The leader of a private Islamic faith school in England that segregated staff and students by sex and prevented girls from studying specific subjects was banned from managing other schools after his institution failed Ofsted inspections for seven years.

Zafar Iqbal Khan, the former head of the Rabia Girls' and Boys' School in Luton in Bedfordshire, has been prohibited from managing independent schools, academies, and free schools, according to a notice published by the UK’s Department for Education on April 14th. Khan is also barred from serving as governor at maintained schools.

According to the notice, Khan “failed in his role to ensure that an independent school was managed in compliance with the Independent School Standards,“ which makes him “unsuitable to take part in the management of an independent school.“

Rabia Girls' and Boys' School was an Islamic independent school in Portland Road, Bury Park, that opened in 2011 but was forced to shut down in 2021 after the institution consistently failed Ofsted inspections for seven years.

It was also rated inadequate multiple times before it was shut down, first in 2014, then twice in 2015, twice more in 2016, and twice again in 2017, more than any other private school in the UK at the time.

The school was referred to the British government’s Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in 2016 for segregation of staff by sex. Male and female staff were separated during the whole-school staff training, with men in one room and female staff forced to sit in a separate room during staff training, with sessions broadcast to them online.

“Gender segregation of school staff is totally unacceptable in modern Britain.“ Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said at the time. “All schools have a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to prevent discrimination against their staff and students.“

During inspections, Ofsted also failed the school on several grounds, such as giving inadequate careers advice, lesson planning, and provision for students with special needs. Ex-Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw accused Rabia of “actively undermining“ British values in 2016.

Wilshaw also wrote to then-Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, raising concerns about the segregation of male and female staff at Rabia and other independent faith schools.

In 2017, it was also found that Rabia only allowed girls to knit and sew in design and technology lessons. The Department for Education eventually banned the school from taking in more students, but it was later prosecuted after inspectors found it was still allowing new children to join.

The school also allegedly hosted radical clerics and terrorist sympathizers, including a scholar who had previously addressed fighters of the proscribed terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistan.

Rabia rejected Ofsted’s claims and even accused the agency of having an “agenda against faith schools.“

While information from Ofsted said the school was closed in 2021, its website remains active, offering tuition services and support for parents to home educate. A statement from its website said children in the local community have the right to gain “key skills to succeed whilst embracing our Islamic faith and culture.“

The National Secular Society, which campaigns for the separation of religion and state in the UK, welcomed the decision.

"We welcome the DfE's decision to bar Zafar Iqbal Khan from managing schools.” Megan Manson, the organization’s head of campaigns, said, “It is unacceptable for a school leader to prioritise religious dogma over the education and welfare of children.“