Britain's strictest headteacher has opened up on the horrific abuse her staff have received since a prayer ban was introduced at the school, telling GB News: "They're coming to me very frightened."
Katharine Birbalsingh, Head of Michaela Community School in north west London, was speaking amid a court battle over her policy.
A student, who cannot be named, and her mother launched a high court challenge that alleges that the no prayer policy introduced by the school in Wembley is discriminatory.
The school has been subjected to repeated threats since the action was taken, and even received a "bomb hoax" in December.
Katharine Birbalsingh said her staff were scared
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Speaking to GB News, Katharine Birbalsingh said: "I'm having to support staff right now. They're coming to me very frightened. They're really scared.
"Last year, that was the worst. It's not right that a headteacher or teachers should be put under that kind of stress because they're just trying to do their jobs.
"[On the day of the bomb hoax] we got this email and we called the police and they came and did a search and this was very early in the morning.
"The children could come in and we were okay. But it's scary."
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Katharine Birbalsingh
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Michaela Community School in Wembley
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The full GB News interview will air on Patrick Christys Tonight between 9pm and 11pm.
The school has previously said allowing prayers risks "undermining inclusion and social cohesion between pupils."
In legal papers, it claimed that students seeking to carry out prayer rituals in the playground had challenged the school’s "unique ethos, practices and policies."
It has been reported that the policy led to a campaign of harassment and abuse against staff members.
Police were called to respond to claims of bombs being placed at the school, prompting it to hire a security guard and close two days early at the end of term.
Birbalsingh added: "We all need to recognise that all of us need to make sacrifices for the betterment of the whole so we can all get on. Schools play such an important part of this.
"Obviously if your school is one where the children roam the corridors and the children do whatever they like during lunch then I suppose you might choose to have a prayer room and that's fine.
"I'm not suggesting all schools shouldn't have a prayer room. I do think that if your school's ethos is such and building is such that they cannot have a prayer room, then they should be allowed not to have a prayer room."
Judgment in the High Court case is expected next month.
