with the entire Jewish community, on a thread about dress codes at a modern orthodox school which are nothing to do with the religious codes you have mentioned (tights for 3 year olds, brothers and sisters not touching). It has been pointed out to you more than once but you continue to refer to they and them as if you are talking about the same communities or about Jews in general. When a Jewish person has told you that attitudes like yours would make them withhold information about their ethnicity in a healthcare setting your response is to say “more fool you”. You are coming across as deeply unpleasant and anti semitic and if that makes you shrug or think anything about Jews in general it only confirms my suspicions.

You have also gone from saying bad behaviour from Jews (again not specifying the community) is tolerated because they are white, yet Jewish history shows that we have been persecuted for hundreds of years due to not being white enough.

No no, we work with an ultra orthodox community. They dont even push buggies on Shabbos. But it is clear that where health is an issue, you can break the rules of Shabbos. However, you dont usually need to do that by driving yourself due to firm links with local taxi companies. We have some numbers behind the desk in the wards in case people don't have them.

Getting home with your new baby would be counted as a health issue if there was seriously no other way you could take them home without driving. Most would liase with their rabbi first but as I said, it isnt necessary due to links with taxi firms and it is accepted this is how you leave the hospital on Shabbos. Staying longer than you need to is actually also wrong because you can be at more risk of infection etc by staying longer than you need to. So to balance the sanctity of life vs not performing labour on Shabbos, a taxi is seen as the most reasonable compromise.

We work very, very closely with hasidic communities to meet their needs.

So when there is a thread about Muslims and people bring up the extremes of Sharia, is that also totally unreasonable? This is an orthodox school that not only has extreme rules for children, it attempts to control how visitors are dressed on site. That is pretty full on.

Tell me about the extent of Sharia law in this country.

@AMillionTomorrowsagreed and continuing to. Then backtracking when they think they have gone too far.

It’s thinly veiled unsemitism.

Trust me it’s really really not full on. What this school is asking parents to do is not wear v short skirts and to not wear sleeveless low cut tops. For the chukdren they want the girls in skirts. You can see for yourself on their website that the girls are wearing ankle socks and normal length skirts. Equally it’s a co-ed school. It bears not even the slightest resemblance to the ultra orthodox community you’re obviously familiar with.

It’s perfectly possible to disagree with the ethos of the school and to think that it’s silly but this is a mainstream primary school. The ultra orthodox wouldn’t even consider it Jewish much less send their kids there

Yes telling visitors what to wear is full on. There is no 2 ways about it. Instructing visitors to dress in accordance with your religious beliefs is full on.

I most certainly have not backtracked on anything. I do think it is wrong that hospitals often prioritise Jewish patients for discharge around Shabbos to the detriment of other patients. We do not do this for any other religious beliefs. Most Jewish people do identify as white, even when they could choose something other than white. That is proven by statistics.

Antisemitism isn't just calling out problems that occur in communities or every mention of grooming gangs would be islamophobia. We can see by the numerous threads on Muslims that is not seen that way on this site, so why would talking about what happens in Jewish communities, backed up by facts, qualify as such?

I really, really don't think you should be working very, very closely with any Jewish community or, in fact, at all.

Yet I'm often requested as the midwife by both women and their birth supporters from the community. Who do you think I'll listen to? Them? Or some person on Mumsnet who can't be objective and refuses to listen to research?

Exactly.

Antisemitism my arse.

She's right though, large parts of the Equality Act don't apply to schools. There are multiple exceptions listed in Chapter 6 and Schedule 11.

You've been going on about jews being 'white' and therefore getting preferential treatment to 'brown' people ( in your view).