The head teacher of the Church of England school in east London at the centre of a fresh controversy over alleged Islamic extremism, has expressed surprise at the Ofsted inspection findings that sent his school into special measures.

The Sir John Cass Foundation and Red Coat Church of England secondary, and a group of independent Muslim faith schools in Tower Hamlets, will be criticised by Ofsted over safeguarding concerns, following snap visits by the schools inspectorate in the wake of the “Trojan horse” affair in Birmingham.

The only maintained school involved, Sir John Cass, in Stepney, is to be downgraded from outstanding to Ofsted’s lowest rating of inadequate, primarily over Facebook activity by sixth formers linked to extremist material, and existing segregation between boys and girls in school areas.

Haydn Evans, the school’s headteacher since 1995, said: “We are surprised by the outcome of the Ofsted inspection, as we have always taken safeguarding very seriously. The teaching and results of this school remain good, which they have been since 1999, and my priority now is to address the issues that have been identified and work closely with the local authority and the diocese to return the school as quickly as possible to an outstanding school.”

The school’s trustee, the Sir John Cass Foundation, said it was greatly concerned by the inspection result. “We remain committed to addressing the leadership, management and safeguarding issues raised in the report and will in future weeks be assessing necessary action to return the school to an outstanding rating,” said Tony Mullee, its chief executive.

Kenny Frederick, a former headteacher at George Green’s secondary school, in Tower Hamlets, who retired last year, said Ofsted’s intervention at Sir John Cass appeared politically motivated and was at risk of doing more harm than good.

She said: “It’s a witch-hunt. It’s absolutely appalling. It’s a good school with a good track record. Parents, kids and staff will be up in arms. It’s not a hotbed of radicalism. The governors don’t want to take over the school.

“To put a school in special measures … what that does to a school and the community will only be negative. People will feel resentful. All we are going to do is alienate. If I was one of the kids, it would not be doing anything for my British values.”

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Herefordshire Council has rejected plans for an Islamic Centre in South Hereford.

The application was made by the Hereford Islamic Society earlier this year, its refusal was confirmed by the council this morning.

The decision did not go to the planning committee but was delegated to an officer.

Area councillor Chris Chappell said he accepted the concerns raised in relation to traffic and parking posed by the conversion of a ground floor shop in Holme Lacy Road. “But there were things said in the objections to this application that were inappropriate,” he said.

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A row has broken out over a school’s decision to serve a pork-free menu.

St Jude’s Church of England Primary School in Old Portsmouth is one of a number of schools in the city to use the menu.

The school also offers a halal menu to cater for children of different faiths. Eating pork is prohibited under both the Muslim and Jewish faiths.

But grandparent Graham Moxon disagrees with the idea. The 61-year-old, from Queen Street in Portsmouth, said: “I’m not racist – I have a Muslim son-in-law and a black son-in-law.

“But I get so angry at the fact that this country seems to be learning to keep the minority happy rather than the majority. By all means provide halal meat for the minority that request it but bring back good old pork bangers for the other kids.”

Mr Moxon tried to start an e-petition but the government wouldn’t accept it because they didn’t accept the instructions on what he wants to be done.

His grandchildren Jack Pople, five, Morgan Pople, nine and Kiana Moxon, 11, all attend the school. All the parents support Mr Moxon’s views.

Mr Moxon added: ‘I just want to see a decent menu for the kids. They should have good old-fashioned British food – the food that we were raised with by our mothers.

“They are tip-toeing around, trying not to upset anybody. The majority of those kids that go to that school have got to be Church of England children.

“By all means have halal meat if children require it. For the others at least give them the option of a pork sausage.”

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