The British Muslim School

The British Muslim School Lodge Road, West Bromwich, West Midlands B70 8NX

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 School leaders and staff are positive role models. They teach pupils to value education and aim for high standards. Consequently, pupils work hard and their conduct is excellent.  Pupils make good, and sometimes excellent, progress in almost all subjects. Academic standards in English, mathematics and computing at the end of Year 11 are consistently high.  Progress in science is not so strong and standards have varied from one year to the next. This is because teaching in this subject has not been consistent over time. Current pupils, however, are doing well.  Teaching overall is effective. Teachers have good subject knowledge and make sure that new learning is pitched at the right level.  In response to the previous inspection, leaders have taken effective action to improve assessment and routines for checking the quality of teaching. These whole-school systems are now fit for purpose but would benefit from some further refinement.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and governors have overseen a recent move into a new building while ensuring that all the independent school standards continue to be met. They have a proven ability to maintain standards of teaching and to bring about change for the better.  Procedures for keeping pupils safe work as they should. Bullying is not tolerated and pupils show respect for one another and for the school’s rules.  Regular homework plays a part in maintaining standards and helps pupils to understand the link between effort and success.  The school curriculum provides a balance between Islamic studies and national curriculum subjects. There is scope to provide additional subjects in the humanities and expressive arts.  The school promotes values and attitudes that will help pupils to play a productive part in society.  Parents and pupils say that they are happy with the school and would recommend it to others.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further strengthen the quality of teaching and assessment by: – Maintaining a consistent quality of teaching in science so that progress and standards keep pace with other subjects – making sure that all available assessment information from primary schools is used to set meaningful and helpful baselines for pupils when they first join the school – ensuring that leaders’ checks on teaching include sufficient focus on the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning.  Broaden the range of subjects in the humanities and expressive arts that pupils experience.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 School leaders are ambitious and hard-working. They have managed the recent move into larger premises while making sure that all the independent school standards continue to be met. Furthermore, they have maintained a culture of excellent behaviour, good teaching and respect for all. The school is successfully meeting its stated aim to ensure that all pupils are successful learners, responsible citizens and confident individuals.  The school has acted on the recommendation of the previous inspection to improve arrangements for checking on the quality of teaching. A new pupil-tracking system is in place and leaders observe teachers and provide them with written feedback. These actions enable leaders to have a more informed awareness of the school’s effectiveness. Nevertheless, the current feedback arrangements focus quite heavily on practical matters and compliance with school policies. There is room to improve this

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

approach to ensure that sufficient attention is given to the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning.  The school’s curriculum provides a mix of Islamic studies and national curriculum subjects. In the subjects provided, pupils do well and all have equal access to the opportunities on offer. Faith-based studies take up a proportion of the day and sufficient time is given to English, mathematics, science, computing, art and humanities subjects. However, currently there are limited opportunities for pupils to study a full range of expressive arts and some humanities subjects, including geography. Leaders have plans to broaden the range of subjects and offer after-school activities in the future.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is given high priority. Pupils learn to take responsibility, show respect for others, and consider how the teachings of their faith guide them to be constructive and helpful members of society. Trips out of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

school to different places of worship and further afield to sites such as Warwick Castle help them to learn about the world and its history. Older pupils also get the chance to attend a careers guidance event at the National Exhibition Centre, which helps to inform their choices and prepare them for life after school.

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Governance

 The governors understand what the independent school standards mean in practice and have been mindful of these when overseeing the school’s move into new premises. They receive regular reports about the effectiveness of teaching and learning and know that school leaders have taken steps to improve aspects of provision following the previous inspection.  Governors have been instrumental in gathering community support for the renovation and refurbishment of the school building and are positive ambassadors for the school’s values and aims.  Governors have a good awareness of the importance of safeguarding pupils and preparing them to play a full part in British society.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All the proper checks on staff and visitors are carried out and recorded correctly. School leaders have made sure that the school’s safeguarding practice is informed by the government’s most recent guidance and an up-to-date policy document is available on the school’s website. The school has an established link with a training provider and records show that training is arranged at suitable intervals.  Pupils are confident that they can talk to an adult if they are worried about anything and staff are attentive to welfare and safety matters. Any concerns that do occur are followed up properly. Around the school site, contact details for different agencies, such as the Sandwell safeguarding team and ChildLine, are available should adults or pupils feel the need to make use of these.  Staff have completed ‘Prevent’ training and are alert to the dangers of extreme views and

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Safeguarding

behaviour. School leaders make sure that they promote a healthy understanding of their own faith, democracy and British society’s shared values.  First-aid arrangements are in place and any accidents that happen are quickly attended to. The school complies with current health and safety requirements.  Parents are kept informed about safety matters, as appropriate. Parents who spoke with the inspector said that they were very happy with the school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teaching in all year groups is effective. Teaching in English, mathematics and Islamic studies is particularly ambitious and tuned in to pupils’ different abilities. Consequently, pupils do very well in these subjects.  The school day is organised so that pupils spend time working on Islamic studies, such as learning from the Quran, and national curriculum subjects. As pupils move up through the school, more of their day is given over to national curriculum subjects as they prepare for GCSEs. This arrangement has been well thought out and enables pupils to learn the key aspects of their own faith without limiting their studies in the other subjects provided.  Teachers set out clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour and learning. In turn, pupils are respectful and conscientious. They work hard in lessons and always do what is asked of them. They listen attentively and attend studiously to their mathematics and English work

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

but are also willing and able to engage in discussion when required. In a thought- provoking citizenship session, for example, pupils shared their ideas about the consequences of peer pressure and discussed the difference between right and wrong. In other examples seen in religious education and Islamic studies, pupils considered the meaning behind religious symbolism and how different faiths share some common values.  Homework is a consistent routine that is taken seriously, with work being completed in detail and on time. Staff, parents and pupils all sign daily homework logs to confirm that they have done what they should.  Since the previous inspection, the school’s assessment system has been improved. All pupils’ progress is tracked and used to inform staff, pupils and parents about the targets that pupils should aim for. Teachers use this information to pitch their teaching at the right level and pupils report that new work follows on logically from previous learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

Having said this, the current system does not make the best possible use of assessment information from pupils’ previous schools. In some cases, staff are not sure what pupils have already been taught at primary school or do not realise what the primary school results actually mean.  The current quality of teaching in science is good. However, the fluctuating GCSE results show that teaching has not been as consistently effective in this subject as it has in others. The move to a new building and some staff absenteeism have been key causes of this. While current pupils are on track to succeed, school leaders are keeping a watchful eye on teaching and learning to make sure that progress and standards keep pace with other subjects.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are attentive learners because they respond very positively to the school’s high expectations and codes of conduct. They are able to regulate their own behaviour and older pupils tactfully guide younger ones. Consequently, all get the best from the provision on offer.  Bullying in any form is not tolerated. Pupils explained that it does not happen and cannot remember it ever happening. They say that the school teaches them how to look out for it and what to do should it occur. They are confident that if it ever reared its head then it would be stopped.  At breaktimes, pupils get the chance to socialise and enjoy their free time together. Currently, because of the recent move of premises, access to the outdoor area is limited and this restricts informal social interaction through playground games or activities. Plans

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Personal development and welfare

are in place to provide more indoor activities to make up for this. Eventually, the outdoor area will be more readily accessible.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils’ conduct in lessons, at breaktimes and when moving about the school building is excellent. They show respect for others and are courteous and obedient at all times. Pupils of all ages understand the school’s rules and expectations and can explain how these help them to do well at school and to be caring and considerate individuals.  There is a democratically elected school council and council members have a say in what happens at school. For example, council members have just persuaded school leaders to provide more indoor recreational equipment, such as table tennis and snooker tables.  Attendance rates are high. In the 2016/17 school year, the overall attendance figure was 98%. In the new term so far, very few pupils have missed a day of school.  There is no doubt that pupils’ exemplary conduct and conscientious attitudes to their work help lessons to run very smoothly. There is a calm studious atmosphere in every

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Behaviour

classroom and pupils are able to get on without disruption or distraction.  Classrooms are clean and tidy and a sense of order is apparent. However, because the school has only just relocated to a new building, most rooms are still rather bare.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Current pupils are making good progress in all subjects.  Since the previous inspection, standards in GCSE English language, mathematics and computing have been consistently high. This is because of informed teaching and pupils’ conscientious approach to their school work.  Progress in science has not been so strong and standards have varied, with 100% A* to C pass rate in 2016 but much lower results in 2017. Variability in the quality of science teaching over the last year was a significant factor in this sudden and unusual dip. That said, current pupils are doing well and the school’s reliable assessment information shows a more promising picture for current Year 10 and 11 pupils.  In other subjects, such as sociology, citizenship, religious education and art, pupils’ current work indicates they are making good progress. Currently, opportunities for pupils to achieve in a wide range of humanities subjects and expressive arts are limited. The

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Outcomes for pupils Good

school has plans to increase the range of subjects on offer.  All pupils achieve well in their Islamic studies. Furthermore, this aspect of the curriculum not only teaches pupils about their own faith but helps them to acquire values and attitudes that prepare them for life in a diverse society.  Currently, there are 20 pupils in the school so it would not be appropriate to report on different ability groups within the school. However, inspection evidence confirms that pupils of all abilities make good progress because teaching meets their needs.  Pupils receive helpful guidance about future careers and education options and are well prepared for their choices after Year 11.

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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.

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School details

Type of school Muslim independent school

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School details

Website www.thebritishmuslimschool.co.uk

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School details

Email address info@thebritishmuslimschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17–19 March 2015

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Information about this school

 The British Muslim School, formerly known as Jalaliah Educational Institution, is an independent school that provides full-time education for boys aged 11 to 16 years. Pupils are from Muslim families from within and beyond the local community in Sandwell, West Midlands.  The school was last inspected in March 2015 and was found to require improvement overall.  There are currently 20 pupils, aged 11 to 16 years old, on roll.  In June 2017, Ofsted was commissioned by the Department for Education to consider the school’s application to move premises and to increase the number of pupils on roll from 30 to 150. The move to new premises has now taken place. Since September 2017, the school has operated from its current site.  No pupils have been identified as having special educational needs and/or disabilities.  There are no disadvantaged pupils in the school.  A separate inspection by social care regulatory inspectors took place at the same time as

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Information about this school

this education inspection.  The school stated aims are to ‘meet pupils’ learning needs through providing innovative, high-quality learning experiences’. They also intend to ‘promote positive attitudes to diversity and difference, ensuring that every child is included and not disadvantaged’ and ensure that ‘children learn to value diversity in others, to provide a safe and caring environment promoting equality and opportunity for all members of the school community’.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning in all year groups and met with the principal, deputy headteacher, staff and pupils. The inspector also examined pupils’ work in books, and considered test and assessment information and heard some pupils read and recite from the Quran.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at lunch and breaktimes, during lessons and when pupils were moving about the school building and taking part in prayers.  By the end of the inspection, there were no recent responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View). However, the inspector spoke with parents during the inspection.  A number of school documents were examined. These included: information about pupils’ achievement, numerous policy statements, records relating to staff performance management, premises, staff appointment processes, training, behaviour, admissions, attendance, safety and safeguarding. The school’s website was also checked.

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Inspection team

Martin Pye, lead inspector Her Majesty’s 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 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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