Birbalsingh tells Braverman to ‘take a hike’ for using her school as a ‘political football’

Katharine Birbalsingh has taken a swipe at former Home Secretary Suella Braverman and accused her of using her school as a “political football”.

The headteacher of Michaela Community School in Brent, north-west London, who is dubbed Britain’s strictest, has hit out at Ms Braverman in the wake of the row over her school’s prayer ban.

She won a legal challenge brought by the pupil, who claimed the prayer restrictions at Michaela Community School in Brent, north-west London, were discriminatory.

Ms Birbalsingh described the outcome as a “victory for all schools” after a judge rejected a Muslim’s pupil claim the policy interfered with her rights to religious freedom.

She co-founded the non-faith secondary state school with former home secretary Suella Braverman.

‘Everyone seems to have an agenda’

Ms Braverman praised Ms Birbalsingh on Thursday and claimed Michaela, which she described as “one of the best schools in the country”, would “not have existed without the Conservatives’ Free School policy”.

But on X, formerly Twitter, Ms Birbalsingh said: “I really am not happy with Suella Braverman using our school as a political football to enhance her political career.

“It is as unacceptable as the BBC doing their best to smear us.

“Everyone seems to have an agenda.

“Both Braverman and the BBC can take a hike.”

Ms Birbalsingh took the step of banning prayer rituals on the premises in March of last year after up to 30 students began praying in the school’s yard, using blazers to kneel on.

The former government social mobility tsar said her decision was based on forging an environment “where children of all races and religions can thrive”.

Regulator Ofsted has rated the school as outstanding and it has a series of strict rules on students, including a ban on conversations in corridors along with groups of more than four anywhere on site.

Around 700 pupils attend the school and half of whom are Muslim.

The Telegraph has approached Ms Braverman’s spokesman for comment.

The BBC and Ms Braverman did not wish to respond.