Darul Hadis Latifiah Northwest

Darul Hadis Latifiah Northwest Plum Street, Oldham, Lancashire OL8 1TJ

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The proprietor and leaders have ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  Senior leaders and the proprietor share a passionate aspiration to provide excellence in education for the pupils attending the school.  Leaders have a good understanding of the strengths of the school and priorities for improvement. However, school development planning and self-evaluation records do not allow leaders to easily evaluate how well their actions are achieving the desired impact.  Teaching across the school is good. Teachers have good knowledge of the subjects they teach. Teachers carefully plan activities that engage pupils in learning, particularly in English and science. However, sometimes, the opportunities for pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding at greater depth are limited.  Pupils make good progress from their starting points and achieve well, particularly in English, mathematics and science. However, the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

outcomes for pupils in some other subjects, such as geography, Arabic and computer science, are not as strong.  Pupils’ personal development and welfare are outstanding. They exhibit excellent attitudes to learning. British values are promoted strongly through the school’s Islamic ethos, an excellent range of experiences and effective teaching. Consequently, pupils develop a deep and inclusive understanding of appropriate morals and a range of cultures, which prepares them well for life in modern society.  Pupils exhibit exemplary behaviour and rarely miss their education. They are polite, welcoming and inquisitive. They eagerly share their learning, and are respectful of each other and adults and feel and are kept safe.  The curriculum provides pupils with a wide range of opportunities to learn and gain nationally accredited academic qualifications. The curriculum is enriched through a wide spectrum of experiences and visits.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils are well prepared for their next stages of education and all continue in employment, education or training.

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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 refine leaders’ development planning to ensure that they can easily evaluate the effectiveness of their actions.  Build upon leaders’ actions to enhance the already good-quality teaching in the school to: – ensure that the most able pupils develop their knowledge and understanding at greater depth – ensure that greater proportions of pupils attain good passes in GCSEs in geography, computer science and Arabic.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The proprietor and leaders have ensured that all the independent school standards are fully met.  Leaders, including the proprietor, have a clear vision and a strong aspiration to provide an excellent education for pupils, which is rooted in the school’s Islamic ethos and which also ensures that pupils are well prepared for life in modern society. They know well the school’s strengths and weaknesses because of their frequent checks on its performance. Leaders use this knowledge effectively to identify appropriate priorities for further development. However, the ease with which leaders can easily evaluate the effectiveness of their actions is sometimes hindered because, on occasions, some action plans do not clearly identify the expectations of an action’s impact.  Leaders ensure that they meet the requirement to provide information for parents, carers and others on request, including that relating to the school’s website. Detailed reports are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

shared with parents at regular intervals throughout the year and keep parents well informed about pupils’ academic progress, attitudes to learning and attendance.  This is a caring school which promotes effectively British values, often through links with the school’s faith-based ethos and Islamic teachings. Pupils benefit from a wide range of cultural experiences, including residential trips to Saudi Arabia to undertake Umrah, visits to other places of worship within the locality, and participation in large community events, such as the local inter-faith forum’s ‘Festival of Light’. Pupils frequently explore the differences between cultures as part of their geographical, religious and citizenship studies.  Teachers’ continuing professional development is effective, valued by staff and closely linked to the priorities for the school. Teachers frequently attend external training, provided by academic qualification boards and linked to the subjects they teach.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

Consequently, teachers have up-to-date knowledge of exam syllabus requirements and the strategies to help teach them effectively. Leaders make good use of close links with the local authority to make sure that staff are well trained and up to date regarding strategies to ensure pupils’ welfare and safeguarding. Staff regularly watch each other teach and meet weekly to reflect and share their learning.  The school provides pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum which meets the requirements of the standards. The curriculum is carefully designed to meet pupils’ academic needs. Additionally, it helps pupils develop their age-appropriate knowledge and understanding of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. Pupils work towards completing at least five GCSEs in artistic, mathematical, literacy, scientific and technological subjects. All pupils study Arabic as a foreign language. This has been

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

carefully chosen to provide support for pupils in any future Islamic studies.  The curriculum provides pupils with carefully considered vocational experiences, including a range of work experience. All Year 10 pupils complete a week of work experience in locations which have been carefully checked by leaders to ensure their suitability. These experiences vary in focus and provide opportunities for pupils to work in vocational environments, such as the retail sector, and administrative and professional roles, such as solicitors or teachers. Leaders carefully check on pupils’ welfare and outcomes at their work placements through site visits. They effectively use pupils’ experiences of work during follow-up work in school, which ensures that pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education or employment.  Pupils participate in physical education away from the school site. The school makes use

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

of local recreational facilities which are better suited to games and which are appropriately risk assessed to ensure their suitability. Leaders have ensured that pupils have access to suitable changing and showering facilities on the school site.  Leaders have high expectations regarding pupils’ behaviour and conduct. They keep up- to-date records and logs of events within the school, including details of any sanctions that are enforced. These are in line with the school’s discipline policies.

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Governance

 The governance of the school is effective and has ensured that all the independent school standards are met.  The proprietor shares leaders’ high aspirations and commitment to providing excellent education for pupils. He takes pride in ensuring that the school’s premises are safe and well maintained.  The proprietor knows well the strengths of the school and the priorities for development, and holds leaders closely to account for the impact of their actions. He checks on the impact of leaders’ actions through his frequent visits to the school. These include attendance at Thursday staff meetings and at formal meetings of the senior leadership team. The proprietor is a familiar face to pupils around the school and uses his visits to listen to pupils’ views. The proprietor makes good use of an external educational consultant to provide impartial and independent advice regarding the leadership and management of the school.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The proprietor and leaders have ensured that safeguarding arrangements are of a high quality. They are fit for purpose and are followed meticulously. The school’s committed and knowledgeable business manager ensures that the statutory checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils are completed before they commence work in the school.  Leaders’ actions ensure that the school is a safe environment in which pupils can learn. Carefully controlled site access ensures that pupils remain safe during their time in school, and an effective maintenance programme makes sure that any identified faults are quickly and appropriately corrected.  Staff have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding procedures because of the frequent training they receive. They are highly vigilant about the potential risks pupils may face, including those posed by extremist viewpoints and online threats. Incidents of concern

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Safeguarding

are rare. However, when they do occur, staff share any concerns effectively and appropriately and keep meticulous records that are fit for purpose. Leaders share information with parents and carers and the appropriate authorities to ensure pupils’ safety.  The proprietor has ensured that the school’s safeguarding policy pays due regard to the most up-to-date guidance from the Secretary of State and that it is published on the school website. Appropriate monitoring and filtering arrangements are in place for the school’s internet connection.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers have high expectations of their pupils. Typically, teachers use their assessments of pupils’ knowledge and understanding to carefully plan sequences of learning which are engaging and provide appropriate challenge for most pupils. This is particularly the case in English and science in Years 9, 10 and 11. For example, in English, carefully chosen contemporary poetry, combined with the use of fitting images, stimulates pupils’ interest and promotes their knowledge and understanding of empathy. In science, the frequent use of well-considered practical experiments allows pupils to develop their understanding of concepts through the application of knowledge and investigative skills. However, not all teaching is of such high quality. Some over-reliance on textbooks results in generic teaching activities where some teachers do not use professional skills to adapt the content of published material to pupils’ needs. As a result, on occasions, the most able

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

pupils do not receive the challenge they need to develop their skills and understanding at greater depth.  Teachers have good subject knowledge. All teachers have an academic specialism in the main subjects they teach. This is further enhanced by their frequent attendance at the additional training provided by examination boards.  Most teachers typically use questioning well to probe and check pupils’ understanding at greater depth, through the effective use of questions which encourage pupils to explain the reason for their answers. However, in a small number of subjects, other than English, mathematics and science, teachers’ questioning to check pupils’ understanding in greater depth is less effective.  English is taught well by knowledgeable and dedicated staff. Pupils experience a wide range of texts during their studies, including contemporary poets and classic literature, such as that written by Shakespeare and Dickens. Teaching is planned to take account of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

pupils’ prior knowledge and learning. It systematically improves their technical skills in spelling, punctuation and grammar, while also enhancing their understanding of the techniques used by authors to develop storylines and imagery.  Mathematics is taught well by staff who have high expectations and very secure subject knowledge. Learning is sequenced to develop pupils’ knowledge well and pupils receive appropriate opportunities to practise and consolidate their skills. However, the work in pupils’ books shows that, sometimes, the opportunities for pupils to deepen their understanding by applying their knowledge to problem solving and mathematical investigations is occasionally more limited.  The teaching of science, particularly for Years 9, 10 and 11, is a strength of the school. It is taught by staff with secure knowledge of the subject, high expectations of their pupils and a passionate love of the subject matter. Pupils eagerly engage in learning because

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

they are appropriately challenged. Teachers challenge pupils to expand their knowledge of scientific concepts through the effective use of homework. Work in pupils’ books shows that they apply their scientific experimental skills through frequent practical activities.  The work in pupils’ books shows that in subjects other than English, mathematics and science, teachers systematically plan to develop pupils’ knowledge and skills. It also shows that they help pupils to consolidate and apply these skills. Recent changes to staffing now ensure that Arabic is taught well. Teaching in Arabic is based on the excellent subject knowledge of the teacher and a carefully designed scheme of work. Teaching habitually promotes the linguistic links between English and Arabic, which strongly develops pupils’ better understanding of grammar and punctuation. Additionally, teachers promote very well pupils’ understanding of Arabic grammar and vocabulary using

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

entomology to show how Arabic words are linked to words currently in common English usage.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils consistently demonstrate excellent attitudes to learning. They are keen to debate and share their knowledge of subjects, while remaining respectful of the views of others, including their teachers. As a result, pupils settle quickly to their learning and, because of their strong work ethic, at times challenge some staff to keep up.  The promotion of pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school and results in pupils who are confident, articulate and positive contributors to British society. Pupils are extremely well prepared for their next stages on their journey to adulthood.  A wide range of activities strongly promote pupils’ personal and emotional skills. These include older pupils serving as prefects, head boy and deputy head boy, who act as role models for younger pupils and who play an active part in the running of the school’s

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Personal development and welfare

many charitable activities and events. School councillors, elected from the student body by their peers, represent their classes with integrity and have brought about changes to the welfare provision. This includes the organisation of a cleaning rota and fundraising events to purchase a vacuum cleaner that is kept specifically for the task. This demonstrates the pride pupils have in their school, ensures that the prayer room is kept clean to a very high standard and staff and pupils undertake their prayer obligations in comfort.  Wider experiences, which promote greater understanding of the community and the wider world, abound in the school. Pupils undertake a pilgrimage, or Umrah, to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, visit places of worship belonging to a range of faiths and contribute to many local events.  Pupils’ participation in the National Citizenship Scheme is strongly promoted. Staff act as ambassadors for the scheme and help to advise its leaders how best to engage with local

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Personal development and welfare

communities to ensure equality of access for Muslim pupils. Consequently, high proportions of pupils in Year 11 benefit from their successful completion of the scheme each year.  Pupils develop an excellent knowledge and understanding of equality, including that related to those groups with protected characteristics. Pupils also learn about key commemorations and celebrations, including those of other faiths and the secular community, through a carefully planned and sensitively delivered spiritual, moral, social and cultural programme of study. This draws on the school’s own strong religious ethos to promote effectively tolerance and understanding.  The personal, social, health and economic education programme strongly develops pupils’ understanding of healthy lifestyles and financial acumen. Pupils from each year group enjoy applying their financial skills to a series of challenges during enterprise weeks.

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Personal development and welfare

 Pupils know how to keep safe in school and in the community because of the high-quality teaching they receive from teachers, educational visits and experts. These include, trips to the local police station to learn about law and order, risks regarding child sexual exploitation, and first aid training for all pupils in the school. Pupils have a secure understanding about how to keep safe while using technology, because online safety is an intrinsic part of the school’s curriculum.  Pupils value the excellent information and guidance they receive about their future career choices. This advice is presented in an impartial manner and fosters pupils’ higher aspirations for their careers in later life. These include the aim to study science, law or a professional trade through an apprenticeship route after college study. Additionally, the high-quality careers advice and guidance provided by the school are further enhanced

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Personal development and welfare

through pupils’ visit to local colleges and employers’ careers events. All pupils in Year 10 complete chosen work experiences which are closely monitored and checked to ensure that they are suitable and take account of their abilities, skills and knowledge. As a result, all pupils leave the school to continue in education, employment or training.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils’ conduct around the school is typically exemplary. Pupils show respect and tolerance for each other and for staff and visitors. For example, pupils routinely held doors open for the inspector, welcomed adults to their classroom and were eager to begin mature conversations about their learning and the inspector’s role.  Pupils say they feel safe in school and demonstrate an understanding of the different types of bullying. Pupils who spoke with the inspector found it difficult to recollect or identify acts of bullying and were confident that if it did occur, the staff would do all they could to prevent it from continuing.  Nearly all pupils rarely miss a day of school. Pupils who are absent generally have very good reasons for this, such as illness. The school’s behaviour manager routinely checks attendance and undertakes a weekly analysis to identify any trends or emerging

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Behaviour

concerns, which are then shared with senior leaders. Well-established, robust systems ensure that any absences are followed up, the reasons for them checked and any that may be unauthorised are appropriately challenged. Consequently, the school has higher than average attendance.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Most pupils join the school with levels of attainment that are below or at that which is expected for their age. Pupils make good academic progress from their starting points, particularly in mathematics, science and English, because of the quality of teaching they receive.  In national assessments, the proportions of pupils who attained a good pass in English and mathematics have increased since the last inspection and have been consistently at least in line with national averages for these subjects.  The proportion of pupils who made at least good progress from their starting points and attained a good pass in combined sciences was above the national average. The very small number of the most able pupils, entered for the science qualification at a higher standard, did well and all attained high grades. However, the proportions of pupils who attain higher grades at GCSE in other subjects are below the national averages.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 All pupils are routinely entered for a sufficient number and range of subjects to gain the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). However, weaker results in subjects such as modern foreign languages, humanities and computer science mean that, over time, their rates of success have been limited. Leaders have appropriate actions in place to address this, particularly in Arabic, where changes to staffing have strengthened the quality of teaching. However, the impact of these actions to improve the quality of teaching in a small number of specific subjects other than English, mathematics and science has not yet been as noticeable as anticipated.  Strengths of the school’s work are the promotion of pupils’ high aspirations, the successful development of their attitudes to learning, and pupils’ acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills to enable pupils to do well in their next steps of education and/or training. A large proportion of pupils who have left the school previously are now

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Outcomes for pupils Good

attending university to study challenging subjects, such as law, pharmacy and medicine.  The school prepares pupils well for their place in society and equips them with the cultural capital they need to become positive contributors to British society.

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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

Annual fees (day pupils) £2,500 per year

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School details

Email address darulhadislatifiah@gmail.com

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10–12 May 2016

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Information about this school

 Darul Hadis Latifiah Northwest is an independent secondary day school located in a residential and commercial district of Oldham. It was set up in August 2012 to provide Islamic-faith-based education for boys.  Pupils are mainly of Bangladeshi origin.  The school is registered for a maximum of 110 pupils aged from 11 to 16 years.  The school’s vision is ‘to achieve excellence in all that we do. In doing so we aim to prepare our pupils for the rapidly growing world in the 21st century.’ It aims for ‘the highest level of achievement in religious, cultural, social, spiritual, moral and academic performance by providing opportunities for pupils to reach their full potential’.  None of the pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).  Most pupils speak English as an additional language.  The school receives no additional funding from the local authority and does not make use of any alternative off-site provision.

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Information about this school

 The school received its previous standard inspection in May 2016. Additionally, the school was subject to an emergency inspection in July 2017, at which it was found to meet all the independent school standards.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was conducted with one day’s notice to the school.  The inspector observed learning throughout the school, checked the school’s compliance with the independent school standards and looked at samples of pupils’ work across a range of subjects. The inspector spoke with pupils about their work and school life.  The inspector held meetings with leaders, the proprietor and teachers.  The inspector scrutinised an extensive range of school documentation, including policies, planning, documentation relating to the leadership and management of the school and information about the progress, behaviour and attendance of pupils. He scrutinised the school’s records and systems to check the suitability of adults to work in the school.  The inspector considered the 17 responses to the online parent questionnaire, Parent View.  There were no responses to the online staff and pupils’ questionnaires.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector made a thorough tour of the school.

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Inspection team

John Nixon, 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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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