Oldknow teacher skips ‘Trojan Horse’ disciplinary hearing and may now be living in Qatar

Asif Khan was due before a National College for Leadership & Training panel in Bournville

A teacher from a school linked to the so-called Trojan Horse scandal has failed to appear at a disciplinary panel - and may now be living in Qatar.

Former Oldknow Academy employee Asif Khan was due before a National College for Leadership & Training (NCTL) panel in Bournville to face professional misconduct allegations, but did not show up.

Christopher Gillespie, legal representative for the NCTL, said Mr Khan had also ignored correspondence regarding the disciplinary proceedings, including letters to his home and emails.

He said it is believed Mr Khan may be abroad, possibly in Qatar, and he had “deliberately chosen to absent himself from the proceedings”.

Former Oldknow acting headteacher Jahangir Akbar has also been called to face allegations at the hearing.

The panel were told both respondents are accused of agreeing to an undue amount of religious influence on the education of pupils at Oldknow.

No other teachers from the Small Heath school are to face disciplinary action in connection to the Trojan Horse scandal, the hearing was told.

The panel agreed the matters against Mr Khan should continue, despite his absence. The hearing is listed to run until November 18.

Mr Akbar was previously acting headteacher of the former Oldknow Academy, one of five Birmingham schools placed in special measures by Ofsted in April last year following an alleged plot by hardline Sunni Muslims to take over governing bodies, oust teachers and Islamise the curriculum.

Mr Akbar was suspended after the Trojan Horse plot allegations emerged. Previously the school’s deputy head, in January 2014 he became acting head after its successful secular principal Bhupinder Kondal claimed she was driven out by a group trying to impose a strict Muslim ethos at the school.

It has previously been reported that in December 2013 Mr Khan, Oldknow Academy’s former Arabic teacher, led pupils in anti-Christian chanting during an assembly.

In September, the highly respected ARK chain of academies took over Oldknow - renaming it Ark Chamberlain.

Wendy Baxter, the school’s new principal, last month pledged to pull it out of special measures by the end of this academic year.

In July, Oftsed published its latest inspection report on Oldknow - once again labelling the school “inadequate”.

There are currently 12 teachers from the five ‘Trojan Horse’ schools facing disciplinary action and possible life-time bans from the classroom.

They include Lindsey Clark, former executive headteacher at Park View Educational Trust, which ran Park View Academy, Golden Hillock School and Nansen Primary.

The Trust has since been renamed CORE Education Trust, while Park View in Alum Rock has been changed to Rockwood Academy. The Trust no longer runs Golden Hillock in Sparkhill, which has also been taken over by ARK and is now called Ark Boulton Academy.

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