Newham Council are threatening to close a primary school in Forest Gate after just four months in a bitter dispute over planning permission.
Council officials have issued an enforcement notice against Alif Academy, an independent Islamic primary school that opened in September, claiming they do not have planning permission to operate as a school.
Headteacher Hasib Hikmat [pictured] said their planning application was blocked by the council’s enforcement notice which has forced them into an appeals process after they spent £50,000 refurbishing the building. But the council and the headmaster both confirmed that the school, at 313-319 Katherine Road, is registered with the Department for Education (DfE) and gained approval from Ofsted.