Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan

Inspection Report Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan, 31/10/2016 Page 1 of 12 Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan Harry Street, Off Wakefield Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD4 9PH

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Inspection dates 31/10/2016 to 02/11/2016

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The overall experiences and progress of children and young people Requires improvement 3

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The quality of care and support Good 2 How well children and young people are protected Requires improvement 3 The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Requires improvement 3

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Summary of key findings

The boarding provision requires improvement because  The directors and senior leadership team do not complete robust evaluation and review of staff practice, staff training and the implementation of policies and risk assessments.  Risk management of boarding accommodation is not yet good enough.  Monitoring of boarders’ progress in relation to their personal, social and emotional development is weak.  Consultation with other professionals and boarders’ parents is poorly utilised and is not used to consider future improvements. Senior leaders have started to make links with other organisations to help to improve the school.  Links with the local authority safeguarding team and other partner agencies are under-developed but improving.  Boarders enjoy being at school. They feel valued and supported. Their behaviour is good, and they enjoy a range of activities.  Boarders have good relationships with each other and with staff. The boarding

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Summary of key findings

community is friendly and respectful of individual differences.

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Summary of key findings

Compliance with the national minimum standards for boarding schools The school does not meet the following national minimum standards for boarding schools: Inspection Report Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan, 31/10/2016 Page 2 of 12  2.3 The school identifies at least one person other than a parent, outside the staff, and those responsible for the leadership and governance of the school, whom boarders may contact directly about personal problems or concerns at school. Boarders are informed who this person is, and how to contact them, and they are easily accessible. Boarders are also provided with one or more appropriate helpline(s) or outside telephone numbers, including the office of the Children's Commissioner, to contact in case of problems or distress.  6.3 The school ensures that the welfare of pupils at the school is safeguarded and promoted by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written risk

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Summary of key findings

assessment policy and that appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified.  13.1 The school’s governing body and/or proprietor monitors the effectiveness of the leadership, management and delivery of the boarding and welfare provision in the school, and takes appropriate action where necessary.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide boarders with information about and the telephone number of the office of the Children’s Commissioner.  Monitor and review all risk assessments, including the fire risk assessment. Take steps to ensure that strategies to reduce risks are effective and, if risks are not reducing, take alternative action as far as possible to reduce risks. Use monitoring processes to ensure that risk assessments are being consistently followed in practice. If practice is inconsistent, take action to promote consistency.  Use monitoring processes to ensure that policies are consistently and fully implemented.  Review and evaluate the effectiveness of staff training. Ensure that the designated safeguarding lead has the requisite knowledge and experience to fulfil the role effectively.  Monitor and assess the progress that boarders make in relation to their emotional, social and psychological well-being.  The directors of the school must develop more robust systems by which to monitor

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

and challenge the effectiveness of school leaders to ensure that the delivery of boarding provision is of good quality.  Improve levels of consultation with other professionals and boarders’ parents and use this information as part of the evaluation of the school. Inspection Report Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan, 31/10/2016 Page 3 of 12

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Information about this inspection

The school was given three hours’ notice of the inspection. The inspectors spoke to a range of boarders across different year groups including the sixth form, individually and in small groups, and representatives from the school council. Time was spent observing routines at breakfast, teatime and evening activities and ways in which boarders and staff interact. Inspectors met with the headteacher, one of the school’s directors, other senior leaders and boarding staff. Parents’ views were collated from the Ofsted ‘Parent View’ website. Inspectors consulted with representatives from the local authority, including the safeguarding team, and examined a range of records, policies and procedures in relation to the progress, experiences, care and safeguarding of boarders. This inspection was aligned with a progress monitoring inspection, focusing on the quality of the school’s education. There is a separate report for this monitoring

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Inspection team

Simon Morley Lead social care inspector Susan Atkinson-Millmoor Social care inspector Inspection Report Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan, 31/10/2016 Page 4 of 12

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Information about this school

Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan is an independent Muslim boys’ boarding school for pupils aged 11to 25 in Bradford. The school currently offers boarding education to 152 students, some of whom are continuing in their Islamic studies. The school aims to provide an education in a secure and holistic Islamic environment. The boarding provision was last inspected in May 2013. Inspection Report Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan, 31/10/2016 Page 5 of 12

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Inspection judgements

The overall experiences and progress of children and young people Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

Senior leaders are eager to take action about any areas for improvement and ensure that all boarders have positive experiences at the school and are able to make good progress. Certain aspects of the boarding provision that require improvement were not fully realised by the senior management team prior to this inspection. Furthermore, the management oversight, monitoring and evaluation of the boarding provision have significant shortfalls. There is potential for negative impact on boarders and the school as a whole. This undermines positive work in other areas and improvements that the school has already started to make. Overall, the school requires improvement to attain a judgement of good. At the time of the inspection, senior leaders had not fully considered the potential impact and bigger picture of having a wide age range of boarders sharing facilities. Over the course of the inspection, this altered and better plans and arrangements were put in

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Inspection judgements

place. Staff are responsible and sensitive in trying to keep everyone safe and to protect the well-being of boarders. However, the approach used is mainly reactive and is not robustly proactive enough to ensure confidence that everyone’s experiences are all positive. Effective measures are not in place to demonstrate the progress that boarders make in relation to their emotional, social and psychological well-being. They live in and experience a positive culture that is beneficial to their upbringing, but the impact of this is not measured. Progress in academic education requires further improvement and is not yet good. The quality of care and support is good. Boarders are unanimous about this. The daily routine is organised well and effectively structured, balancing academic and religious studies with prayer time and opportunities to relax and have fun. Boarders feel safe, happy and healthy. They are polite and respectful and have warm, respectful

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Inspection judgements

relationships with teaching and boarding staff. Boarders build trusting, positive relationships with each other and make lasting friendships. Older boarders commented that they particularly like being at the school because of the friends that they make.

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Inspection judgements

The staff are committed to ensuring that all the boarders receive good-quality care and support. Boarders build very positive relationships with education and boarding staff and with each other. There is a good induction process for new boarders, and staff respond well to those that are homesick or appear quiet and withdrawn. Year 7 boarders commented that they were homesick at the beginning of the year but feel fine now and that the help to settle into school is good. Older boarders also think that staff are ‘helpful and friendly’. The combination of teaching, pastoral support and supervision effectively promotes the Inspection Report Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan, 31/10/2016 Page 6 of 12 school’s values and generates a harmonious community in which boarders feel that they are treated fairly, valued and cared for. There is a strong collective responsibility across staff that ensures that boarders’ behaviour and attitude to learning are positive. This is a

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Inspection judgements

credit to the school and boarders who are respectful, well mannered and friendly. All staff are aware of the potential for bullying or inappropriate behaviour and take action if they have any concerns. Boarders learn about issues with regard to bullying. This week was a themed anti-bullying week, and all boarders spoken to described the school as friendly. A representative of West Yorkshire police was teaching Year 7 about e-safety and the dangers of grooming. He is planning to come back and extend this teaching to the whole school. The enrichment co-ordinator supports all year groups to learn about topical issues in society and helps boarders to recognise their own individual responsibilities. Boarders have a range of adults, whom they can talk to about any concerns, including two independent listeners and a national helpline. There are suitable arrangements for boarders to contact their friends and family and they look forward to weekly Sunday

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Inspection judgements

visits. However, details of how to contact the office of the Children’s Commissioner are not available for boarders as required by national minimum standards. There is a strong school council that meets regularly. All boarders spoken to feel that they are well represented by the council and issues that they raise are responded to. For example, boarders now have a longer extended weekend home as requested by the council. Food is discussed at council meetings, and boarders enjoy nutritious and delicious meals, which they greatly appreciate. Individual needs are catered for, and meals reflect a range of cultures. The school is widening boarders’ experiences by developing a bigger range of trips out integrated into the school day. This includes trips to museums, taking part in fund raising, voluntary street cleaning and supporting local food banks. These activities promote boarders’ participation and integration in the local community. Boarders also

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Inspection judgements

enjoy playing pool in the common room, weekly football in the local park, computer and art clubs, and the school buys magazines that they like to read. There are further plans to join a local library. Staff promote boarders’ health and are aware of any health issues, which are mainly allergy related. There are plans for boarders to learn more about personal health topics, such as sexual health. The systems for administering any medication that boarders require are suitable, but management oversight does not ensure that the stock of medicines kept on the premises is robustly checked. There are good arrangements for boarders who are unwell, with separate sickbay facilities. Boarders reported that they feel looked after if they are poorly. Boarding accommodation is comfortable, adequate and functional. There were a number of maintenance issues at the time of inspection, which were being appropriately addressed.

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Inspection judgements

How well children and young people are protected Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

Senior leaders implement a suitable risk assessment process to maintain the physical Inspection Report Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan, 31/10/2016 Page 7 of 12 environment and promote safe practice in the kitchen. Other areas of risk management that relate to the organisation of boarding accommodation require improvement. The review process and evaluation of all risks is not yet good enough. The headteacher took action during the course of the inspection, introducing two new risk assessments to address identified key risks. Of particular concern was the way in which the school was overlooking potential risks in having children and adult learners sharing the same facilities and the robustness of background checks of adult students. By the end of the inspection, suitable strategies to manage risk were in place, but these require time to evaluate and embed. The fire risk assessment for the school is over two years old and,

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Inspection judgements

while the frequency of fire drills meets national minimum standards, management oversight has not ensured that practice is in line with the school’s risk assessment. These shortfalls compromise the effectiveness of senior leaders in ensuring that there is a thorough approach to risk management, and this potentially compromises the safety of boarders. Boarders feel safe and, if they have any concerns, there are adults they can speak to and receive support from. Their behaviour is good, and there is an effective system of rewards and sanctions. Boarders appreciate the ‘student of the month’ and ‘best dormitory’ awards. In combination with the expectations and ethos of the school and learning opportunities, these encourage boarders to be polite and respectful. There are no incidents involving alcohol or substance misuse, offending behaviour or times when boarders are missing from the school. Staff have guidance and a procedure to follow

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Inspection judgements

should any boarders be missing. Staff understand the vulnerabilities of and dangers to boarders. There are suitable arrangements, which are improving, for promoting an understanding of topics such as anti-bullying, positive relationships, sexual health and e-safety. Older students undertake online training in safeguarding matters to raise their awareness of current issues about exploitation and radicalisation. Evaluation of boarders’ learning is limited and, although they complete a questionnaire about safeguarding, there is no assessment of the results. The structure and daily routine of life in the school limit boarders’ opportunities to independently put their learning about these subjects into practice in the local and wider community. Boarders are supported if they feel homesick or appear withdrawn. However, boarding practice is reactive to such occurrences, and leaders have not adopted a proactive

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Inspection judgements

approach to monitoring the welfare of all boarders. Leaders are developing links with the local authority and police to promote learning and understanding for boarders and staff about safeguarding issues. These include e-safety, radicalisation and hate crime. There have been some delays in the take-up of support from partner agencies, but these links are now growing and leaders intend to make these arrangements more effective. The recruitment process for new staff is appropriate and ensures that only people who are suitable to work with children are appointed. Leaders are reviewing the admissions process for students who come to the school as adults. This includes broadening the level of background checks to make sure that leaders are satisfied, as far as possible, that adult learners pose no risk to the children that board. Inspection Report Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan, 31/10/2016 Page 8 of 12 The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers Requires improvement

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Inspection judgements

The headteacher is a committed individual who is willing to work with the regulator to ensure that the school becomes a good one. Roles and responsibilities of the senior leadership team and directors have changed since the last inspection. The current approach and systems of management are fragmented and hindered by weak evaluation and review of the ways in which the school promotes and protects the welfare of boarders. The school’s policies are wide ranging and comprehensive in detail. However, leaders have not taken the time to ensure that they relate directly to the school and its current practice. For example, the safeguarding policy indicates that boarders complete questionnaires about their safety but there is little evidence of this in practice. Leaders are not effective at evaluating their policies or at ensuring that they are being implemented fully. The supervision of staff takes place in fortnightly team meetings, and staff receive an

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Inspection judgements

annual appraisal. Discussion between managers and staff centres on practical concerns, such as boarders eating in dormitories and maintenance issues. Matters relating to individual boarders’ welfare are not covered. Staff that supervise young people are rarely asked their views about boarders’ emotional, social and personal development. The appraisal system is weak and does not adequately evaluate staff practice. Although staff undertake a range of training, most of this is online, and managers are not assessing the quality of staff learning, knowledge and skills. The designated safeguarding lead is new to the role and has received appropriate training. However, his knowledge and understanding to fulfil this role have not been suitably measured, and there is no development plan to support his acquisition of future learning. There are appropriate numbers of staff on duty with a good mix of boarding and

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Inspection judgements

teaching staff. This helps to promote the ethos and culture of the school and encourages boarders to make use of extra study time in the evenings. There are positive relationships between boarders and staff that reflect the mutual respect that they have. Staff have high expectations for all the boarders to succeed academically, religiously and personally. This lives out in the daily life of the school, with boarders continually encouraged to make good progress in their lives and to be responsible citizens. Two of the three advisory recommendations from the last boarding inspection are met. Leaders have also made progress in implementing their action plan, following the last education inspection in October 2015. They have engaged external professional help with monitoring the implementation of this plan. However, the overall quality of monitoring by senior leaders is weak when it comes to self-evaluation and review of

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Inspection judgements

policies, practice and procedures. Directors of the school are not sufficiently challenging leaders and managers to demonstrate that they manage the boarding provision effectively. These shortfalls limit the ability of leaders to recognise and identify weaknesses and to make improvements to the school provision for the benefit of the boarders. Although the school council has a degree of influence, this is the only way in which boarders are regularly consulted. Likewise, consultation with other professionals associated with the school and boarders’ parents is limited. This limits the opportunities Inspection Report Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan, 31/10/2016 Page 9 of 12 for leaders to review practice in the light of feedback from key people. Inspection Report Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan, 31/10/2016 Page 10 of 12

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What inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspections of boarding and residential provision in schools: the inspection framework’.

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What inspection judgements mean

Judgement Description Outstanding A school where the experiences and progress of children and young people consistently exceed the standard of good and result in sustained progress and achievement. The outcomes achieved by children and young people are outstanding, and the impact that the boarding/residential provision has had on supporting this progress and achieving these outcomes is clearly evidenced. Good A school providing effective services, which exceed minimum requirements. Children and young people are protected and cared for and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. Requires improvement A school where there are no serious or widespread failures that result in children and young people's welfare not being safeguarded or promoted. However, the overall outcomes, experiences and progress of children and young people are not yet good. Inadequate A school where there are serious and/or widespread failures that mean

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What inspection judgements mean

that children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded or their care and experiences are poor and they are not making progress. Inspection Report Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan, 31/10/2016 Page 11 of 12

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School details

Unique reference number 134140 Social care unique reference number SC050866 DfE registration number 380 6114 This inspection was carried out under the Children Act 1989, as amended by the Care Standards Act 2000, having regard to the national minimum standards for boarding schools. Type of school Boarding school Number of boarders on roll 152 Gender of boarders Boys Age range of boarders 11 to 25 Headteacher Mr Mohammed Lorgat Date of previous boarding inspection 13/05/2013 Telephone number 01274 402233 Email address info@dawatulimaan.org.uk Inspection Report Darul Uloom Dawatul Imaan, 31/10/2016 Page 12 of 12 guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/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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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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School details

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, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

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

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