The British Muslim School

Inspection report for boarding school: The British Muslim School 1 The British Muslim School The British Muslim School Ryland Buildings, Lodge Road, West Bromwich B70 8NX Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this boarding school

The school is an independent boarding and day school for male Muslim children and young people aged between 11 and 16. Pupils attend from all areas of the country. There are currently no pupils with education, health and care plans, or statements of special educational needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The boarding school is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: This is the boarding school’s first inspection. Inspection report for boarding school: The British Muslim School 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This boarding school requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Boarding staff have not received appropriate training to support them in their roles.  Not all staff understand their roles and responsibilities around safeguarding nor are they sufficiently clear about procedures to follow if there are safeguarding concerns.  Risk assessments do not support staff practice to identify strategies to respond to identified risks.  Arrangements for overseeing medication administration are not good enough to ensure that all young people’s health needs are consistently met.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people enjoy their boarding experience and are positive about the staff team.  Young people are positive about the care and support that they receive, and they enjoy the after-school activities.  Boarding staff ensure that all young people are fully supported to attend school and college.  Young people are encouraged to have their say in the running of the home, through meetings with boarding staff and the school principal.

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schools

The school does not meet the following national minimum standards for boarding schools:

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schools

 All medication is safely and securely stored and proper records are kept of its administration. Prescribed medicines are given only to the boarders to whom they are prescribed. Boarders allowed to self-medicate are assessed as sufficiently responsible to do so. (NMS 3.4)  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 assessment policy and appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified. (NMS 6.3)  The school ensures that: arrangements are made to safeguard and promote the Inspection report for boarding school: The British Muslim School 3 welfare of pupils at the school; and such arrangements have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State. (NMS 11.1)  Senior boarding staff have an adequate level of experience and/or training. (NMS 13.6)

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improvement to be good

This is the first inspection of the school’s boarding provision since its registration in November 2017.

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improvement to be good

Overall, young people are positive about their boarding experience. Relationships between young people are good and they are encouraged to develop constructive relationships with staff. Young people talked positively about the support that they receive. One young person told the inspector, ‘There is always someone to help you when you need it.’

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improvement to be good

Induction arrangements for new young people involve both young people and their parents. A young person told the inspector, ‘It was difficult at first settling into boarding, but the staff really help you and you make lots of new friends.’ Because of the positive induction arrangements, young people settle quickly into the school and feel more secure.

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improvement to be good

Education attendance is good, and care staff support young people to transition between boarding and education. Care staff work across both settings and support young people with their educational needs. This provides stability and consistency. A parent told the inspector, ‘Since boarding, he is a better person. He is very happy. He is now more interested in his studies.’

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improvement to be good

The recording of administering, and storage of, medication is not effective. For example, no records were kept of medication that had been administered to young people. Homely remedies and prescribed medication were kept together. A young person who had left still had his medication on site; it had not been returned to the parent of the young person or sent back to the pharmacy. Staff do not always follow the school’s procedure for recording medication. This could have a negative impact on the health of some young people.

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improvement to be good

The views of young people are sought, and staff act on requests that they make. Young people highlighted different members of staff whom they can talk to if they have any concerns. These included care staff and the independent listener. Young people have a good understanding about how to make a complaint. They have been given clear responses to their complaints and are satisfied that they have been Inspection report for boarding school: The British Muslim School 4 listened to and that their concerns have been acted on.

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improvement to be good

Young people access a range of activities both in and outside of the home. Activities include various sports at a local leisure centre, football on the school grounds, trips to the local town, watching films and playing board games.

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improvement to be good

Young people are supported to have appropriate contact with friends and family while residing at the school. For young people who live some distance from their families, they can use their own mobile phones or the boarding house payphone. A parent told the inspector, ‘The staff are very friendly, and they share everything with us.’

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improvement to be good

Despite young people saying that they feel safe in the school, managers have not ensured that all staff responsible for young people understand their roles and responsibilities around safeguarding. Staff are not sufficiently clear about procedures to follow if there are safeguarding concerns. Furthermore, not all staff have completed safeguarding training. This potentially leaves both young people and staff vulnerable.

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improvement to be good

Although risk assessments are in place, they lack any detail or clarity about the risks posed to young people. They also fail to provide strategies for staff to be able to reduce any identified risks. It is not clear whether individual risk assessments are regularly reviewed or updated. This means that staff do not have up-to-date guidance to support their work with young people.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide consistent strategies to manage behaviours. There have been no incidents of physical intervention and the use of sanctions is minimal. Positive behaviours are clearly encouraged. Young people respond positively to this approach, developing greater consideration for others and learning the benefits of cooperative behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Staff know what action to take if young people go missing from the boarding provision. There are effective protocols to promote young people’s safe return. None of the young people in the boarding provision have gone missing since their admission.

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improvement to be good

Regular health and safety checks and routine servicing of equipment all contribute to making sure that the boarding provision is safe for young people, staff and visitors.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment records demonstrate compliance with safe recruitment practice. This practice prevents unsafe adults from working within the school and thereby makes sure that young people are kept safe. Inspection report for boarding school: The British Muslim School 5

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good

The school is led and managed by the principal, who is committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for all young people regardless of their starting points. He leads from the front and is supported by a leadership team which includes the head of care.

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good

Governors are supportive of the school and work in partnership with the school management team. The chair of governors challenges the school head when required and requests additional information at governors’ meetings to clarify points that arise. A governor told the inspector, ‘We consistently challenge the principal to do better.’ Governors are passionate about the residential provision and the role that it plays in enhancing and improving the lives of the young people. Boarding is viewed as an integral part of the whole school.

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good

Staff are not all sufficiently trained to develop the skills, knowledge and expertise relevant to the needs of the young people whom they are working with. For example, not all staff had been provided with training in safeguarding, first aid, bullying and medication. This means that young people are being cared for by staff who have not received the appropriate training for their role.

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good

An independent visitor has been appointed, and their visits provide an additional layer of scrutiny and oversight of the residential provision. Young people confirmed that they have contact details for the visitor.

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good

Staff maintain effective open relationships with parents and carers. They invite parents and carers to school to celebrate key events and young people’s achievements. A parent told the inspector, ‘I have all the staff phone numbers. He is happy there. They are doing a good job. I have no reason to complain about anything; everything is OK.’

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the school knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Children Act 1989 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets Inspection report for boarding school: The British Muslim School 6 the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the national minimum standards.

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Boarding school details

Social care unique reference number: 1267532

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Boarding school details

Headteacher/teacher in charge: Mr Moulana Kadir Al Hasan

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Inspectors

Dave Carrigan, social care inspector Michelle Spruce, social care inspector Inspection report for boarding school: The British Muslim School 7 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 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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