Ruling over prayers ban 'victory for all schools'

A RULING dismissing a Muslim student's High Court challenge against a ban on prayer rituals at her school is a "victory" for all others, its head teacher has said.

Michaela Community School in Brent, north London, faced legal action from the pupil, who claimed its policy was discriminatory and unlawfully breached her right to religious freedom.

In a judgment yesterday, a judge concluded the ban did not interfere with the student's rights and was "proportionate" amid the school's aim to promote an ethos of inclusivity and social cohesion.

Katherine Birbalsingh, the high-achieving school's founder and head teacher, said: "A school should be free to do what is right for the pupils it serves.