Barnet Hill Academy to receive state funding despite hijab policy

Barnet Hill Academy, an independent Islamic faith school in north London, is set to become a state-funded voluntary-aided (VA) primary school starting this September. The transition follows approval from the local council last month.

The school’s uniform policy requires girls in Year 3 and above to wear compulsory hijabs. The National Secular Society (NSS) has formally challenged the decision, with Chief Executive Stephen Evans stating that taxpayers should not fund a school that imposes religious dress on children as young as seven. The NSS argued that state-funded institutions should foster unity rather than division based on faith or ethnicity.

Barnet Council, led by the Labour Party, defended the decision, stating that the school’s uniform policy is “legally compliant” and expressing pride in the “diverse nature” of the local school landscape. While some campaigners view the requirement as repressive, Islamic groups maintain the hijab serves as a marker of faith, identity, and privacy.