Head teacher is struck off after string of failings

ATEACHER who ran an unregistered school that was criticised by inspectors over child safety and the quality of its education has been banned from the classroom.

Naveed Hussain, the owner of Bordesley Independent School, was handed a prohibition order preventing him from working as a teacher.

A professional conduct panel heard that during one inspection of the Birmingham school, leaflets were found titled “Islam and terrorism?”, written by an individual that “had been found to have been denied access to the UK due to his extremist views”.

During three visits to the school, no evidence was found that Disclosure and Barring Service checks had been carried out, with Mr Hussain’s explanation that classroom doors were left open to “mitigate any risk” found by the conduct panel to be “manifestly inappropriate”.

Inspections also found the curriculum was too narrow, and that the RE syllabus only dealt with Islam “to the exclusion of any other religions”.

It also noted an inspection in November 2015 found that the school premises were inadequate, and there was no running water in the toilet area. The panel heard Mr Hussain, 39, had qualified as a teacher in 2006 and set up the business that ran Bordesley Independent School around September 2014.

There was evidence that Mr Hussain was the sole director of the company running the Birmingham school from October 8 2014 to September 28 2015, and from October 20 2015 to February 2 2016.

The panel concluded Mr Hussain’s conduct “fell significantly short of the standards expected of the profession”.

It said: “The panel noted that the issues that arose did so, not because of Mr Hussain’s actions as a teacher in the classroom, but in trying to be a businessman and losing perspective that his primary concern should have been to the pupils.

“In evidence, Mr Hussain did show some remorse and insight into his failings as well as appreciating that some of the concerns raised by Ofsted were not dealt with appropriately and that he would act differently in the future.

“Nevertheless, whilst no issues were put forward regarding Mr Hussain’s teaching abilities, he has been found to run a school at which obvious safeguarding concerns were present and he failed to rectify matters in a sufficient and timely manner.”

Mr Hussain can apply for the ban to be lifted in two years’ time.