Madani Girls' School

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Madani Girls School
Madani Girls School.jpg
Address
Madani Girls' School
Myrdle Street
Whitechapel

London
,
E1 1HL

England
Coordinates 51°30′56″N0°03′46″W / 51.515575°N 0.062898°W / 51.515575; -0.062898
Information
Type Private day school
Religious affiliation(s) Sunni Islam
Established1991
Local authority London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Department for Education URN 100982 Tables
Ofsted Reports
PrincipalMft. M. Saifur Rahman
GenderFemale
Age11to 18
Enrolment264 (2025)
Capacity360
Colour(s)Green, black and white
Website http://www.madani.org.uk

Madani Girls School is a private Islamic secondary school in Whitechapel, London, and is located the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Contents

It also operates a college and alimah programme. The school opened in September 1991. [1]

Building History

The main (southern) school building was originally occupied by Myrdle Street Central School. It was designed in 1905 by Thomas Jerram Bailey, [2] the Architect of the Education Department of the London County Council. [3] Myrdle Street was one of the first of the LCC's "central schools" that offered higher than elementary education. The building is described in the Pevsner Architectural Guide for London East as a "unique, outstanding design" featuring two semicircular staircase towers with copper domes. [2] It became a Grade II Listed building in 1973. [4]

Notable former pupils of the Myrdle Street Central School include Hannah Billig, a British-Jewish doctor who worked in the East End during the London Blitz when she became known as "The Angel of Cable Street". [5] Also Morris Harold Davis, the President of the Federation of Synagogues (1928–1944) and Labour Party politician. [6]

After World War II, it became a special school and changed its name to Grenfell Special School, [7] which closed on 31 July 1999. [8] In 1977, the school began to be used as a social centre for the local Bangladeshi community, including evening language classes. [9]

School History

Madani Girls' School was founded in 1991. [10]

In 2001, Madani Girls' School leased the northern building at the school's current location from the council to use as an independent school. In 2008, they purchased the building from Tower Hamlets council.

In 2013, the school attracted media criticism for its uniform policy. [11] From the school's opening in 1991 until 2012, students were required to wear a niqab on the journey to and from school. [12] By 2013, Pupils were required to wear a black burqa and long black coat outside the school and a green shalwar kameez on school premises. [11] By 2016, face veils had become optional. [13]

In 2020, construction for a two storey annex building with a playground started. Construction is intended to be completed in December 2021. The building is called the Madani Hub.

References

  1. ↑ "Establishment: Madani Secondary Girls' School". Department of Education, UK. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  2. 1 2 Cherry, Bridget, O'Brien, Charles and Pevsner, Nicholas (2005) Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England, London: East Vol 5 Yale University Press, ISBN   978-0300107012 (p. 439)
  3. ↑ Walder, Tim (2011). "Architects – Thomas Jerram Bailey". victorianschoolslondon.org.uk. Victorian Schools in London. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  4. ↑ "Grenfell School (Southern Building), Tower Hamlets". /www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "Local legends – Dr Hannah Billig". eastendtalking.org.uk. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  6. ↑ Alderman, Geoffrey (1990) M. H. Davis: the rise and fall of a communal upstart Archived 14 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine , Jewish Historical Studies 31 (p. 250)
  7. ↑ "Stepney: Grenfell Special School formerly Myrdle Street Special School (ESN)". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  8. ↑ "Schools in England and Wales " London " Tower Hamlets " Grenfell Special School". schooletc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  9. ↑ "The Oral History Project Interviews – Mrs. Husna Matin". swadhinata.org.uk. The Swadhinata Trust. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  10. ↑ "Madani Secondary Girls' School - GOV.UK". www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  11. 1 2 "London schools forcing pupils to wear burkas, with 'appropriate". The Standard. 19 September 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  12. ↑ Iqbal, Nosheen (10 April 2012). "Beyond the veil: London's burka wearers go on the defensive". The Standard. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  13. ↑ Weale, Sally; correspondent, Sally Weale Education (19 January 2016). "'The numbers are small': Muslim groups play down issue of veils in schools". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 13 February 2025.{{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
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