A father who describes himself as “Anglo-Saxon” has lost a legal battle to prevent his Muslim ex-wife from sending their 10-year-old son to an Islamic secondary school.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he was determined to prevent his son from attending a “school inside a mosque” on the grounds that he would be “marginalised” by his son if he enrolled at the London-based school next year.

Appealing to the High Court to intervene, the father, who is a marketing director and a self-proclaimed atheist, insists his son should attend a secular school.

Representing the man, barrister Zimran Samuel said the mother and father had “different world views”, adding that it was his wish his son be educated in a “neutral” environment.

"He is an Anglo-Saxon white man who has no particular faith,” he added.

"He describes it as a school inside a mosque. It's not really a school within a mosque but that's how he describes it.

"We have a father who in this modern day and age tries to tell [his son] that it is OK for parents to disagree.

"He has absolutely made it very clear that he feels marginalised. This sort of issue will crop up more and more before the courts."