Darul Uloom Islamic High School

Darul Uloom Islamic High School 521-527 Coventry Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, B10 0LL

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Overall effectiveness Good 2

Pupils’ achievement Good 2 Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Quality of curriculum Good 2 Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Adequate 3 Leadership and management Adequate 3

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This school is good because

 All students make good progress, and most reach above average standards in GCSE English and mathematics.  Teaching is typically good. Staff have good subject knowledge and use this well to help students build on their skills and understanding.  Students work hard in their lessons. Their behaviour in lessons is outstanding and there is no distracting behaviour. They play well together.  Students are happy and feel safe and secure. They are strongly motivated to do their best and to respect each other.  The forward thinking headteacher has worked tirelessly to improve teaching and the range of subjects taught so that students have the best opportunity to achieve well in their academic and personal development.

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It is not yet outstanding because

 Leaders and mangers are not rigorously ensuring that their welfare policies and procedures are fulfilled across all aspects of the school’s work.  The school is not checking that the work they are doing to improve community cohesion is having the desired effect on students.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 The school requires improvement and must take action to meet schedule 1 of The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010, as amended by The Education (Independent School Standards) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements. The details are listed in the full report.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was requested by the Department of Education because of concerns that some of the judgements in the previous inspection report were not fully evidenced. The school was inspected with one day’s notice.  Twenty part lessons were observed taught by eleven teachers, covering both the National Curriculum and the Islamic curriculum. Three of these were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, four groups of students, five of the teaching staff, the school’s consultant partner and two community police constables. No responses were received to the staff questionnaire. There were insufficient responses to Ofsted’s online Parent View questionnaire for an evaluation to be made.  The inspectors looked at a number of documents. These included information on students’ progress, policies and guidance for teaching the National Curriculum, moral and citizenship

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Information about this inspection

education. The school’s improvement planning and procedures for students’ welfare, health and safety were checked. They also considered samples of staff files and students’ work.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Palk, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Sandra Hayes Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 Darul Uloom Islamic High School is a day school registered for boys aged 5 to 19 years. It was established in 1985 in the Small Heath area of Birmingham and is run by a charitable trust, The Jami Mosque.  The majority of students are of Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Somali heritage and a small number speak English as an additional language.  There are currently 100 students on roll aged 11 to 16 years. There are no students with a statement of special educational needs.  The school aims to ‘create a generation of talented and educated scholars who understand the Islamic way of life from its authentic sources’.  The last inspection of the school was in June 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all leaders and managers take responsibility for implementing the policies and procedures relating to welfare, health and safety.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Implement a range of methods for checking that the work the school is doing to improve community cohesion and preparing boys to contribute in a multi-cultural society is having the desired effect on students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development by:  increasing the amount of written guidelines given to staff when teaching students about contemporary issues  ensuring that the educational aims of trips and visits are clearly recorded by teachers so they can be checked against the school’s community cohesion policy  checking on the quality of teaching and learning in citizenship and personal development lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 The school must meet the following independent school standards.  Provide parents, parents of prospective pupils and, on request, to the Chief Inspector, the Secretary of State or an independent inspectorate particulars of the curriculum policy of the school as required under part 1 paragraph 2; the number of complaints registered under the formal procedure during the preceding school year; the number of staff employed at the at the school, including temporary staff (paragraph 24(1)(b)).

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Pupils’ achievement Good

The quality of students’ achievement is good. Results in GCSE examinations have continued to improve and results in 2013 are the highest the school has reached. The percentage of students achieving five or more GCSE grades A* to C including English and mathematics is above average. The school’s data and that provided by the Department of Education demonstrate that students make good progress overtime. More than half of this group made better than expected progress during their time at the school. Those joining the school at below average levels of attainment reached average standards in English and mathematics by the end of Year 11. The proportion gaining A* and A grades has increased on previous years.

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Pupils’ achievement Good

Excellent results in GCSE religious studies, Arabic, Urdu and Bengali contribute to students’ overall attainment. Students demonstrate good progress with memorisation of the Qur’an, working hard to achieve individual targets. The majority of students studying the Hifz -ul-Qur'aan course leave having completed memorisation of the whole Qur'aan. Standards in spoken and written English lessons are good enabling students to attain as well in English as they do in mathematics and science in end of year examinations.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

Students’ behaviour and personal development is good but not outstanding as was reported at the last inspection. The students’ contribution and involvement with the wider community is infrequent and this limits their appreciation of cultural diversity. Students’ excellent behaviour in lessons contributes to their good progress. They remain focused throughout the lesson and provide no distraction to others. They get on quickly with their work, and apply themselves enthusiastically when asked to work in small groups and equally positively when the expectations are for them to work on their own. They have developed the skill for shutting out the sound of others, for example when in recitation classes. The students move around the school calmly and quietly. They obey their teachers’ instructions and adhere to the high expectations the headteacher and staff have of behaviour. For example, they hold doors open for each other and listen attentively to visiting

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

The students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. The students are guided by their strong faith, which shapes their moral and social development. The recent introduction of history and geography lessons, combined with regular personal, social, health and citizenship lessons, has provided more opportunity for students to appreciate new perspectives and broaden their views. Students were enthusiastic in sharing their ideas in a range of lessons covering topics including abortion, euthanasia and forced marriages. They are clear what English law tells them and were equally confident with Islamic teaching on these matters. Students are gaining a greater awareness of other faiths and cultures through a programme of visits, visitors and work experience. Both groups of students in Years 10 and 11 felt they would benefit from more contact with students from different backgrounds and gender.

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Pupils’ behaviour and personal development Good

Tolerance and respect is fundamental to the daily work of the school. The schools’ leaders are consistent in their promotion of moderate and balanced views. There are planned times each day for students to discuss contemporary issues and this is a feature of both the Alim (religious) and national curriculum timetable. Inspectors judged from both discussion with students and observations of them at work that students are less clear of women’s views on these issues. The school has a strong link with local community police who are trained in preventing extremist ideology taking hold in schools. The contact the students have with the officers has improved their confidence in speaking out on these matters, and in understanding the roles of public services and institutions in England. Students’ attendance is good. They are generally prompt and move quickly to lessons. No time is lost in getting back for lessons after lunch or afternoon prayer.

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Quality of teaching Good

The teaching is good across the school. Effective teaching in both the Alim and secular timetable has a positive impact on students’ learning and progress. Teachers have excellent subject knowledge. They use this well to challenge all students and build their confidence in lessons. The small class sizes mean that teachers can respond to students’ uncertainties on a one-to-one basis. In some lessons this is not always the best use of time, particularly when two or more students are struggling with their ideas and thinking. Teachers have adopted a ‘no hands up’ policy so that they can direct their questions at individuals to explore their depth of understanding, and this works well. The strength of this approach lies in the headteacher’s and class teachers’ rigorous assessment and excellent arrangements for record keeping and tracking students’ progress.

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Quality of teaching Good

Homework is planned well to provide revision of new ideas as well as preparation for the next lesson. Students are very positive about the consistent approach to marking which now focuses more on their personal targets. They told the inspectors they corrected their own work because that was way they learn by their mistakes. Teachers have a good understanding of National Curriculum levels and what is required to move students to the higher grades on GCSE courses. As a consequence, lesson planning is precise and expectations are matched to the students’ needs. This is very evident in English lessons where the recent success in examinations is a consequence of sharp targets that are well understood by the students.

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Quality of teaching Good

The excellent relationships teachers have with their students and their willing responsiveness to students’ questions contribute to the good progress in most lessons. Where lessons were less than good, this was a consequence of teachers not using the time well enough during discussions to drill into and help students develop their reasoning.

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Quality of curriculum Good

The quality of the curriculum is good. Almost all students took five GCSEs last year and this year the majority will take eight subjects. There are schemes of work in place for all the required subjects. The morning teaching time has been reduced in order to provide an equal balance between the Islamic curriculum and the National Curriculum. Good attention is given to core skills along with additional study support for students in English at the end of the school day. This has made a strong contribution to the success in English. Since the last inspection an information communication and technology course has been introduced with the intention of entering Year 10 for an examination in computing. History and geography lessons have also been introduced, following recommendations in the last report.

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Quality of curriculum Good

Modifications have been made to the citizenship education programme to cover the breadth of personal social and health education, including sex and relationships education, for pupils in Key Stage 3. Students in Key Stage 4 follow the examination syllabus for religious studies along with citizenship lessons. The scheme the whole school follows adequately covers the five major world faiths, and there is a termly enrichment programme that ensures students gain adequate first-hand experience to supplement their understanding. The scheme also covers equalities issues but this section is too short for an all-boys school and is not having sufficient impact on their personal development. The students, in discussion with inspectors, considered they wanted more time to discuss the female perspective on contemporary issues. The school works closely with the local community police to help students develop an understanding of community issues. This link has a

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Quality of curriculum Good

positive impact on students’ confidence to tackle extremist views. Careers education is supported well by visiting speakers and through completing units in preparing students for working life offered by the Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN). The curriculum is under constant review and the rapid response to issues raised in the last inspection confirms the capacity the school has to adjust to meet the requirements of all the students.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Adequate

Arrangements for students’ welfare, health and safety are adequate. This is not as good as at the last inspection. This is because there are shortcomings in the way the school’s policies and procedures are checked up on by school leaders. All but two of the required policies were in place for ensuring students’ health and safety when inspectors arrived. There was no policy in place for the safe storage of medicines or a policy on self-medication. Some of the required checks to ensure that risks, such as missing diffusers on lights in rooms, had not been carried out. While all members of staff have a one day first aid training, no one in the school has the required three-day health and safety at work training. These matters were brought to the proprietor’s attention and action was taken to address them before inspectors left.

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Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Adequate

All aspects of safeguarding and safer recruitment are carried out. The checks on staff are thorough. There is clear guidance given on how to identify students at risk, and staff and students all know the correct procedures to follow if they have concerns. The management of students’ behaviour is excellent, as is supervision during the school day. This results in students being safe at all times. The school’s anti-bullying policy is effectively implemented. There is an e-safety policy and students are clear about the risks associated with the use of the internet and social media. The students in Year 7 recalled the lesson they had learnt from watching a series of films highlighting this problem, and were confident they would know if someone was being led astray whilst using the internet. Precautions are in place to ensure trips, visits and the use of the specialist rooms are conducted safely.

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Leadership and management Adequate

The quality of the school’s leadership and management is adequate. This is not as good as it was at the last inspection as a result of the weaknesses identified in the implementation of welfare, health and safety policies and insufficient checking of the content on the school’s website.

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Leadership and management Adequate

The headteacher, proprietor and board of trustees have the confidence of the parents and students. The headteacher, along with the school’s proprietor, have high expectations of the students both in relation to their academic achievement and their personal development. The school is taking decisive action to embed a culture of moderation and tolerance throughout the school community. In the short time the headteacher has been with the school, he has significantly raised standards and strengthened the curriculum to deliver these aims. The headteacher has taken the lead on developing students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding with a particular focus on developing respect for others and promoting the values of British society. For example, there is weekly programme of contemporary topics explored during assemblies, including countering extremism and understanding differences between people. These subjects are followed

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Leadership and management Adequate

up in citizenship classes and form time.

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Leadership and management Adequate

The premises provide a satisfactory and safe environment for learning. The school’s website, viewed by inspectors and the headteacher at the start of the inspection, was wholly inadequate. The school responded immediately to the inappropriate and dated content on the website which has now been shut down. Much of the information required for parents and carers is to be found within the handbook, including the complaints policy which meets requirements. The following items are missing: particulars of the curriculum policy of the school as required under part 1 paragraph 2; the number of complaints registered under the formal procedure during the preceding school year; the number of staff, including temporary staff, employed at the at the school and a summary of their qualifications.

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Leadership and management Adequate

Systems for ensuring that teachers of both the morning and afternoon school teach to their best are strong and include training packages for staff where improvements are required. Teachers are being encouraged to take on additional management roles, such as setting up the computing department or developing higher level mathematics courses for the most able students. There is regular checking on the quality of lessons and also checks on the students’ work to ensure teachers are accountable for the attainment of their students. The monitoring does not extend to checking that personal development and citizenship lessons are meeting the expectations as set out in the school’s community cohesion policy.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding A school which provides an exceptional quality of education significantly exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 2 Good A school which provides a high quality of education that exceeds minimum requirements. Grade 3 Adequate A school which meets minimum requirements but needs to improve the quality of education it provides. Grade 4 Inadequate A school where minimum requirements are not met and/or the quality of education has serious weaknesses.

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School details

Unique reference number 103586 Inspection number 430408 DfE registration number 330/6078

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 162A of the Education Act 2002, as amended by schedule 8 of the Education Act 2005, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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School details

Type of school Muslim Faith day school School status Independent School Age range of pupils 5–19 Gender of pupils Boys Number of pupils on the school roll 100 Number of part time pupils 0 Proprietor Jami Mosque Chair Jahangir Akbar Headteacher Talal Hussain Date of previous school inspection 4 June 2013 Annual fees (day pupils) £2,000 Telephone number 0121 772 6408 Fax number 0121 773 4340 Email address head@darululoom.org.uk guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,

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School details

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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