LEICESTER, Britain: A Muslim school in Britain, which says it is the first purpose-built Islamic faith secondary school in the country, has come under fire for giving priority to Sunni pupils over Shia ones. Shia and Sunni are the two main recognized schools of thought (sects) in Islam.

Madani High School in Leicester describes itself as an establishment that 'will endeavour to fulfil demands from the Muslim community as priority'.

A probe by the schools adjudicator found its admission arrangements state that priority will be given to pupils who follow one of four schools of Islamic law - Hanafi, Shaf'i, Hanbali or Maliki.

All these groups belong to the Sunni sect of Islam.

Schools adjudicator Dr Elizabeth Passmore found there were aspects of the school's admission arrangements that were unlawful and did not comply with the School Admissions Code.

She wrote in her report on the school: 'It seems to me to be clear that the school was expected to be a Muslim faith school, equally accessible to all Muslims and not one giving priority to a particular group of Muslims.'

She also expressed concern about the school giving 60 of its places to girls and 40 to boys.

A policy of admitting a fixed proportion of boys or girls to a school may breach the Sex Discrimination Act, which prevents pupils from being disadvantaged because of their sex.

Madani was also found to have failed to honour its stated intention of making 10 per cent of places available to non-Muslim pupils.

The British Humanist Association described the existence of state schools that discriminate on religious grounds as 'deeply wrong'.