DAR AL HARB - U.K.: A RAIDED ISLAMIC SCHOOL HAS BEEN SHUT DOWN

Raided Islamic school is shut down

An independent Islamic school raided by police as part of an anti-terror operation last year has been closed by the government, ministers announced today.

But the Jameah Islamiyah school in Mark Cross, near Crowborough, east Sussex, was shut down for educational - not security - reasons, said the Department for Education and Skills.

Jim Knight, the schools minister, said it was now illegal for the school to continue to operate after it failed to follow an improvement action plan in the wake of a critical Ofsted inspection.

"It is important that parents and the wider public are assured that all schools - whether in the maintained or independent sector - provide their pupils with a suitable education, and that we will take strong action against those that are failing," said Mr Knight.

Following the arrest of 14 men in September for alleged glorification of acts of terrorism, security forces revealed they had been monitoring outdoor training in the Lake District and suspected they were using the vast grounds of the Jameah Islamiyah school for radicalisation and training activities.

The independent school has 54 acres of land and, according to its last Ofsted report, only nine pupils. It advertises in mosques around the country, saying its grounds can be hired for camping trips offering a refuge from city life for young Muslims. It is a registered charity and charges up to £900 a week for groups.

Run on donations from Muslims around the country, the Jameah Islamiyah school provides education for a fee of £1,000 a year. Ofsted inspectors reported that it failed to provide a satisfactory education for its pupils and had significant weaknesses. "Provision for welfare, health and safety" was "unsatisfactory" and it failed to provide a "safe environment" for students.

The DfES said the school had been deleted from the Register of Independent Schools and faces prosecution if it continues to operate.

Ofsted conducted a series of inspections at the school after concerns were raised. The school was then required to follow an action plan to address failings.

The department said the school had failed to meet the action plan and was also struggling through lack of pupils - a situation which was thought likely to continue.

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