"We are exactly the same as other schools."

Langford Islamic College (LIC) in Perth's southern suburbs has 950 students from kindergarten to year 12 and a few hundred more on the wait list to get in.

To mark the return of the school year, ABC Radio Perth was granted a rare opportunity to tour their campus.

Dr Rateb Jneid, LIC board chairman, was at pains to stress just how normal the school is.

Dr Rateb Jneid is the board chairman of the Langford Islamic College. ( ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne )

He said he was familiar with the misconceptions and prejudices in the non-Muslim community, but they were far from the reality.

"We teach maths, science, English — all the normal curriculum. We just have some periods for Islamic studies and Arabic as well," he said.

"We have about 40 per cent non-Muslim teachers on staff in the school.

"I don't care about background — we are all human beings and we need the best for the children.

"As long as you are qualified to teach the kids the subject, it's no problem."

Hijab considered part of the uniform

Assistant principal Yahya Ibrahim agreed there was little about the school that would be unfamiliar to an outsider.

The school has a playing field, playground, gym and parent-run canteen.

The school uniform is also only slightly different — the girls wear long-sleeved shirts and longer skirts, and most of them wear the hijab.

The school has 950 students from kindergarten to year 12 — and hundreds more on the wait list. ( ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne )

"We don't have a school requirement for head covering per se, but it is encouraged after year four," Sheik Ibrahim said.

"We do have some students who won't put it on, even into high school, and we are tolerant of that — but we consider it a school uniform rather than really about the religion."

A multicultural school community

Assistant principal Naeem Meer has worked at the school for six years, after stints teaching in the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Brunei.

LIC is the first Islamic school he has worked at. He described the experience as "quite exhilarating — more so because of the cohort of students that we have".

Kindergarten students get their first taste of life in a classroom. ( ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne )

"It's very multicultural. We have students from various backgrounds, including really problematic war-torn areas," he said.

He said outsider preconceptions of what goes on inside an Islamic school were vastly different from the reality.

"Given what is happening in the media at the moment there is a lot of stigma attached to Muslims and Islam," Mr Meer said.

"I think the first misconception is that Islamic schools have only Muslim teachers.

"Whilst we push for an Islamic ethos, it's is by no means that we are not tolerant to other religions.

"When I came to Australia whenever I applied to a Catholic school, the first thing they asked was — do you follow that religion? That precluded my CV from being taken any further.

"I think we are much more tolerant."

Welcoming, cooperative students

Maths and science teacher Bhawan Marwaha does not follow Islam; she is Hindu.

Ms Marwaha began working at the school straight after graduation.

She said she and her daughter, who was enrolled at the school for a period of time, have always been welcomed.

"It's not orthodox. It's a beautiful environment to work and being non-Muslim, it's not hard for me," she said.

Langford Islamic College students take part in a sports lesson at the gym. ( ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne )

Another non-Muslim staff member is English literature teacher Rosemary Nelson.

She came to the school a year ago after working at a number of other public and independent schools.

"They had dropped literature at the other school that I was at, so when I got the chance to it again, because that is my major, I was just really happy," Ms Nelson said.

She said the curriculum she teaches at LIC is exactly the same as at any other school.

"I don't do anything any different — except I can do it a lot better here because the children are so cooperative and parents make sure they have got materials," she said.

"We have a terrific parent body; they are mostly professional people and they want the very best for their kids, but they are also so appreciative of what teachers do."

Encouraging words cover the door of the year five classroom at Langford Islamic College. ( ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne )

She said her heart sinks whenever she sees media reports about Muslims and terrorism.

"I see something happen and I think: 'Oh my God, these guys are going to have to put up with all the flak from that,'" she said.

"The girls do get a bit [of harassment] and because I teach social sciences as well ... those discussions will come up.

"I try and encourage the kids to be outgoing, to let people know that they are just like everyone else, they are just wearing a different style of fashion."

Islamophobia 'frustrating, hurtful'

ABC Radio Perth spoke to a group of year 11 female students who said they had all experienced some form of Islamophobia when out in public.

High school girls at Langford Islamic College move to their next class. ( ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne )

"It happened to me and my mum once," Jamila recalled.

"We were grocery shopping and some guy was swearing at us and stuff. My mum just called him a coward.

"It does get frustrating at first but after a while you get used to it.

"Everyone has different opinions and you realise that not everyone can see things the way you see them."

Student Amaliya started wearing the hijab when she was 12.

"At first I didn't like it; I thought it was going to be the end of the world and that people would hate me," she said.

"But you get used to it, it's just like putting on clothes.

"It brings you closer to God."

She said she was well aware of claims by some non-Muslims that the practice of wearing a head covering in public was oppressive.

"I can understand where they are coming from," Amaliya said.

"When you misconstrue the Koran it can seem like that, just like if you misconstrue the Bible.

"But when it comes down to it, you see us hijabis walking around, being doctors and stuff — that doesn't look oppressed, does it?"

Year 10 student Yasmeen said it was hurtful to know people were judging her and her fellow classmates on the way they look.

"But hopefully you grow old, you have a good life, you have a loving family and it doesn't matter at the end of the day what people think," she said.