Governors of Derby’s controversial Muslim free school have come in for criticism after failing to attend a community meeting to which they were invited.
The Derby Community Education forum, which was set up in response to concerns over Al-Madinah, had asked them to go along to answer their questions.
But members of the forum, which is mostly made up of pupils’ parents, said they had received no response from anyone at the school.
The forum’s spokesperson, Zafer Iqbal, said: “Parents and the community are shocked, angry and annoyed.
“We feel our community has been brought into disrepute.
“It is typical of the school governors not to come to this meeting. Despite formally inviting them in writing and in person as well as sending them reminders they weren’t there.
“If the school had nothing to hide, they would have been there. The fact they are not speaks for itself.”
He said concerns over the school were raised by parents about a year ago.
Mr Iqbal said: “There’s no consensus over the leadership of the school. They’ve failed the taxpayer. The future’s not looking bright.
“There’s limited mileage left for the current leadership.”
Qaiser Iqbal, a solicitor who was at the meeting, said he had been approached by parents who wanted to take action against the school.
He said: “The general feeling is there’s been a lack of consultation and also misrepresentation about what the organisation (Al-Madinah) was going to do.”
The meeting came after Muslim groups in Derby called for the resignation of all trustees and governors at the school last week.
The chairman of the trustees, Shazia Parveen, announced she was stepping down last week for the “best interests” of the children.
She said she would go “as soon as the transition is over”, which could mean after November 1.
This is the date by which the trustees are required to come up with a plan to prove they are fit to run the school and how they will ensure it improves – otherwise funding will be withdrawn.
The school, which has sites in Friar Gate and Nelson Street, with 416 pupils aged four to 16, was told by Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) inspectors it was “dysfunctional”, “in chaos” and “inadequate” and was placed in special measures.
Chairman of the forum Shaid Nazir alleged that, at school meetings with parents, questions had been “submitted in advance and selectively answered”.
He said: “We have seen a flood of media reports and a Government investigation full of serious findings.
“The media have been stonewalled with selective appearances and everyone wants their questions answered.”
Three governors from Al-Madinah were contacted for their response yesterday but none were available for comment.