Madani Secondary Girls' School

Inspection of Madani Secondary Girls’ School Myrdle Street, London E1 1HL

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have great ambitions for all pupils to achieve high academic standards. Leaders also want pupils to develop strong values and strong character traits. As a result, pupils attain good academic qualifications. They also develop into self-confident and articulate young adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told us that they enjoy coming to school. They value the strong sense of community and get on extremely well with each other. Their behaviour is excellent, and they work with determination to succeed. Pupils, parents and carers, and staff believe that bullying hardly ever occurs. This is because staff and pupils do not tolerate it. It runs contrary to the school’s ethos. Pupils said that should it ever occur staff would deal with it straight away.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils cherish learning about people of different faiths, cultures and lifestyles. Teachers encourage pupils to debate a range of moral issues and to keep up to date with current affairs. Pupils express their opinions with conviction. They listen to and respect those with different views from their own. The school prepares pupils well for the next stages of their lives in modern Britain.

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better?

The headteacher, senior leaders and proprietors have created a shared vision and ethos across the school. There is a culture of teamwork, aspiration and mutual support. Staff and pupils highlight the family-like and respectful school environment. Staff value the opportunities for professional training. Leaders are considerate and take care of staff well-being. There is a sense among staff of wanting to continually refine and improve their work. Staff morale is high.

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better?

Leaders have designed an ambitious and broad curriculum. Pupils typically enter for 10 GCSE qualifications. Almost all study the subjects included in the English Baccalaureate (Ebacc). All pupils enter GCSEs in citizenship, religious studies and Arabic. Pupils achieve above-average GCSE results. The school has also designed a programme of Islamic studies. The curriculum thus supports leaders’ aims. Pupils attain high academic standards and deep knowledge of both Islamic and British values. All key stage 4 pupils continue to post-16 education.

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better?

Across the subjects, leaders generally plan learning in a logical way. They identify what they want pupils to know, understand and be able to do. Teachers build on pupils’ prior learning. This helps them deepen their understanding of new concepts. Teachers make sure that pupils learn subject-specific vocabulary. They support them in making links to other areas of learning. Teachers often use opportunities to relate topics to pupils’ lives and current events. In history, for example, pupils watched a video of holocaust survivors who described being bullied and assaulted at school in Nazi Germany. Pupils discussed the challenges of going against the tide and supporting the victims in such a circumstance. 3–5 March 2020

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In citizenship, pupils considered whether media reports are fact or opinion. They benefited from using examples from current news items.

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Teachers build in regular opportunities for pupils to revise prior learning. This helps them to remember knowledge and key concepts over the long term. Teachers use assessments well to identify any pupils falling behind. They arrange extra support for those pupils, helping them to catch up. These strong practices are secure across the subjects at key stage 4 and in the sixth form.

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In a few subjects at key stage 3, planning is not as rigorous. In history and geography, for instance, planning does not identify exactly what pupils need to know and remember over time. In physical education, planning is not ambitious enough to develop pupils’ range of sporting skills. This means that, in these instances, pupils do not meet their potential.

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In the sixth form, leaders personalise A-level courses to meet students’ needs, interests and future aspirations. Students, as well as pupils lower down the school, benefit from good impartial careers guidance. They benefit from one-to-one mentoring and undertake work experience. These opportunities support them in considering a range of options that will help them meet their goals for the future.

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Pupils and students in the sixth form have exemplary attitudes to learning. Their attendance and punctuality are high. They work diligently and collaboratively throughout lessons, wasting no time. They take pride in their work and are determined to achieve well. These excellent attitudes support them to succeed in all subjects.

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Through lessons, assemblies, tutorials and visitors, pupils gain a deep understanding of diversity. They learn to respect all, including people with protected characteristics. Pupils gain a thorough understanding of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. Occasionally, they visit a place of worship and the Houses of Parliament. They develop an understanding of healthy eating and mental well-being. These opportunities prepare pupils and students for adult life in this country.

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Leaders, however, provide few enrichment and extra-curricular activities. Pupils and students have too few opportunities for physical activity. They have little experience of theatre and art galleries, for example. They do not have enough opportunities to develop their broader talents and interests beyond their studies.

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The proprietors have a secure understanding of the independent school standards and make sure that the school meets all of them. The school also meets the requirements of schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. Proprietors bring expertise, including from the world of education, to their work. They recognise the importance of staff development to improve the school. They encourage leaders to give all staff access to quality training. 3–5 March 2020

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that all staff undertake frequent safeguarding training. Leaders and staff have a firm understanding of the safeguarding challenges that pupils may face. All staff report anything that does not seem right. Leaders follow up, investigate and take appropriate action.

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Safeguarding

Pupils have access to a range of pastoral staff and can also self-refer to the school counsellor. This gives them confidence to seek help and support if they are worried. Through workshops pupils learn about a range of risks and how to keep themselves safe. This includes the dangers of child sexual exploitation and forced marriage.

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Safeguarding

Leaders carry out all the appropriate checks on adults who work at the school.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In some subjects, mainly at key stage 3, leaders do not plan clearly what they want pupils to know and remember long term, and what they want them to be able to do. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could in those subjects. Leaders should plan clearly what they want pupils to know and be able to do, building in regular recall activities so that pupils remember what they have learned over time.  Pupils have limited opportunities to take part in a variety of enrichment experiences. This means that some aspects of their personal development are not promoted as well as they could be. Leaders should provide pupils with a range of rich extra-curricular activities to extend their experiences, enhance their physical fitness and develop their talents and interests.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 3–5 March 2020

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School details

Unique reference number 100982 DfE registration number 211/6383

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School details

Inspection number 10142020 Type of school Independent Islamic day school

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Girls

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form

Date of previous inspection 14–16 November 2017

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Information about this school

 Madani Secondary Girls’ School is a Muslim faith school.  Since the previous inspection, the school has recruited students into the sixth form.  Leaders have also created some new senior and middle leadership posts.  The school does not use any alternative provision. 3–5 March 2020

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 There are no pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities on roll.  The school does not meet the requirements of its registration. It has an agreed capacity of 200 pupils but has 270 on roll.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection 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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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 We did deep dives in these subjects: English, science, history, and citizenship. This involved discussions with leaders and teachers, visits to lessons, looking at examples of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils. We also considered other subjects as part of the inspection.  We spoke with the vice-chair of the proprietary body’s executive committee, the headteacher and other senior leaders.  All the above activities contributed to our review of safeguarding. We also scrutinised records of pupils’ attendance. We looked at a range of documentation, including safeguarding records and the checks carried out on staff.  We considered the views of pupils, staff and parents about the school.  We scrutinised a range of documentary information in order to check on the statutory requirements of the independent school standards.

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Inspection team

David Radomsky, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Moore Ofsted Inspector 3–5 March 2020

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regulates and inspects 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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