England's schools adjudicator has said it is "reasonable" for two state-funded Orthodox Jewish schools to expect the families of applicants to observe strict religious practices.

The National Secular Society's education and schools officer Alastair Lichten called the adjudicator's reports "deeply concerning".

"These are state funded schools using their admissions as a tool for an ideology of total segregation from wider society and complete control of family life. Such efforts to rigidly control young people's life experiences and impose upon those who do not even attend the school should have no place in education.

"It's alarming that relatively minor tweaks to these extreme admissions rules could see them pass the lacklustre admissions code."

Get the full story on the National Secular Society's website.