'Trojan Horse' pupils had to 'stare at bushes as punishment'

Park View School was placed into special measures as a result of the 'Trojan Horse' allegations. It is now known as Rockwood Academy

Pupils at a school involved in the "Trojan Horse" affair were put in "stress positions" as punishments, a misconduct panel heard.

Monsoor "Moz" Hussain, former head teacher at Park View School, is alleged to have allowed this to happen.

He and four other senior Park View staff all deny unacceptable professional conduct.

The Birmingham school was investigated amid claims of a Muslim hardliners' plot to take over several schools.

It is claimed Mr Hussain allowed pupils to be subjected to unusual, and disproportionate punishments, including "being made to stand in the rain" and "being made to stare at bushes", the National College for Teaching and Leadership panel in Coventry heard.

Golden Hillock School was put into special measures by Ofsted in 2014. Inspectors say improvements to its teaching and leadership have since been made

Also accused are:

• Lindsey Clark, executive head teacher at Park View

• Hardeep Saini, former head teacher of sister school Golden Hillock

• Razwan Faraz, former deputy head teacher of Nansen Primary

• Arshad Hussain, an assistant head teacher at Park View

'Extreme pornography'

They all face a common allegation they agreed to the inclusion of "an undue amount of religious influence in the education of the pupils" at Park View, and, for some of the accused, the other sister schools.

Mr Saini is alleged to have advised a teacher, who was under a police caution for having "extreme pornography" on his mobile phone, to throw it in the canal.

He was also accused of not taking action when another teacher is said to have claimed that "We have the true religion."

Mr Faraz is alleged to have used the word "kuffars", in reference to non-Muslims "in a derogatory manner" and also to have told Park View pupils, in or around May 2013, that people in Guantanamo Bay were innocent.

It is also claimed he submitted a dishonest statement when he denied knowledge of a WhatsApp social media group, the "Park View Brotherhood".

In March, an Ofsted report described Nansen school as being in "an extremely fragile position" and things had deteriorated after improvements were witnessed in November

Ms Clark is similarly accused but she, through her legal counsel, said she accepted "in part" one fact of the case levelled against her.

Katie Langdon said: "Lindsey Clark does not accept it was unusual or excessive punishment, but accepts some pupils were placed in detention, and accepts they have to look out towards bushes."

The hearings are scheduled to last until December and may hear from former Park View pupils.

The "Trojan Horse" allegations sparked several investigations including one by the Department for Education.

Park View was placed in special measures by Ofsted, and is now known as Rockwood Academy. Nansen Primary and Golden Hillock were also put into special measures.