ES News email The latest headlines in your inbox twice a day Monday - Friday plus breaking news updates Enter your email address Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive lunchtime headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts, by email Update newsletter preferences

Two London schools were today revealed to be enforcing strict dress codes that force pupils to wear burkas.

The Madani Girls School in Whitechapel and the Ayesha Siddiqa Girls School in Southall require all students to dress in Islamic clothing.

Both of the independent, fee-paying schools make clear that pupils who fail to abide by the rules will be disciplined and face being sent home in disgrace.

The revelation comes after Home Secretary Theresa May said “women should be free to decide what to wear for themselves” after a judge ordered a Muslim woman to remove her niqab veil if she gives evidence in court.

Madani, which has about 300 pupils in its secondary school and sixth form, charges fees in excess of £2,000 a year. It requires pupils to wear a black burka and long black coat outside the school, and a green salwar kameez - trousers and tunic - within school premises. Make-up and jewellery are banned.

The school rules state: “Madani Girls School has a strict uniform policy which is to be followed in order to represent the school and its values but most importantly it supports the desired dress code of a Muslim female.”

Ayesha Siddiqa requires its pupils to wear a navy blue burka or jilbab on entering or leaving the school, and a headscarf during the school day.

Its dress code states: “Girls will be appropriately punished for failing to wear the correct uniform.”

Keith Porteous Wood, executive director of the National Secular Society, told The Times: “It is wrong for any child to be required to cover their face. To make it a requirement of the school uniform rules means the pupils have no individual choice.”

He added: “We have concerns about the enforced wearing of headscarves but banning them would be a step too far in restricting religious freedoms.”

Neither school responded to the Standard’s attempts to obtain comment today.