Trojan Horse schools in special measures

David Hughes, vice-chairman of the Park View Educational Trust, has confirmed its three schools have been placed in special measures following Ofsted inspections. Speaking ahead of the official release of details of Ofsted spot checks on 21 schools in the wake of allegations of an Islamic fundamentalist takeover at Birmingham's schools, Mr Hughes said he 'wholeheartedly rejects' the findings.

Mr Hughes said the Trust was 'extremely disappointed' to confirm Ofsted's results as he attacked inspectors for arriving at the schools seeking evidence that they have been promoting extremism.

"We support the role of Ofsted in holding schools to account in a fair and transparent way," he said. "But we wholeheartedly dispute the validity of these gradings. Park View, Golden Hillock and Nansens are categorically not inadequate schools.

"Our Ofsted inspections were ordered in a climate of suspicion, created by the hoax Trojan letter and by the anonymous unproven allegations about our schools in the media.

"Ofsted inspectors came to our schools looking for extremism, looking for segregation, looking for proof that our children have religion forced upon them as part of an Islamic plot.

"The Ofsted reports find absolutely no evidence of this because this is categorically not what is happening at our schools. Our schools do not tolerate or promote extremism of any kind.

"We have made a major commitment to raising all students' awareness of extremism. People who know and have worked with our schools are appalled at the way we have been misrepresented."

Mr Hughes singled out Park View Academy – at the centre of some of the most serious allegations – saying that the speed at which it has been attacked is 'truly shocking'.

Ofsted reports into 21 schools, whose inspections were triggered by the Trojan Horse allegations, will be released by the watchdog later, along with a statement from chief inspector of schools Sir Michael Wilshaw.

It was revealed earlier that David Cameron has ordered a 'robust response' to the situation in Birmingham after investigations suggested some of the schools had attempted to fool inspectors by putting on 'hastily arranged shows of cultural inclusivity', including in one case a religious education lesson on Christianity.

The Education Funding Agency, which carried out parallel investigations to Ofsted in Birmingham, found evidence of efforts to persuade its inspectors that a wider range of religious teaching was on offer in at least one school.

Its reports were also due to be published later today.