Investigation into claims that Yorkshire private school teaches extreme form of Islam

The Islamic Tarbiyah Academy in Dewsbury teaches 140 primary school children in an after-school madrasa and runs full-time classes for over-16s and adults.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “These serious allegations are under investigation.

“While it would be inappropriate to comment on the specific investigations of these institutions, we are clear that extremism has no place in our society and we are determined to protect children from it.

“Where evidence of extremist practice is found we will take swift and direct action, working in conjunction with the police. To improve our ability to tackle extremism at its root, we are taking steps to strengthen the regulation of out-of-school settings to ensure that children are properly protected.

“We also run a counter-extremism helpline which teachers, parents and other members of the public can use to raise concerns about young people at risk of radicalisation, or about institutions which may be putting young people at risk. These concerns are then immediately investigated. At the same time, it is vital that all schools provide young people with the high quality education they deserve and where schools are not doing this and are focusing on ideological indoctrination instead we do not hesitate to take regulatory action, which includes closing the schools”

Keith Vaz, who chairs the Home Affairs Select Committee, told Sky News he believed the centre’s teachings are dangerous. “After what we have seen in Paris and in Brussels and the way in which the Muslim community has come out so strongly in favour of peace and tolerance, I think these kinds of leaflets serve no purpose but to divide in a poisonous and totally reckless way,” he said.

MPs are investigating radicalisation and the Government said last year that it intends to regulate madrasas. No-one at the Islamic Tarbiyah Academy could not be reached for comment.