Michaela Community School has defended banning prayer rituals, saying it helped quell rising tensions which led to a 鈥渂omb hoax鈥 and pupils and staff being 鈥渋ntimidated鈥 amid an “unprecedented outbreak of poor behaviour”. A two-day judicial review hearing against the free school in Brent, west London, has been brought by one of its Muslim pupils, who cannot be named for legal reasons. Her lawyers argue the ban breached equality laws and the pupil鈥檚 freedom of religion, claiming it disproportionately impacts Muslim students. However, the school, often dubbed 鈥淏ritain鈥檚 strictest”, contends the claim should be dismissed and argues the ban was needed to restore 鈥渃alm and order鈥 and promote cohesion. Headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh, the former government social mobility commissioner, implemented a temporary ban in March last year. It was made permanent with the backing of the school鈥檚 governing body the following month, the High Court heard. It came after the school received threats, including a 鈥渂omb hoax鈥, in March last year after pupils were spotting praying in the playground, sparking an outcry. The court heard that Birbalsingh said staff “were fearing for their lives”. In a statement, she added this included “violence, intimidation and appalling racial harassment of our teachers”. 鈥楿nacceptable segregation鈥 fears On Wednesday, Jason Coppel KC, representing the school, said the number of pupils 鈥減raying (in the playground) grew very quickly from three children up to 30 children within a few days鈥. He claimed staff grew concerned at alleged 鈥減eer pressure鈥 on some Muslim pupils, said to have been 鈥渋ntimidated into greater observance鈥 by their peers, and fears “unacceptable segregation or division” was occurring. Pupils started praying in the playground over a six-day period in March 2023 and used blazers to kneel on after they were 鈥減rohibited鈥 from using prayer mats, the court heard on Tuesday. Birbalsinghs full statement posted on X Coppel claimed the playground prayers聽led to an 鈥渦nprecedented outbreak of poor behaviour amongst the children鈥.聽 Detailing one such alleged incident, he said: 鈥淔irst of all prayer was permitted at this time. The teacher asked the pupils to put away their prayer mats because those had not been permitted. What would usually happen at this point is that they would comply.鈥 But he said the command 鈥渨as met with what the teacher describes as entitled behaviour because they felt they were praying鈥 they felt that prayer somehow overrode the regime at the school.鈥 鈥業ntegration central to Michaela success鈥 Prayer rituals were not previously prohibited at the school, although no prayer room was provided. The school building 鈥渉as limited space鈥 and 鈥渘arrow corridors鈥. Birbalsingh feared 鈥渁 large majority of Muslim pupils鈥 would want to pray inside if permitted,聽leading to lots of pupils 鈥渢railing around the school at lunch time鈥, Coppel added.聽 This would create “difficulties with supervision” because more teachers would be needed to staff the corridors at lunch time he said. 鈥淭he vast majority of them [pupils] are in the playground under constant supervision by teachers,鈥 he said. The lawyer said the school is in a 鈥渄eprived and highly diverse area鈥 and is committed to 鈥渕aximising social cohesion between the children鈥. Birbalsingh is intent on 鈥渁ggressively promoting integration between different faiths, cultures and ethnic backgrounds鈥 and regards this as 鈥渃entral to the success of the school鈥, he said. The school鈥檚 鈥榝amily lunch鈥 policy is one such way she 鈥減romotes integration between pupils鈥, alongside 鈥済uided socialisation and supervision in the school yard鈥, he explained. This includes 鈥減upils being given a particular topic that they are permitted to talk about, reciting poetry, standing up… and saying one or two things they鈥檙e particularly grateful for on that day, really unique practices”. Lunch break 鈥榥ot free time鈥 Coppel said it was 鈥渁n important part of the school鈥檚 case鈥 that lunch break is 鈥渘ot free time in the usual sense鈥 but is instead 鈥渁n integral part of the education regime鈥. Birbalsingh said 鈥渢eachers actively intervene in the socialising of the pupils to ensure that children are not left out and to encourage social integration鈥 between different cultural groups, he told the court. The headteacher said the 鈥渟chool鈥檚 community spirit is strengthened by guided socialisation and engagement between the children鈥 during the lunch break, he added. 鈥淔or the school this part of the day is just as important as time spent in lessons or during family lunch,鈥 Coppel said. 鈥淭he claimant says that she regards herself as on a break during that period鈥 that is not the school鈥檚 view. 鈥淭he schools opinion: this is not free time, whatever the claimant may say.鈥 Exclusions given to the pupil are also being challenged. In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday Birbalsingh said 鈥渨e are in court to defend the culture and ethos of Michaela”. She added: 鈥淲e have a large number of Muslim pupils. Their positive experiences have helped grow the number of Muslim pupils at the school by 50%. My own grandmother is Muslim. ‘We’re defending the Michaela ethos’ 鈥淏ut the governing body had to take the decision to stop prayer rituals when some pupils started them, against a backdrop of events including violence, intimidation and appealing racial harassment of our teachers鈥. Katharine Birbalsingh She said this decision 鈥渞estored calm and order to the school鈥 and that its 鈥渞estrictive building combined with our strict ethos that does not allow children wander around the school unsupervised鈥 means it 鈥渃annot have a prayer room鈥. 鈥淲e believe it is wrong to separate children according to religion or race, and that it is our duty to protect all of our children and provide them with an environment which is free from bullying, intimidation and harassment.鈥 She said 鈥渁ll religions make sacrifices so that we can maintain a safe secular community鈥. For example Jehovah鈥檚 Witness families have objected to Macbeth as a GCSE text and Hindu families have objected to dinner plates touching eggs. On Tuesday, Sarah Hannett KC, for the claimant, said the prayer ban 鈥渉as the particular affect of only preventing Muslims鈥 from praying because their prayers have a 鈥渞itualistic quality鈥 and at times required by their religion. She said 鈥渢he critical submission is no alternative, less intrusive means were considered鈥 instead of the ban, such as 鈥渁llowing prayer to be conducted subject to a strict behaviour policy鈥. Hannett questioned why the school carried out 鈥渘o investigation鈥 into claims pupils were 鈥渋ntimidated鈥 into greater religious observance, and said the way the girl was treated 鈥渇undamentally changed how she feels as a Muslim in this country鈥. Michaela regularly tops the national league tables for exam results. It has been dubbed the strictest school in the country, with silent corridors and other controversial policies such as ditching SEND labels and giving detentions for failing to have a pen. Former home secretary Suella Braverman was founding chair of the free school, which opened in 2014. The judicial review is scheduled to conclude on Wednesday afternoon, with the judge鈥檚 decision expected to be handed down at a later date.