Al-Burhan Grammar School

Emergency inspection school report Al-Burhan Grammar School

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The Spring Road Centre, 258 Spring Road, Birmingham B11 3DW

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Reason for the inspection

 This inspection was conducted by Ofsted at the request of the registration authority for independent schools after it became aware of concerns at the school around the safeguarding of pupils. It was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008.  Inspectors considered in particular Parts 2, 3, 5 and 8 of the independent school standards.  The inspection was carried out without notice and took place over one day. A social care inspector accompanied the lead inspector for part of that day.  The inspectors visited all parts of the school, including the playground and additional property owned by the school, but not yet in use.  The inspectors also considered Part 4 of the independent school standards (The suitability of staff) in order to inform the school’s compliance with the requirements of Part 3 and in particular the standards regarding the safeguarding and welfare of pupils. They also checked

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Reason for the inspection

whether the school’s child protection policy was on its website, as required under Part 6 (Provision of information).  The inspectors held discussions with pupils, the headteacher, the school administrator and other staff.  Inspectors scrutinised the school’s policies, practice and records linked to health and safety and how the school keeps its pupils safe. They also checked on policies and records regarding pupils’ behaviour and the school’s attendance and admissions registers.  The lead inspector also made short visits to a number of lessons to observe pupils’ behaviour and relationships between staff and pupils and how these contributed to learning.

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Main findings

 Inspectors found that the presence of a video camera in a room used by pupils for changing was an issue for serious concern. In addition, although leaders have been trained and there is a strong commitment to making a positive contribution to the community at large, leaders have not yet drawn up their response linked to their Prevent duty.  Inspectors found no evidence of boarding provision being made by the school either on the premises or elsewhere. Scrutiny of the admissions register, discussions with leaders, staff and pupils and visits to all of the school’s premises, including those not yet used for education, confirmed this. It is believed that individual pupils filled in the wrong sections of the point-in- time online survey and that there are no boarders at the school.  There are no changing rooms and showers at the school. Although other facilities are adequate, the school has plans to improve these further.

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Main findings

 The school presented as an orderly community where leaders and staff are ambitious for pupils and a good level of achievement is the norm.  Although the ethos of the school is centred on promoting both Islamic and British cultures and promoting understanding and tolerance, the school has not yet drawn up its response to the Prevent duty and staff have not yet been trained.  Leaders assured the inspector that they have acted and put plans into place to deal with all of the issues raised during this inspection. Emergency inspection: Al-Burhan Grammar School, 22 March 2016 2 of 7

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Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

 All standards within Part 2 are met. The proprietor and school leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They are careful to ensure that pupils have a good understanding of and respect for different lifestyles and choices. Respect for others and for British values and institutions, as well as the celebration of Islamic values and culture, underpin the school’s ethos. Leaders check carefully when recruiting staff and volunteers that they will not expose pupils to partisan views.  Pupils develop a good understanding of the lifestyles and cultures of others and of civil and criminal law through their studies in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education and in other subjects, such as history.  Pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong and of fair play. They raise money for various charities locally, in Britain and overseas. Many are keen to take up careers in medicine or

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Part 2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils

therapy where they can ‘make a difference’ and help others.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 The school does not meet all of the standards in relation to welfare, health and safety.  At the time of this inspection, the school’s safeguarding and child protection arrangements did not take full account of guidance from the Secretary of State and some pupils do not feel safe in all parts of the school. This means that paragraphs 7, 7(a) and 7(b) are not met. Pupils say that staff’s belief in them helps them to be ambitious for themselves.  Pupils are worried about what the cameras in corridors and in a class base recorded and who had access to these recordings. The presence of a video camera in a class base used by some pupils for changing is inappropriate. Pupils understandably feel vulnerable and that their dignity as teenage girls is not fully respected.  The school’s child protection policy on its website was considerably out of date. More recent versions provided during and after the inspection refer to guidance that has been replaced. The

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

school does not check that staff have read Part 1 of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ (KCSIE) (2015). The school has not yet provided all staff with training in relation to the Prevent duty or carried out an audit of pupils’ susceptibility to such issues.  The school’s admissions register did not record information such as emergency contact numbers for parents. Although the school checks on pupils’ attendance carefully, it did not use the agreed symbols for recording absence. Consequently paragraph 15 is also not met.  All other welfare, health and safety requirements are met, including those relating to first-aid and medical room facilities, health and safety arrangements, fire safety, risk assessments and policies and practices relating to managing behaviour.

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Part 4. Suitability of staff, supply staff and proprietors

 All of the standards of this part are met.  Scrutiny of staff files and the school’s single central register showed that all the required checks are carried out before staff and others start work in the school.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation in the school

 All but two of the requirements for Part 5 are met. The school does not meet paragraphs 23(1) and 23(1)(c) regarding the provision of suitable changing rooms and showers for pupils over the age of 11 years.  Physical education (PE) takes place on the school site. Previously, off-site provision was used and the changing rooms and showers linked to these. The school has plans to convert some of its unused premises into changing rooms and showers. There are no dates yet for completion of such plans. Currently, pupils change in class bases or toilets. There are no showers or lockers for pupils to store their clothes or their PE kit. Senior leaders’ recent consultations with pupils about their playground and common room have resulted in plans being made to improve these further, with seating and lockers provided. Emergency inspection: Al-Burhan Grammar School, 22 March 2016 3 of 7

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation in the school

 All other standards in relation to the premises are met. The proprietor ensures that the school premises are well lit, clean and generally appropriately maintained. Some debris near the unused block is due to be removed and fencing blown over in a storm replaced. The site is secure and classroom space is adequate. Drinking water is available from a dispenser.

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Part 6. Provision of information

 Not all the standards were inspected in this part. However, the child protection policy available to parents on the school’s website was considerably out of date and was not the school’s current policy. This means that paragraphs 32(1) and 32(1)(c) are not met.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 None of the standards related to the quality of leadership in and management of schools is met. The proprietor and school leaders have not ensured that the independent school standards are consistently met or that all pupils feel safe in the school (paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)).  Leaders have created an ethos in which everyone is ambitious for pupils and determined that they will achieve as much as possible. They are vigilant when recruiting staff and in checking on staff suitability and pupils’ absence. However, they have not checked that attendance and admissions registers are completed appropriately. They do not have systems in place to ensure that staff training is timely and for checking that staff have read and understand the most recent safeguarding guidance.

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The school must take action to meet The Education (Independent School Standards)

Regulations 2014 and associated requirements.

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In respect of Part 3: Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 The proprietor and school leaders must ensure that:  the school’s safeguarding and child protection policies and practices conform with the most recent guidance from the Secretary of State  where video cameras are placed and in use, everyone is clear as to their purpose and how recordings will be used and destroyed, and who will have access to these recordings  the school records clearly when staff have had safeguarding training, and makes it a requirement to read Part 1 of ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ and checks that staff have done this  leaders draw up their response to the Prevent duty and implement staff training swiftly (paragraphs 7, 7(a) and 7(b))  admissions and attendance registers comply with requirements (paragraph 15).

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In respect of Part 5: Premises of and accommodation at the school

 The proprietor must ensure that there are suitable changing and shower facilities for pupils over the age of 11 years (paragraphs 23(1) and 23(1)(c)).

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In respect of Part 6: Provision of information

 The proprietor and school leaders must ensure that the child protection policy on the school’s website is the school’s most recent policy and that this policy is up to date and pays due regard to guidance from the Secretary of State (paragraphs 32(1) and 32(1)(c)). Emergency inspection: Al-Burhan Grammar School, 22 March 2016 4 of 7

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In respect of Part 8: Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 The proprietor must ensure that school leaders fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are consistently met and the shortcomings identified within this inspection with respect to welfare, health and safety, the premises and accommodation and the provision of information are swiftly addressed (paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b), 34(1)(c)). Emergency inspection: Al-Burhan Grammar School, 22 March 2016 5 of 7

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Inspection team

Susan Lewis, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Christy Wannop Social Care Inspector

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Information about this school

 Al-Burhan Grammar School is a selective Islamic independent day school for girls aged 11 to 16 years, located in Tyesley in Birmingham.  The school opened in 2002 and occupies premises that were originally a National Health Service day-care centre. The school currently uses linked, mainly single-storey buildings, but also owns a further building and two houses, situated on the other side of its playground. It plans to convert these to enable better access, extra facilities and additional classrooms.  All of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Most speak additional languages to English at home, although none is at an early stage of acquiring English. The large majority are from Pakistani heritages. An increasing proportion of pupils are from mixed heritages, including British, European and Somali backgrounds.  Very few of the pupils are identified as having special educational needs or disability. None has

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Information about this school

a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school aims to ‘make a difference to the upbringing of children, to better their educational prospects and to help them succeed in this life and the hereafter’. Emergency inspection: Al-Burhan Grammar School, 22 March 2016 6 of 7

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School details

Unique reference number 134034 Inspection number 10011382 DfE registration number 6104

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School details

This inspection was conducted at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. It was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008.

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School details

Type of school Independent day secondary faith school School status Independent school Age range of pupils 11–16 Gender of pupils Girls Gender of pupils in the sixth form n/a Number of pupils on the school roll 102

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Number of part-time pupils 0 Number of boarders on roll n/a Proprietor Al-Burhan Foundation Chair Mohammad Nasrullah Headteacher Mohammad Nasrullah Date of previous school inspection 4  6 November 2014 Annual fees (day pupils) £3,600  £4,200 Annual fees (boarders) n/a Telephone number 0121 440 5454 Fax number 0121 706 9032 Email address admin@alburhan.org.uk guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted.

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