Al Huda Girls' School

School progress monitoring inspection report

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74-76 Washwood Heath Road, Saltley, Birmingham, West Midlands B8 1RD

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Main inspection findings

Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Paragraphs 7, 7(a) and 7(b) (also Part 6 Paragraph 32(1)(c))  As a routine part of the inspection, the inspector checked the school’s safeguarding policy and its availability to parents and carers.  The previous emergency inspection found that the school had made appropriate arrangements to safeguard pupils. Staff had received recent training about safeguarding matters and understood the risks that pupils might face.  The school’s current safeguarding policy also has regard to the most recent guidance from the Secretary of State and can be found on the school’s website. It is freely available to parents and carers.  Key leaders have received specific training about female genital mutilation and the danger of extreme views. Staff know what to do if safeguarding issues should arise. They also know how to record concerns and to whom they should report their concerns.

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Main inspection findings

 These standards are met. Paragraphs 11, 16, 16(a) and 16(b)  The previous inspection reported that school leaders carried out risk assessments for different activities. However, some risks had not been identified or dealt with. For example, parts of the premises were in poor condition and posed risks that had not been picked up through formal risk assessments. Broken sink taps and holes and protruding nails in the playground fence had not been fixed.  The inspector undertook a tour of the premises and accommodation. Sink taps have been repaired, and the playground fencing repaired and protruding nails removed. The health and safety policy and procedures are effectively implemented. Regular checks of the premises and accommodation are undertaken to assess risks. Appropriate actions are recorded to ensure that the welfare of pupils at the school is safeguarded and promoted.  The proprietor has ensured that these standards are now met.

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Main inspection findings

Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Paragraphs 23(1), 23(1)(a), 23(1)(c), 25, 28(1) and 28(1)(b)  At the time of the previous inspection, the proprietor did not ensure that the school premises and accommodation, and the facilities provided therein, were maintained to a standard that ensured the health, safety and welfare of pupils.  The school provided four separate toilet cubicles and two wash basins. The taps on one of the basins were broken and could not be used. The one remaining functioning wash basin was not sufficient for the demands placed upon it. In addition, standards of cleanliness and maintenance in the toilet and washing areas were poor.  The one shower cubicle, located in the corner of the toilet and wash room, was in a bad state of repair and not working. As a result, pupils were unable to shower after physical education. As already noted, some fencing panels on the playground were broken,

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Main inspection findings

exposing nails and sharp edges. Many areas of the school needed cleaning and maintaining. In one corner of the playground, a pile of rubbish posed a potential health and safety risk.  Current planning specifically addresses issues related to cleanliness and maintenance. Since the previous inspection, the condition of the two sinks has been improved. There is a regular supply of hot and cold water and the sinks are cleaned daily. The shower is in working order and available to pupils to use following physical education activities.  Rubbish and debris have been removed from all areas of the school playground and regular checks are recorded to ensure such risks and hazards do not reoccur. Additional cleaning hours have been allocated to ensure a good quality of hygiene is maintained.  Health and safety and risk assessment policies and procedures contribute effectively in ensuring that the premises and accommodation and the facilities are maintained to a

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Main inspection findings

standard that ensures the health, safety and welfare of the pupils. Leaders have worked hard to address previous weaknesses.  The proprietor has ensured that these standards are now met.

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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)  At the emergency inspection, it was found that the proprietor had not ensured that all the independent school standards were met consistently and continually. Leaders had not maintained regular checks on compliance to promote pupils’ safety and well-being.  The proprietor and leaders have taken the recommendations made at the time of the emergency inspection very seriously. They have worked diligently to address the identified areas of weakness. The headteacher completes regular risk assessments and checks on the health and safety provision. All aspects of health and safety are scrutinised. Actions are recorded, and improvements made where necessary.  The proprietor and headteacher undertake regular checks of the premises and accommodation to ensure compliance with all aspects of health and safety requirements.

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Main inspection findings

They work effectively with staff and pupils to identify risks and to ensure that appropriate action is taken to reduce and minimise the identified risks.  The proprietor has ensured that these standards are now met.

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Main inspection findings

Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010  At the time of the previous inspection, the school did not have a suitable accessibility plan.  Evaluation of the action plan found that there were plans in place to meet the requirements of Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010 with a specified completion date.  The school now has a suitable accessibility plan, which complies with Schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements that were checked during this inspection. This included the standards and requirements that the school was judged to not comply with at the previous inspection. Not all of the standards and associated requirements were checked during this inspection.

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Part 3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils

 11. The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that relevant health and safety laws are complied with by the drawing up and effective implementation of a written health and safety policy.  16. The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that–  16(a) 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  16(b) appropriate action is taken to reduce risks that are identified.

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Part 5. Premises of and accommodation at schools

 23(1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2), the standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that–  23(1)(a) suitable toilet and washing facilities are provided for the sole use of pupils;  23(1)(c) suitable changing accommodation and showers are provided for pupils aged 11 years or over at the start of the school year who receive physical education.  25. The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that the school premises and accommodation and facilities provided therein are maintained to a standard such that, so far is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of pupils are ensured.  28(1) The standard in this paragraph is met if the proprietor ensures that–  28(1)(b) toilets and urinals have an adequate supply of cold water and washing facilities have an adequate supply of hot and cold water.

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Part 8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools

 34(1) The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school–  34(1)(a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently;  34(1)(b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and  34(1)(c) actively promote the well-being of pupils.

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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 day school for girls

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School details

Email address sumeya.jawaid@al-hudagirlsschool.com

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School details

Date of previous standard inspection 23–25 May 2017

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Information about this school

 Al Huda Girls’ School is an independent Muslim day school in Saltley, east Birmingham. It provides secondary education, within an Islamic ethos, for girls aged between 11 and 16 years old. There are currently 45 girls on roll.  The school does not have any specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. It does not use any alternative providers or off-site units.  The last inspection was an emergency inspection on 26 March 2019. At that inspection, several independent school standards were unmet.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out at the request of the registration authority for independent schools. The purpose of the inspection was to monitor the progress the school has made in meeting the independent school standards and other requirements that it was judged to not comply with at its previous inspection.  The inspection, which was unannounced, lasted one day.  This was the first progress monitoring inspection since Ofsted evaluated the school’s action plan on 23 July 2019 and found it to be acceptable.  The inspection focus was on the provision for pupils’ welfare, health and safety, and the premises of and accommodation at schools, and leadership and management.  The inspector held meetings with the proprietor and headteacher, scrutinised safeguarding and health and safety and risk assessment documents, and toured the premises and accommodation.  Before the inspection, the inspector checked the school’s website and looked at

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Inspection team

Mike Onyon, lead inspector Ofsted 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/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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