Second Islamist 'Trojan Horse' scandal feared after Oldham headteacher reports death threats

Fears of a second wave of Islamist plots to take over schools have been raised after a teachers’ union revealed it was dealing with a “variety of apparent Trojan Horse issues".

A head teacher in Oldham has reportedly said she has started working at home having been subjected to a campaign of “death threats” and verbal abuse by people determined to introduce an Islamic agenda.

In an email to Oldham council, seen by the Sunday Times, Trish O’Donnell said she had “very strong reasons to believe...a “Trojan Horse” agenda is being played out” at Clarksfield Primary School.

A confidential report prepared by the local authority said she had complained of threats to “blow up her car” and said she had been attacked by a parent part of a four-year campaign of abuse.

The head teachers' union, the NAHT, said it was "supporting a number of members in the Oldham area with a variety of apparent Trojan Horse issues".

The revelations have triggered concerns of a repeat of the Birmingham scandal, where Ofsted found evidence of an organised attempt to target 21 schools by Islamists, involving efforts to force head teachers out of their jobs.

The Oldham Council document reportedly refers to the activities of Nasim Ashraf, a former parent governor and the brother of Shasta Khan, who is serving an eight-year prison sentence for her part in a plot to target Jewish targets in Manchester.

The report states that Ashraf organised “Islamic teaching sessions” on the school premises and that his wife, Hafizan Zaman, “made remarks to Asian staff members that they should, as Muslim women, be wearing a veil and covering their heads”.

The couple reportedly lobbied against sex education, describing it as “lewd and inappropriate", organised a petition against the head teacher and objected to Hindu music being played in class.

Clarksfield, where most of the pupils are of Pakistani descent, was criticised by Ofsted in 2013 for its levels of attainment, however the school is now rated “good”.

The report said that council officers believed Ashraf and Zaman had attempted to “intimidate staff”, “undermine the head teacher” and “secure changes at the school to reflect their interpretation of Islam.

But it concluded that this activity, which included “seeking to mobilise other parents and the wider community”, did not amount to a Trojan Horse-style plot because it found that Ashraf was not part of a wider conspiracy.

However, a counter extremism expert claimed to the Sunday Times there was a “significant problem” of Islamist infiltration in Oldham.

Ashraf has denied being part of a plot, but says he has had discussions with the new chairman of Clarksfield’s governors, Saima Kausar, whom Ms O’Donnell claims has made “highly offensive” and “unsubstantiated” professional allegations against her, according to the report.

“It’s my duty to keep an eye on things,” said Ashraf.

“The school is still a failing school.”

However, this appears to contradict the findings of the most recent Ofsted report, where inspectors praised “strong leadership that motivates staff and pupils to do their best".

According to the watchdog, many pupils at the school arrive with lower skill levels than are normal for their age because of poor standards of English.

Both Ms O'Donnell, who has been headteacher at the school since 2006, and Kausar declined to comment.

There is no suggestion that he Nasim Ashraf or Hafizan Zaman were involved in the threats of violence.