Darul Uloom London School

School and residential emergency inspection report

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Darul Uloom London Foxbury Avenue, Off Perry Street, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6SD

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checked during this inspection

Boarding provision outcome The school does not meet all of the

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraph 7, 7(a) and 7(b)  Leaders do not ensure that the school meets the standards relating to safeguarding. The main reception area was undergoing renovation. Directly in front of the entrance to the reception area was a skip overflowing with materials from the building work. A tour of the site with senior leaders showed corridors, a walkway and the main reception area to be in a shabby condition, with worn and dirty carpet tiles, snail trails, litter and a general lack of care and tidiness. These oversights in health and safety present a safeguarding risk to pupils and reflect a casual approach to risk assessment. A similar lack of care and tidiness is also evident in the food preparation areas, as described below in the boarding section.  Leaders have not ensured that the record-keeping of safeguarding concerns are rigorous enough to assure the safety of pupils. For example, despite several requests

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Main inspection findings

from inspectors, leaders were unable to produce a central log of safeguarding incidents. Recording in relation to incidents is poor. This places pupils at risk of harm.  Although staff have good intentions, the safeguarding culture is weak and is over- reliant on advice from external agencies. Safeguarding is not viewed as a high enough priority. Senior leaders at the school do not take a robust approach in evaluating their practice in response to safeguarding concerns, nor do they undertake clear assessments of potential risks to pupils. Inspectors found that six students are being educated beyond the school’s agreed registration age limit of 19. Evidence was presented to show all students who are 16 years or over had been checked with the Disclosure and Barring Service.  The head of boarding, one of the heads of house and the designated safeguarding trustee have been trained at the correct level for the members of staff designated as

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Main inspection findings

leads for safeguarding. The school’s suitable safeguarding policy reflects the Department for Education’s most recent guidance, ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (September 2016). All appointed staff have completed the required safeguarding training, including ‘Prevent’ duty. The single central record of employment checks meets requirements.  At the time of the inspection, the school’s website was not available as it was shut down for maintenance. However, all the required policies have been recently reviewed and are available from the school office on request.  The requirements for this paragraph are not met.  The school does not meet all the requirements for this part.

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraph 25  As reported under part 3, the school’s premises have not been maintained to the required standard to ensure the health, safety and welfare of pupils.  The requirements for this paragraph are not met.  The school does not meet all the requirements for this part.

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Main inspection findings

Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Paragraphs 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b) and 34(1)(c)  The proprietors, the board of trustees and senior leaders have not demonstrated that they have a secure enough understanding of their respective roles and responsibilities. As a result, the promotion of pupils’ well-being and safety is ineffective.  Leaders have not ensured that all the independent school standards are met consistently to ensure that pupils are safe and that their welfare is safeguarded.  The requirements for this paragraph are not met.  The school does not meet all the requirements for this part.

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Main inspection findings

Boarding provision Compliance with the national minimum standards for boarding schools that were assessed during this inspection Standard 8  Leaders have not ensured that this standard is met. In May 2016, the school received a low food hygiene rating following an inspection from the Food Standards Agency (FSA). This inspection found that some areas of the kitchen and food preparation equipment remain unclean and unhygienic. Light switches and door handles in the dining and kitchen area are covered in deeply set dirt and grease. This presents a risk of cross-contamination. The flooring of the dining room is cracked and in a poor state of repair. This creates spaces that have the potential to breed harmful bacteria.  The school provides microwave ovens for pupils to heat food that they purchase or that parents supply. These are not inspected or cleaned regularly to ensure that they are safe to use for the preparation of food. For example, one of the microwave ovens

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Main inspection findings

had grease and food deposits that were deeply set. Not all the microwave ovens provided for pupils’ use are hygienically safe or suitable for use.  Leaders have not prepared a clear action plan to show how they are addressing the concerns raised by the FSA. This means they are unable to track reliably the impact of improvements and so demonstrate that they are now meeting the FSA standards.  The school has made some improvements in response to the concerns identified by the FSA. For example, they have purchased a new cool room and a freezer room to ensure that food is stored safely at the correct temperature. Staff involved in the preparation of food have completed appropriate training in food hygiene. Pupils reported that they like the food provided by the school, which includes a range of healthy meals to meet their cultural and faith needs. The school’s records demonstrate that pupils are generally healthy and that there have been no reported

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Main inspection findings

illnesses that could be attributed to weaknesses in food hygiene. Nevertheless, the shortfalls identified by both the Ofsted and FSA inspections create a risk of food poisoning.  The requirements for this standard are not met. Standard 11  Senior leaders do not take a sufficiently robust approach in relation to safeguarding concerns. They do not evaluate their practice in response to safeguarding concerns, nor do they undertake clear assessments of potential risks to pupils. Recording in relation to incidents is poor. This places pupils at risk of harm.  The requirements for this standard are not met.

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standards for boarding schools

The school does not meet the requirements of the schedule to The Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’), the national minimum standards for boarding schools and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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The school does not meet the following independent school standards

 Ensure that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school, and that such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State (paragraph 7, 7(a) and 7(b)).  Ensure that the school premises and the accommodation and facilities provided therein are maintained to a standard such that, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured (paragraph 25).  Ensure that the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently, fulfil their responsibilities effectively and actively promote the well-being of pupils (paragraph 34, 34(1), 34(1)(a), 34(1)(b) and 34(1)(c)).

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boarding schools

 Standard 8 – Provision and preparation of food and drinks – Ensure suitable accommodation is provided for the hygienic preparation, serving and consumption of boarders’ main meals. This may be situated in the main school provided it is adjacent to or reasonably accessible from the boarding accommodation. (NMS 8.2) – In addition to main meals, boarders have access to drinking water and to food or the means of hygienically preparing food at reasonable times. Schools are sensitive to boarders’ individual needs in this respect. (NMS 8.3)  Standard 11 – Child protection – Ensure that arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils at the school; and that such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State. (NMS 11.1)

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School Details

Social care unique reference number SC006927

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School Details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, 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. The inspection of boarding provision 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.

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School Details

School status Independent boarding school

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School Details

Of which, number on roll in sixth form 26

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School Details

Date of previous standard inspection 8–10 December 2015

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Information about this school

 Darul Uloom London is a small Islamic boarding school which is registered for pupils aged from 11 to 19. The school opened in 1988 and is located in purpose-built premises in Chislehurst, in the London Borough of Bromley.  There are currently 141 male pupils on roll, including 26 in the sixth form, all of whom are Muslims. They all board in accommodation which is located within the school.  There are no pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care (EHC) plan, and none who speak English as an additional language.  Pupils follow a secular curriculum as well as a religious one.  Pupils attend Farringdon School, Chislehurst, for swimming.  There were no responses to the Ofsted online survey (Parent View).  At the time of the inspection, the school’s website was not available as it was shut down for maintenance. However, all the required policies have been recently reviewed

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Information about this school

and are available from the school office on request.  In December 2015, Ofsted undertook a standard inspection of the school and judged it to require improvement.  The school aims to ‘prepare Muslim students to be good Muslims and responsible citizens; to embed in the student a sense of discipline; to enable them to grow up to become upright, respectable and worthy citizens.’

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was commissioned by the Department for Education following information received by Ofsted from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) about the school canteens, which had received a poor rating from the FSA.  The inspectors were asked to report against the requirements contained within Parts 3, 5 and 8 of the independent school standards and Standard 8 and 11 of the national minimum standards for boarding schools.  The inspection was carried out without notice.  Inspectors were aware during this inspection of a serious incident concerning a pupil that had occurred since the previous inspection. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident(s) were considered (where appropriate) alongside the other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.  Inspectors were aware during this inspection that serious allegations of a child

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Information about this inspection

protection nature were being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate allegations of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the allegations(s) were considered (where appropriate) alongside the other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.  The inspectors toured the school site with senior leaders and visited the canteen and observed it in use. They spoke with pupils at break and lunchtimes. They met with the principal, senior staff and teachers. They also reviewed key documents and policies, including those relating to safeguarding, health and safety and the school’s canteen facilities.

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Inspection team

David Scott, lead inspector Lee Kirwin Ofsted Inspector Social Care Regulatory Inspector 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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Inspection team

Parent View 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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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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