Al-Mahad Al-Islami

Inspection of Al-Mahad Al-Islami 1 Industry Road, Darnall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S9 5FP

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and nurturing school. Pupils are safe and well cared for. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning. They attend well, and there is no disruption to lessons. Bullying is extremely rare, but if there is any unkindness between pupils, it is addressed immediately.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. There is a wide range of subjects on offer that matches the national curriculum. Most subjects are well designed and delivered by effective teachers. In these subjects, pupils can talk confidently about what they have learned. Some subjects are not organised or delivered well. This is limiting what pupils know and can do in these subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders support the personal development of pupils well. This is a strength of the school. Pupils are given many opportunities to develop their self-confidence. The Islamic studies and citizenship courses contribute well to pupils’ personal development. Leaders regularly organise trips and events. These enrich pupils’ learning about themselves and the world around them. All pupils move successfully on to further education or training.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents speak highly of the school. One parent said, ‘Love this school, the teachers really care about the students, about their well-being and education.’

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better?

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum. Pupils study a wide range of subjects and sit recognised qualifications. However, not all subjects are planned or delivered consistently well. In the stronger subjects, pupils make steady progress through well-planned learning. For example, the long-term plan for science shows very clearly how key learning will be covered from Year 7 through to the end of Year 11. Pupils learn basic scientific concepts and then build on this learning. However, in history, what is taught at key stage 3 does not prepare pupils for what they study in key stage 4.

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better?

Teachers’ subject knowledge is variable. Some teachers have specialist subject knowledge. They use questions well to check what pupils know. These teachers then adapt their lessons to plug any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This does not happen consistently across the school. This is because some teachers are not confident with the subject content they are delivering.

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better?

Leaders recognise the importance of reading. Time for personal reading is built into pupils’ timetables across the week. Staff regularly check pupils’ reading knowledge. Additional reading support is provided for those pupils who are at the early stage of reading.

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better?

The atmosphere in the school is friendly, calm and purposeful. Leaders have high expectations for behaviour and attendance. Pupils attend well. Attendance has 14 to 16 June 2022 improved since the last inspection. The school’s Islamic ethos underpins the school’s approach to behaviour. Pupils learn the importance of being just and kind and bringing the best of themselves to any situation. Teachers implement the school’s behaviour system consistently. Poor behaviour is very rare. Leaders act promptly to address any behaviour issues that do arise. The headteacher maintains a log of any sanctions or rewards given to pupils. Pupils appreciate the rewards on offer for character, effort, progress and homework.

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better?

Leaders have developed a broad curriculum that includes personal, social and health education, relationships and sex education and citizenship and religious education. There are detailed and well-sequenced plans for these subjects. Pupils learn about themselves, life in modern Britain and the world around them. There is a rich assembly and visiting speakers programme. This programme contributes to pupils’ personal development. Pupils have many opportunities to develop leadership skills. Pupils are responsible for organising a wide range of charity events throughout the school year.

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better?

Careers education is in place for all year groups. Older pupils do work experience and have meetings with an independent careers adviser. In recent years, all pupils have moved on to further education or apprenticeships. Current Year 11 pupils spoke confidently about their future plans.

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better?

The headteacher is the special educational needs coordinator. She ensures pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities get the additional help they need. Pupils with education, health and care plans are supported well by staff.

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better?

The proprietor has ensured that all the independent school standards are met. The proprietor’s vision is that pupils will leave the school able to participate confidently in modern Britain. The proprietor understands his duties under the Equality Act 2010. The school’s policies and curriculum promote equality.

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better?

The proprietor ensures the school is a safe place. Leaders are trained in safer recruitment. Pre-employment checks are carried out in line with statutory guidance. These checks are done before any adult works or volunteers in the school. The headteacher maintains the single central record diligently. This record and other safeguarding checks are monitored by the proprietor.

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better?

The proprietor knows his school well. He has established a ‘school board’ which performs the function of governance. The school board meets with the headteacher on a termly basis. The headteacher provides the school board with detailed reports about the school. There are board members with specific responsibility for safeguarding and health and safety. These board members come into school regularly to check that the school’s safeguarding and health and safety policies are being implemented consistently.

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better?

Leaders are committed to providing pupils with high-quality education that prepares them for life in modern Britain. The proprietor is aware that there is still work to be done to improve the quality of education. The proprietor employs a school 14 to 16 June 2022 consultant to provide additional support for the headteacher. This consultant is an experienced school leader. She comes into the school each term to jointly evaluate the school with the headteacher and monitor progress against improvement plans.

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better?

Leaders support staff well. Staff feel valued and part of a team. Leaders provide staff with regular training about the craft of teaching. This training is valued by staff, but more subject-specific training is needed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The headteacher has established a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. There is a detailed child protection policy in place. This policy is compliant with current statutory guidance. Staff know what they must do to keep children safe. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. Pupils know who to go to in school for help if they need it.

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Safeguarding

All staff are trained in child protection and wider safeguarding. The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and her deputies have received enhanced training. The DSL has set up systems for staff to raise any issues and record concerns. All concerns are followed up on robustly.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 The leadership of some subjects is not as effective as it needs to be. This is affecting the construction and delivery of these subjects. Staff who are teaching outside of their subject area do not get the support that they need. Leaders need to ensure that each subject in the curriculum is led by staff with the capacity and subject knowledge to bring about the required improvements.  The medium- and short-term plans in some subjects are not as detailed or well sequenced as they need to be. This is affecting pupils’ progress through the planned learning in these subjects. Leaders should ensure all subjects have detailed plans which explain the curriculum content and how pupils will progress through the planned learning.  Some subject teachers do not have sufficient specialist knowledge to deliver the planned curriculum. Leaders should continue with their review of the subject and craft of teaching knowledge of their staff and provide subject-specific training as

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted 14 to 16 June 2022 Parent View 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 . 14 to 16 June 2022

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School details

Email address jkhan@almahadalislami.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 to 31 January 2019 14 to 16 June 2022

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Information about this school

 Al-Mahad Al-Islami is an independent day school for secondary-age girls. The school has an Islamic ethos.  Most pupils who attend come from the locality of the school. Some travel to school from outside the Sheffield area.  At the time of the inspection, no pupils of sixth-form age were attending the school.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school’s last standard inspection was from 29 to 31 January 2019. The school also had a progress monitoring inspection on 17 September 2019.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors 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

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, including those responsible for safeguarding, and the proprietor. They also met with a range of other staff and a member of the school board. Inspectors spoke with two external consultants who are providing some support to the school.  Inspectors undertook a tour of the school and visited the classrooms, social areas and other facilities. They checked the school buildings and grounds against the independent school standards.  Inspectors did deep dives into English, mathematics, science and history. The deep dive for each subject included a meeting with curriculum leaders and a review of subject documents and plans. The deep dive also involved lesson visits, meetings with pupils and teachers and scrutiny of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at the curriculum plans of all other subjects and met with leaders about these subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school throughout the day, including breaktimes and in lessons.  Inspectors scrutinised school documents and the arrangements to safeguard 14 to 16 June 2022 pupils. This included checking the school’s safeguarding systems and the single central record of staff’s recruitment checks, meeting with the DSL and speaking with staff and pupils about safeguarding.  Inspectors considered 14 responses to the survey, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors considered Ofsted’s surveys completed by 10 staff and 27 pupils.

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Inspection team

Patricia Head, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Cummings Ofsted Inspector 14 to 16 June 2022 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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