The National Secular Society has expressed alarm that a London faith school which bans women from wearing trousers and penalises families who attend non-kosher restaurants will now be funded by the state.

Nancy Reuben Primary School re-opened as a voluntary aided (VA) state school this month, after operating as an independent school for 26 years. Its decision to join the state sector follows the Government’s move to charge VAT on independent school fees. Nancy Reuben previously charged parents £1,879.20 per term.

As a VA school, Nancy Reuben can select all pupils based on their parents’ religiosity when oversubscribed.

The school’s conversion to a VA school was supported by Barnet Council.

The school says it takes “great pride in the diversity of our pupils’ Ashkenazi and Sefardi backgrounds”.

The NSS has called the school’s conversion a “a regressive move”.

Women may not wear trousers, mini skirts, shorts, low necklines or sleeveless tops

The school’s dress code for parents and visitors says men “must have their head covered at all times” and women “must wear skirts of knee length (a maximum of 2″ above is acceptable)”. It says trousers “may not be worn” by women.

Additionally, women must cover their underarms and may not wear cap sleeves. Women may not wear clothes with necklines lower than “4 fingers from the collar bone” either “in front or back of the garment”.

Trousers are permitted for aupairs and nannies but they may not wear mini skirts, shorts, plunging necklines or sleeveless tops.

The dress code also states fathers are expected to attend shabbat services at a synagogue and regular “Shiurim” (Torah study).

The school’s uniform policy says boys must wear tzitzit (prayer tassels) and a school kippa (skull cap), and their hairstyles must be “appropriate for the School ethos”.

Parents asked if they purify utensils acquired from non-Jews

Nancy Reuben gives priority to children from parents who can answer “yes” to questions in a supplementary information form submitted when they apply.

The form asks parents to confirm they “eat only food which is Kosher as defined in accordance with Orthodox Jewish law” and “eat only in restaurants that are supervised by an Orthodox Jewish Kashrut authority”.

Parents must also observe the shabbat (which usually means refraining from work), attend prayer services three times a week, and devote at least four hours a month to studying Jewish scripture or doing voluntary work within the Jewish community.

The form also asks parents if they perform “Tevilat Keilim” as “required by Jewish Law”. Tevilat Keilim is the practice of ‘purifying’ certain types of culinary utensils in a ritual bath if they were acquired from a non-Jew.

The form says: “It is expected that families are consistently observant of the Shulchan Aruch including in relation to ritual, honesty and integrity in inter-personal and financial matters.”

The form must be signed by a rabbi to confirm its accuracy.

In 2023 NSS research revealed how schools which place rules on how families spend their private lives, including what and where they eat, may be subjecting those families to coercive control.

The previous Government told the NSS it will consider these findings as part of its next review of school admissions.

NSS: School “highly unsuitable” for state sector

NSS head of campaigns Megan Manson said: “Schools funded by the state should aim to serve the whole community.

“This school, which enforces a sexist religious dress code and expects parents to obey religious diets and purify utensils acquired from non-Jews, clearly doesn’t do that.

“It is a highly unsuitable school for the state sector and should never have been granted voluntary aided status.

“If the aim of charging VAT to independent school fees was to increase public funds, it’s difficult to see how requiring taxpayers to pay for a new school which excludes their children will do that.

“Opening new state-funded faith schools is a regressive move at a time when we need to be bringing our diverse communities together. Faith schools simply add to division and segregation between families of different religions and beliefs.”