Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School

Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School and Sixth Form College is a secondary school for girls in Beardwood, Blackburn, a community in Blackburn with Darwen, Lancashire, England. It was founded by the charitable trust Tauheedul Islam Faith, Education and Community Trust, and serves as TIFECT's flagship school. As of September 2013 the school had 800 students. HistoryThe school opened as an independent school in September 1984 with six teachers and 96 students. The school stated that its first building was "very old" at the time. In 2005, the school became the first Muslim state school in the North West. It had previously been an independent school. The school has been a success in school league tables, with 82% of pupils gaining five or more GCSEs at grade C or above in 2007, compared to the national average of 46. 7% . In September 2013 the school moved to a new campus in the Beardwood area. In December 2014 the school converted to academy status. Student dress and personal behaviourAs of September 2013 10% of the school's sixth form students wear niqabs. According to the Daily Mail, September 2013 the school instituted a rule stating that students had to wear hijabs outside of the school setting, not possess stationery with "unislamic images" such as those of pop stars, and to recite the Qur'an at least once per week. In the same month, Sunday Times published a headline stating that girls were forced to wear hijabs outside of school. In response, Mufti Hamid Patel, the principal, said that "It is totally incorrect to say that pupils are 'forced' to wear hijab outside of school. "

Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School and Sixth Form College is a secondary school for girls in Beardwood, Blackburn, a community in Blackburn with Darwen, Lancashire, England. It was founded by the charitable trust Tauheedul Islam Faith, Education and Community Trust, and serves as TIFECT's flagship school. As of September 2013 the school had 800 students. HistoryThe school opened as an independent school in September 1984 with six teachers and 96 students. The school stated that its first building was "very old" at the time. In 2005, the school became the first Muslim state school in the North West. It had previously been an independent school. The school has been a success in school league tables, with 82% of pupils gaining five or more GCSEs at grade C or above in 2007, compared to the national average of 46. 7% . In September 2013 the school moved to a new campus in the Beardwood area. In December 2014 the school converted to academy status. Student dress and personal behaviourAs of September 2013 10% of the school's sixth form students wear niqabs. According to the Daily Mail, September 2013 the school instituted a rule stating that students had to wear hijabs outside of the school setting, not possess stationery with "unislamic images" such as those of pop stars, and to recite the Qur'an at least once per week. In the same month, Sunday Times published a headline stating that girls were forced to wear hijabs outside of school. In response, Mufti Hamid Patel, the principal, said that "It is totally incorrect to say that pupils are 'forced' to wear hijab outside of school. "